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marissagoodell92's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
elsanore's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
excellent voices, story from differing perspectives. only one guy made slavery sound like a children's story--didn't like that.
thriftylibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Great research humanizing a little known historical event. Very harrowing at parts and at times hard to keep reading.
I thought the characters, both real and fictional were well developed, but wished there was a little more to the story. This book is told from many different viewpoints, which is a difficult format for any book, but especially one as short as this.
I thought the characters, both real and fictional were well developed, but wished there was a little more to the story. This book is told from many different viewpoints, which is a difficult format for any book, but especially one as short as this.
jennmeadows13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
5.0
A story told with interspersed "interviews" from those who attended the largest slave auction in U.S. history. We hear from the auctioned slaves, their owner, his children, and a few other parties, including one man who risked everything to help bring slaves to freedom across the Ohio River.
This is structured in such a way that it could be turned into a great play, but probably best for a very mature high school or college crew. The biggest hurdle to putting it on stage is the language, but that is also one of the best aspects of the book. And by "language," I mean frequent use of the N-word. At the beginning of the book, hearing it made me flinch, but by the end, it had been used so much that I'd stopped reacting. Not that the word had been normalized, but it was instead one of the most effective means Lester uses to show the villains of the story.
If your child is reading this, be prepared for some serious discussions, and perhaps some comfort food. It packs a punch, but that is all to its credit. Lester decided his audience needed to hear as much of the truth as they could stand, and he told it with beautiful, if often heartbreaking language.
This is structured in such a way that it could be turned into a great play, but probably best for a very mature high school or college crew. The biggest hurdle to putting it on stage is the language, but that is also one of the best aspects of the book. And by "language," I mean frequent use of the N-word. At the beginning of the book, hearing it made me flinch, but by the end, it had been used so much that I'd stopped reacting. Not that the word had been normalized, but it was instead one of the most effective means Lester uses to show the villains of the story.
If your child is reading this, be prepared for some serious discussions, and perhaps some comfort food. It packs a punch, but that is all to its credit. Lester decided his audience needed to hear as much of the truth as they could stand, and he told it with beautiful, if often heartbreaking language.
mbhoppe13's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
coffeesearcher's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
wlingle78's review against another edition
challenging
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0