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A review by saint_eleanor
James by Percival Everett
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is objectively a really good book and super quick and easy to finish. At first the writing style felt very detached to me like I felt like I was a step removed from James' thoughts and feelings which kind of softened the blow on the more emotional parts, but then you kind of find out that there's an explanation for that which I really liked.
This is really an adventure book with devastating historical context, I don't remember enough about Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn to say how much it departs from that canon or whatever, but I feel like kids should have to read this as a companion to Tom Sawyer if not just this one by itself. I feel like this is an important book and although the stakes are life and death the scenebuilding is so beautiful, the Mississippi river and the steamboats and the forests, wow.
This is really an adventure book with devastating historical context, I don't remember enough about Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn to say how much it departs from that canon or whatever, but I feel like kids should have to read this as a companion to Tom Sawyer if not just this one by itself. I feel like this is an important book and although the stakes are life and death the scenebuilding is so beautiful, the Mississippi river and the steamboats and the forests, wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Pedophilia