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Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Excrement, Vomit, Alcohol, War
Graphic: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, War
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
One of my top reads for 2024, James is a cutting retelling of Huckleberry Finn that gives autonomy back to the enslaved characters originally shallowly depicted by Twain. I loved the attention being focused on James' tribulations and travels, which are arguably much higher stakes than the young runaway. The character portrayals stray far away from being caricatures, everyone having their share of traumatic and formative events. The settings feel naturally detailed, rather than labored over (comparing to overly detailed descriptions by GRR Martin), even a year later I can perfectly recall the feeling of the flood, the river boat, the chill of realization during times of betrayal.
Everett gives this story new life as a harrowing adventure full of poignant commentary on race, and the relation between social classes in the late 1800s US.
For bias clarity, I absolutely abhor, maybe even hate, Mark Twain.
Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism