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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
I’ve gone back and forth a lot on how I want to rate this. I think ultimately I’d land somewhere in the 3.5 star range.
I deeply respect what Everett set out to do with this novel - a bold reclamation of identity and voice from a character that was famously flattened.
It is a brilliant premise and a lot of it is beautifully written.
The reason it loses stars is that the vehicle for the narrative didn’t resonate with me on several levels. The dialogue often felt stilted and overly performative. The pacing was uneven, with moments of dense introspection giving way to rushed or implausible plot turns. The world itself felt more like a constructed allegory orbiting James than a lived-in place — characters and events appeared for a page or two, served their symbolic purpose, and disappeared without weight. Even James, for all his complexity, didn’t seem to grow meaningfully over the course of the novel. And the ending — particularly the final scene — struck me as both tropey and dramatically implausible, undermining what should have been a moment of hard-earned power.
I know this will resonate more fully for others — especially those more steeped in Twain’s original — but for me, the execution too often fell short of the novel’s enormous potential.
I deeply respect what Everett set out to do with this novel - a bold reclamation of identity and voice from a character that was famously flattened.
It is a brilliant premise and a lot of it is beautifully written.
The reason it loses stars is that the vehicle for the narrative didn’t resonate with me on several levels. The dialogue often felt stilted and overly performative. The pacing was uneven, with moments of dense introspection giving way to rushed or implausible plot turns. The world itself felt more like a constructed allegory orbiting James than a lived-in place — characters and events appeared for a page or two, served their symbolic purpose, and disappeared without weight. Even James, for all his complexity, didn’t seem to grow meaningfully over the course of the novel. And the ending — particularly the final scene — struck me as both tropey and dramatically implausible, undermining what should have been a moment of hard-earned power.
I know this will resonate more fully for others — especially those more steeped in Twain’s original — but for me, the execution too often fell short of the novel’s enormous potential.
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fast paced book, went from beat to beat. Meeting and passing lots of unique familiar characters. Hard to put down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very slow until Part 2 but then the book picked up and it was more fun to read.
adventurous
challenging
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
Loved- Characters, story, writing, loved the idea of the slaves being "bililingual", loved the language of possession in regards to Jim's belongings
Disliked- Not sure about the twist- lacks much bearing on the story, ending perhaps felt a little too quick, some writing perhaps lacking in subtlety
Disliked- Not sure about the twist- lacks much bearing on the story, ending perhaps felt a little too quick, some writing perhaps lacking in subtlety