Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Trees by Percival Everett

45 reviews

paperknotbooks's review

4.75

audiobook’d this one. The dry delivery enhances the crass dialogue—hilarious! This book is enveloped in grit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Gore

mmccombs's review

challenging dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

This was just spectacular! Everett perfectly balances history and humor and shock and cruelty, creating an intensely propulsive narrative. I was hooked from the beginning trying to figure out what was happening, but what kept me reading was the clever writing style, distinctive tone, and clear connection to the past. He creates such a through-line between the US’s bloody past and it’s equally bloody present. I wish the book kept going! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Murder

inthemoonforcheese's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Ableism, Genocide, Incest, Police brutality, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Murder, and Racial slurs

this book is so crazy i have no idea how i feel about it

ktdakotareads's review

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Racial slurs

emziesreads's review

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Gore, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Vomit, Hate crime, and Police brutality

wikikapusta's review

challenging dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Hate crime, Blood, Murder, Death, and Gore

devinmzt's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Gun violence, Gore, and Racial slurs

feebles640's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Blood, Gore, Hate crime, and Murder

geraldinerowe's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

An interesting idea for what is, on the surface, a crime novel (but is actually so much more). I loved the reversal of roles and treatment of the black and white characters. However, I did think there were some clichés in both dialogue and tropes, and the whole thing got a bit messy towards the end. I was happy with the ending, but not its pacing. A shame, as the subject matter was well worth talking about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Hate crime, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Blood and Gun violence

clarehiyama's review

challenging dark funny informative mysterious reflective fast-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? Yes

5.0

This was hard to put down. As others have noted, it’s shockingly funny for a book that is primarily about the history of racist terror inflicted upon Black people (and other people of color) throughout the existence of the United States. I found the characters incredibly compelling: all are complicated and most are DEEPLY flawed, and they all play their parts in this book very well. I appreciated that Everett  pulled no punches in looking at the ugliness of racist white people while also giving readers a sense of the many flavors of that ugliness. The racists were not one dimensional, evil villains. They are in turns vile, childish, self-aware and embarrassed, and just plain stupid. It also was interesting to follow main characters who were mostly Black cops, and to read about how they negotiate their Blackness and their coppiness with both white folks and Black folks. And I just genuinely liked Ed, Jim, Herbie, Gertrude, and Mama Z. I also was particularly tickled by the Trump parts. Everett really captured his bizarre way of speaking. There’s a part where he calls Mike Pence “Mr. Juicy Fruit” that I will probably reference quite a bit.

I will say that there are racial slurs (mostly the n-word but others too) used a lot throughout the book, and there are pretty graphic descriptions of lynchings and other violence, so it is not going to be for everyone.

In short, I loved this book, and I’ll surely be seeking out more Percival Everett. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Slavery