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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-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
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
informative
medium-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
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book kept me guessing for a while and was a really amazing reflection on the history of slavery in this country and what revenge might look like with mystical/magical elements
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’ve never read a Percival Everett book before, although I’ve had James on my shelf for a while. I saw Dua Lipa’s Service95 recommendation and went into The Trees semi-blind, finishing it today.
It’s a satire. The characters are caricatures, clearly meant to be racist, and it’s funny, silly, and comic. The police are intentionally incompetent, and the final sequence almost feels like a South Park episode, but in a way that works. It’s witty throughout.
But it’s also dark. The history of American violence, lynching, targeted racism, the prolific presence of the KKK in Money, Mississippi, and the legacy of Emmett Till are all entwined in the fabric of the book. There’s a section where victims of lynchings are listed, and it’s genuinely harrowing.
Finishing it today (11 September) felt specifically heavy. A few weeks ago, two Minnesotan representatives were targeted and killed in what seemed like a political assassination. Yesterday, Charlie Kirk was killed, reportedly for similar reasons. It’s hard not to reflect on the long shadow of American violence. Everett manages to articulate that violence in a way that captivates the reader and asks real questions of them. For a country celebrating 250 years of independence, so much of its history has been defined by this undercurrent of brutality, both institutional and interpersonal.
The Trees is essential reading.
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated