Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

James by Percival Everett

156 reviews

bookishcori's review

adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, and Violence

pierreamour's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

An amazing reinventing of a classic, a sophisticated update and an emotional thrill ride. I laughed, I was enraged, I laughed some more, I cried, I cheered; and I struggled to step away from the adventure, the mystery and the word play! 
 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Trafficking

Minor: Torture and Violence

It would’ve been 5 stars if Sammy would have survived and had some more involvement in the story, it would have made the book a bit longer, I didn’t want it to end and I was hoping James would start teaching some of the people he met along the way to also read and write instead of being this near lone survivor that has to go into isolation in order to have the final break through, , maybe this could’ve been achieved through critical dialogue a conversation with a surviving Sammy who later split off to get Huck and then the new extended family goes north and starts a school

rosa_lina96's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

A beautifully moving retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of James (Jim). It's been several years since I last read Twain's original work, but from what I remember of the plotline this book follows it pretty closely. I enjoyed the writing style most of all--it's very fast-paced, yet not so whirlwind that you couldn't make sense of the narrative. James is a wonderful narrator, intelligent and observant about the world around him, and his unique character voice really shines through within the story. There was never a dull moment within this book. It was engaging and thought-provoking at all times, and it wasn't afraid to shy away from the darker areas of how life in Civil War-era America really was. Highly recommended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Rape, and Murder

gar42's review

adventurous challenging 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

4.5

I’ve never read the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but I loved the story of James. A brilliant historical fiction novel that examines a classic, canonical story in a new light. 

This is an adventurous and action-packed novel that doesn’t gloss over the horrors of slavery-era America. 

The characters are full and complex, and their relationships are rich and heartwarming. A roller coaster of adventure and emotion. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Stalking

atamano's review

adventurous dark medium-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War

brewdy_reader's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Historical Fiction • Litfic • Retelling • Antebellum
Published • 19 March 2024

Thank you @prhaudio for the free audiobook which allowed me to tandem read with the hardcopy I purchased from @aardvarkbookclub

This book wins for the most unassuming cover that was an absolute smash of a read. I loved this one even more than the book upon which it took inspiration: the classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Told from perspective of Jim — the runaway slave, James is so much more than simply a Huck Finn retelling. This book flips the narrative on its head, with Jim as a literate slave trying to keep his family together in a no-win situation. As Jim and Huck travel down-river, layers of racism are revealed from plantation owners and breeders to the more enlightened pro-abolitionist folk who still suffer racism, cultural appropriation, and feeling better-than.

The ingrained sense of white superiority is shown beginning in childhood, making it that much easier to understand how systemic racism takes root early on. I could feel the horror of being on the run, hunted and trapped, with the constant threat of a beating, lynching, being shot at or killed for the crime of being black. Set in Antebellum South, this book was excellent both on audio as well as in physical book format. The narrator’s accent of Jim alternating between two dialects was well done.

The ending of this book was fantastic! Can’t say more without giving it away but I do hope you give this a read.

TW: death, murder, racism, sexual assault, rape, violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

rover_under's review

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-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? Yes

4.75

Loved this book. It was a fantastic retelling of the Huck Finn story, and gave a lot of depth to the Black experience, presenting many different perspectives other than Jim's. The code-switching presented in the book highlighted the power dynamics at play and the characters' disparate ability to move through the world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder

krstn13's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

kathann's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

convivialcatch's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Slavery