Reviews - Telephone | The StoryGraph

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450 reviews for:

Telephone

Percival Everett

4.04 AVERAGE

blikesbikes's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

buddy524's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this novel and the exploration of grief. Everett does a great job of getting the reader into the character’s psyche. Some aspects of the writing needed further development for me.

cmarkabawi15's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

magthompson's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

skaellner's review against another edition

4.75

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

nowsarasays's review against another edition

5.0

I discovered Percival Everett after he won the National Book Award, and I’m so glad I picked up Telephone. I can’t even explain why I didn’t start with James, but that’s a question for another day.

Telephone is an incredibly poignant, emotionally charged novel that left me feeling completely undone. As I read, I found myself wishing I could reach through the pages to hug the protagonist, Noah—though, knowing him, he probably wouldn’t have appreciated it.

Everett's portrayal of grief is nothing short of masterful. He captures the raw, disorienting nature of grief in a way that feels deeply personal, showing how it can pull us apart from ourselves and those we love. In the midst of his own pain, Noah embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of missing women—an effort that serves both as a means of escaping his own suffering and alleviating the pain of others.

Percival Everett has earned a lifelong reader in me, and I eagerly look forward to exploring more of his work.