Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kris_tea516 's review for:
James
by Percival Everett
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
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:
No
I didn’t read “The Adventures of Huck Finn” in high school. I’m not sure if we just read a selection or if we were supposed to read it but I just refused to, either way, I didn’t read it. As a kid, I did watch the movie but I remember very little about the story. I’ve heard so many people rave about this book so I decided to read it and “The Adventures of Huck Finn” this year.
I will say that this is a FANTASTIC book, not an easy or enjoyable read necessarily, but very good. The audiobook narration by Dominic Hoffman was amazing. I don’t think it would have impacted me nearly as much if I hadn't listened to his talented interpretation.
This book is about the evils of slavery, the resilience of people who were demoralized and dehumanized, and friendship in unexpected places. This book certainly doesn’t shy away from the horrors of that time in history. To think of the ways humans can treat and hate other humans is shocking, disgusting, and terrifying. This book is important for people of all colors to read.
One aspect that had me thinking about current events is that James broke immoral laws. He broke those laws and risked his life to save his family and helped others to freedom in the process. This made me think of our current immigration situation and how most people who flee to this country are doing everything they can and risking everything for their families and freedom. Many times we assume we know their intentions and motivations without asking questions. If we just showed mercy, offered grace, and listened to their stories, our thoughts on their struggles might change.
There were so many other beautiful messages & sometimes hard lessons to learn in this book. I highly recommend reading this book and contemplating these messages.
Content warnings: slavery, torture/beating, violence, gun violence, fire, murder, hanging/lynching, racism, relatively graphic rape scene, strangulation, drowning, child abuse, death, racial slurs (particularly numerous uses of the "N" word)
I will say that this is a FANTASTIC book, not an easy or enjoyable read necessarily, but very good. The audiobook narration by Dominic Hoffman was amazing. I don’t think it would have impacted me nearly as much if I hadn't listened to his talented interpretation.
This book is about the evils of slavery, the resilience of people who were demoralized and dehumanized, and friendship in unexpected places. This book certainly doesn’t shy away from the horrors of that time in history. To think of the ways humans can treat and hate other humans is shocking, disgusting, and terrifying. This book is important for people of all colors to read.
One aspect that had me thinking about current events is that James broke immoral laws. He broke those laws and risked his life to save his family and helped others to freedom in the process. This made me think of our current immigration situation and how most people who flee to this country are doing everything they can and risking everything for their families and freedom. Many times we assume we know their intentions and motivations without asking questions. If we just showed mercy, offered grace, and listened to their stories, our thoughts on their struggles might change.
There were so many other beautiful messages & sometimes hard lessons to learn in this book. I highly recommend reading this book and contemplating these messages.
Content warnings: slavery, torture/beating, violence, gun violence, fire, murder, hanging/lynching, racism, relatively graphic rape scene, strangulation, drowning, child abuse, death, racial slurs (particularly numerous uses of the "N" word)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail