A review by kamrynharned
James by Percival Everett

adventurous challenging sad 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? Yes

3.5

I heard about this book from Boggie who heard about it from her Real Simple magazine. Here are the reasons that I did enjoy it:

• it was fast-paced and exciting, much easier to get through than Huck Finn.
• It had some plot twists and new characters
• the character arc of Jim was very fascinating. 

Here are the reasons I did not enjoy it: 

• it had some plot twists and new characters. I didn’t think the author would change the storyline and plot of Huckleberry Finn as much as he did. While I understand the desire to make this book unique, it did not live up to my expectations and I think the book could have been unique enough just from the perspective of Jim
• I don’t love a book that preaches on the social issues it’s addressing. Mark Twain said just as much about slavery in Huckleberry Finn in half as many words, and while I understand that part of James’ character is the love of philosophy, it didn’t flow naturally. Why say verbatim what you can make people feel and understand through your story and character development?