jamelynreads25 's review for:

James by Percival Everett

4.5

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective 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

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I remember reading Huckleberry Finn in high school and as an undergraduate and thinking that there has to be more to Jim than meets the eye. He comes across as foolish and naive because that's how Huck sees him, but it's evident that Jim's words and actions are ways of protecting himself. If he comes across as too intelligent, he will be perceived as threatening.

James provides an insightful retelling of Mark Twain's classic by describing in detail the intricacies of slavery, such as "breeding farms," and the hypocrisy of minstrel shows. This is one of the most necessary retelling I've ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail