Review: The Turkey Is Not The Only Thing Getting Roasted by Robert Okine

A hilarious and unflinching takedown of America’s hungriest holiday, The Turkey Is Not The Only Thing Getting Roasted by Robert Okine serves up social commentary alongside state-specific laughs.

Laced with side-eye witticisms and punny wordplay, Okine presents a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the United States’ most “deliciously dysfunctional” tradition. Proceeding through 51 Thanksgiving anecdotes from every state of the union, along with the nation’s capital, this distinctly American review leaves no regional delicacy unturned.

From sage-burning gurus in Arizona and awkward icebreakers in Delaware to grudge-filled Tupperware trading in Illinois and ghostly visitations in Louisiana, these brief tales run the gamut of tensions and toxic traits that seem to always crop up around the Thanksgiving table. Humorous ribbing of American tropes is at the heart of this uproarious collection, but the critiques are generally offered up in good faith, with the clear self-knowledge that every state – and family – has its bizarre quirks and eye-rolling rituals.

Some chapters focus on the culinary battles that annually define this controversial holiday, while others lean into the forced gathering of disparate personalities from different belief systems, regions, traditions, and sides of the political aisle. With more than fifty recollections, Okine doesn’t bog readers down in too much contextual detail, offering satisfying, tightly edited snapshots that can be read quickly.

While there is some level of apoliticism in the book, since it does faithfully roast every state, some of the expositional sections and character descriptions do feel more condescending and dismissive than others, potentially hinting at the author’s opinions on certain belief systems or viewpoints, but overall the vignettes are well-intentioned. A few chapters also lean into stereotypes in a way that breaks the illusion of being a fly on the wall of an actual holiday scene; these chapters usually include characters having one too many perfectly scripted comebacks, impossibly apropos props, or such outlandishly archetypal personalities as to require a bit too much suspension of disbelief. That said, these portraits are always amusing, if not always true to life.

The wordplay does at times get in the way of the storytelling, and feels as if the author is trying to make up for the similar and cyclical storylines of each chapter. In a similar vein, the frequent line breaks and abbreviated paragraphs make it seem as if the author is using the physical layout for humorous impact, rather than relying on his clever writing, and longer stretches of prose could land more consistently than brief chapters that resemble short-form setups to a punchline. Still, as a coffee table book that can be dipped into time and again, this unique read is entertaining at any point in the culinary journey – just not necessarily all in one bite.

Despite some minor critiques, this holiday exposé is a spot-on caricature of American values, virtues, and vices, curated by a satirist of the highest order. Ultimately, the book is a heartwarming elbow nudge and a knee-slapping reminder of our oddity as a collective culture – playful, observant, and bitingly funny.