The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain
Published by Puffin, 2008; ISBN 0141321091
Recommended reading age: 12 and up

Summary:
Huck Finn has always been a trouble maker, but never rebelled against anything bigger than his small-town society. When his alcoholic father kidnaps him for money, though, Huck must flee down the Mississippi River and face the larger world. His friend Jim, a runaway slave, accompanies him down-river. Mark Twain uses Huck’s trip to paint a picture of pre-Emancipation America, and to challenge the reader with frequent moral dilemmas.

Review:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has two major strikes against it: it’s a frequently banned or challenged book; and it’s often required reading in high schools. That’s enough to repel a big chunk of readers! However, anyone brave enough to pick up Mark Twain’s classic will be rewarded with an entertaining, multi-layered adventure. “Moral struggles” tend to be a topic for English papers, but Huck’s dilemmas were actually quite interesting. His logic only adds to that, as he’s just a kid who’s never internalized society’s nuances. Huck’s very good-versus-bad; he rarely sees the gray in a situation. Twain’s writing is gritty enough to bring history to life, but it never feels like a history lesson. I’d recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and fans of realistic adventure. (Hesitant readers can always pick up the movie)