Reviews with content warning for Violence - James

I reread Huckleberry Finn before diving into this and really recommend the experience. I think considering the two texts together makes for a really engaging conversation for the reader. I found the transformations to the original narrative invigorating (especially the ending of this, which carries a lot of emotional weight and will really stick with me, vs. the ending of the original novel which I never really liked), but I can see if Huck Finn is one of your favorite books ever you might find fault with the changes

(though I will admit I did see the "twist" coming and am surprised to see others so dismayed)

. I also think those coming to this without having read Percival Everett before might be taken aback by some of the choices, but I think the transformation and reclamation here are extremely well done and memorable.

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lesedir's review against another edition

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5.0

The best book I've read this year

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jillian_elizabeth's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This retelling of Huckleberry Finn reimagines key parts of the story from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who travels with Huck, and builds out Jim’s entire world. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking, emotional, thought-provoking story that highlights the inconsistent, irrational, violent nature of white supremacy and slavery.

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casey_sunshine's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I read this as part of a book club, and would not otherwise have chosen it, so that colors my review.

The project that this book undertakes—retelling Adventure of Huckleberry Finn and reimagining it from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man—is clever and thought-provoking. As someone who did not love Huck Finn and does not love the Americana of it all, some of this book’s excellence is lost on me.

I appreciated the choices that the author made to differentiate from the source material, and the correctives he makes to the White Savior narrative lurking therein. This book permits Jim and other enslaved people to claim their own liberation, form their own senses of self, and always be in on the joke and the subversion—rather than always the one mocked and humiliated.

The content warnings should not come as a surprise, given the subject matter, but be warned.

Content Warnings