Four star review, originally posted here on June 9th 2025.
Hey look! I read the buzziest book of the year and actually liked it! Achievement unlocked! I don’t have much to say about this book that hasn’t already been stated by every other review out there. This was a creative retelling, and I appreciated hearing this story and history (yes, I know it is fiction. I mean the historical setting) from a different viewpoint. The book is great at exploring the different layers of racism ingrained in the US, at times by pointing out the sillyness if racim. My favorite part of the book was when James joined a minstrel show. But had to pretend to be a white guy pretending to be a white guy pretending to be a black guy, while having his makeup applied by a black guy pretending to be a white guy so he can apply makeup to white guys pretending to be black guys. Absolutely ridiculous, in the most tragically poignant way possible.
My big regret is that I barely recall Huckleberry Finn. I think we read it in 6th grade (I recall overhearing my teaching telling another teacher that it might be a little old for us, but he wanted us to read it before it gets banned), but that may have been Tom Sawyer. Either way, 6th grade me wouldn’t have understood the nuance or themes to begin with, and any recollection I have is gone. I’m under the impression that I would have gotten a lot more out of this book of Huck Finn was more clearly embedded in my mind, so I could better compare the two and analyze Everett’s choices.
Helga without the H 