by Bridget N. Watts

Created on: August 31, 2008   Last Updated: May 19, 2009

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of those books that most of us have read when we were in high school or at least we were told that we should be reading it. In this famous book novelist Mark Twain tells the story of a young boy named Huck who is fed up with his life and wants to be free, as well as have a big adventure. And what boy hasn't felt that way?

At the beginning of the novel we find Huck locked in a deserted house in the woods by his alcoholic father, who only cares about the money Huck made for the treasure that he and Tom Sawyer found. Luckily Huck manages to escape from the cabin by faking his own death. Huck decides he is going to run away by taking his little raft and riding along the Mississippi river with it. He meets up with Jim, his former guardian's friend's slave and they embark on a great journey together.

Of course together they experience all kinds of great and exciting adventures, the way that only young boys can experience them. Over the course of their journey the boys really bond and become the best of friends. Not all of their adventures are as much fun and in fact, a few of them are rather dangerous and scary, but somehow the boys always seem to get out of it in one piece. A few times Huck and Jim are separated, but luckily each time they find each other again.

At one point the boys run into two bad guys who join them on their little raft. It is only a matter of time before Huck and Jim find out that the bad guys are up to no good. However, there is only so much two young boys can do to make bad guys behave and, thus, they have no other choice but to endure the schemes that the bad guys think of as well as their consequences. It all comes to a dramatic climax when one of the bad guys decides to sell Jim as a slave. Does this mean the end of their big adventure or will Huck manage to free his friend? You will have to buy the book or borrow it from your local library in order to find out.

This is a great book to read when you are in high school, at least that is what I thought at the time. I even reread this novel a few years ago and I still really enjoyed it. There is just something about coming of age novels that really appeal to me. Perhaps it is because even though it is set in a different time and in a different place, the things these boys have to deal with and learn about life are so familiar. If you are one of those few people who has never read Huckleberry Finn, I strongly suggest you change that right now!

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