Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Writer Walker and artist Anderson, winners of the Eisner Award for The Black Panther Party, reunite to upend Mark Twain's caricature-like portrayal of Jim, the enslaved character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The narrative unfolds across different points in time: 101-year-old Jim talks to his grandchildren, while his granddaughter passes on the story to her own granddaughter, who grows up to become a history professor and tells Jim's story to the world. In 1855, Jim, who has looked after Huck Finn his entire life, confronts the boy's father, Joe Finn, about his sister Eudora Watson selling Jim's wife and children and an altercation breaks out. Huck, trying to save Jim, seemingly kills his father, and the two flee together on a raft down the Mississippi River. They endure run-ins with scavengers and fights with bounty hunters, aid fellow runaways, join in Civil War battles, and take part in cat-and-mouse chases with a diabolical Joe. Interspersed with the adventures are academic discussions of the Civil War, slavery, and race relations. The n-word appears in redacted form throughout, its middle letters crossed out. Walker's quirky characters are rendered in a bold and dynamic art style that emphasizes the harrowing and tender aspects in equal measure. It's a vital reconsideration of an American classic. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Walker and Anderson, the team behind the Eisner Award-winning The Black Panther Party, present a retelling of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that places Jim at the center of the narrative. Where Twain imagined Jim unthinkingly following young Huck through a series of misadventures along the river, Walker and Anderson depict him as a man whose lifelong battle for survival and dignity in a dehumanizing world has made him deeply sensitive to the plight of others. They reimagine Huckleberry Finn as Jim's unofficial foster son who becomes a sidekick when the pair set out on a mission to rescue Jim's kidnapped wife and children. The duo's journey across the postbellum South and Midwest finds them passing through Civil War camps, assisting in an Underground Railroad mission, and crossing paths with various historical figures. Walker and Anderson shift their storytelling perspective to emphasize the experiences of characters and communities who were relegated to supporting roles or omitted entirely from Twain's original novel, and often from the historical record as well. VERDICT Walker and Anderson craft a thought-provoking, profoundly moving adventure story. Not to be missed.
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--This reimagining of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shifts its focus to Jim and becomes a broader examination of enslavement, the American Civil War era, and the power of telling one's own story. The basic elements of the original are here, but Walker creates a more complex view of Jim and Huck's relationship. Jim and Huck remained lifelong friends and, at ages 100 and 92 respectively, recount their adventures to Jim's grandchildren. Jim knows about Twain's book and wants to correct the misinformation. His life story is passed down through generations, honoring his admonition that "stories don't tell themselves." He stresses the importance of telling one's own story, otherwise others will take it and twist it. In current day, a descendent of Jim's has written a book capturing his life and humanity, correcting Twain's version. Walker's artful handling of the n-word in the narrative shows he understands both the importance and pain of including it. He doesn't shy away from showing the abuse enslaved people suffered and the overall violence of that era. Historical notes connect facts and fiction for characters and events. Anderson's art keenly depicts the characters' humanity as powerfully as the violence they experience. Color and art style complement each other and creatively signal changes in time and point of view. VERDICT Using the story of Jim and Huck as a springboard, this well-researched, well-written book belongs in all library collections.--Carla Riemer
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