Book Review: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Wrinkle In Time

Hello! I know I keep writing this, but I’ve been working a lot right now. I don’t have much time to read- however I have two YA books that I’m going to be reviewing today: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle. 

Both books were good reads. I’m happy that I was able to read Huck Finn- it’s a classic and it’s difficult to read because of the use of deep southern dialogue. I’m also happy I was able to read A Wrinkle In Time; I know a lot of people who say that A Wrinkle In Time is their favorite book. I liked Huckleberry Finn for its theme of adventure, the friendship between Huck and Jim, and its twisty, eventful plot. I liked A Wrinkle In Time because it has a strong female protagonist, a direct writing style, and the plot is primarily Sci- Fi and fantasy based. At times, it leaves the reader intrigued by its mysticism and other worldly dimensions.

Starting off with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the book takes place in Saint Petersburg, Mississippi in the 1830’s-1840’s. It’s a fictional town that shows the everyday lifestyles of those who lived in the deep south before the Civil War. Throughout the book, Huck (the main character) along with Jim (one of Miss Watson’s runaway slaves) travel down the Mississippi River. Initially Huck and Jim were supposed to travel north that way Jim could be a freed slave, and could live a better life. Huck primarily left his adopted family because he wanted to search for adventure, he was tired of his dad’s verbal and physical abuse, and without the author telling the reader, he is looking for the meaning of life. 

There are some pretty wacky scenes and characters in the book; Huck and Jim meet an older man and a man in his thirties that are called the Duke and the King. They are traveling performers and con artists, roping both Huck and Jim into their plans, performing staged theatre productions that are cheap scams in order to receive cash. There is also a family feud that happens in the book between the Grangerford family and the Sheperdson family, leading to many deaths on both sides, and a runaway couple that eloped and left their complicated families. 

There are also scenes at the end where Duke and King pretend to be Englishmen from abroad. They are reconnecting with their American family members after their male breadwinner cousin has died. Duke and King received information about Peter Wilks (the wealthy American cousin) from a stranger who is boarding a steamboat to New Orleans that is on the Mississippi River. Duke and King are trying to steal Peter Wilks’s inheritance money. 

A large portion of the plot is traveling down the river, and Huck mentions that he is lonely even though he is with Jim for the majority of the time. 

At the end of the book, Tom Sawyer shows up at his Aunt’s and Uncle’s farm after Huck was living with the family, impersonating Tom. Huck escaped from Duke and King, making sure the inheritance money was given to Peter’s nieces. Tom pretends to be his younger brother, and Tom and Huck have to save Jim from the townspeople who have captured him. After Jim is free from the chains and is safely hidden in the Phelp’s (Aunt Sally’s and Uncle Silas’s) cabin. Tom makes a plan to amplify and decorate Jim’s story as being a prisoner. Tom and Huck find snakes, spiders, and a rope. Tom knows of Jim’s freedom from Miss Watson (his original owner), but doesn’t tell him in order to create an exciting escape.

 On page 274, Tom’s calf was shot and Huck ends up seeing Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas again. Jim sacrifices his freedom to help Tom, and Jim ends up telling Huck his father is dead and was seen on the river in an abandoned house at the beginning of the story. As the book ends, Aunt Sally wants to adopt Huck, but he wants to travel west. 

The book touches on the themes of independence, adventure, right vs. wrong, friendship, and growing up. Although the time period is different from modern day, there are many themes a reader can find that are relatable. 

The book’s plot is slightly complicated and has episodic events that happen. It’s not as jumpy as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but compared to a normal novel it’s still a bit jumpy. There are also more academic words used in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer compared to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It’s fitting because Huck Finn as a character isn’t as educated as Tom Sawyer, but I don’t think Mark Twain intentionally tried to create his books’ writing styles based on characterization of the main character. 

I think the most significant parts of this book are Huck’s relationship with Jim, how Huck makes decisions that are either right or wrong usually in terms of his survival, and how at the end of the story there is a huge unknown factor on what is going to happen to Huck.  

Would I use this book in a classroom?

Maybe- it’s kinda a lengthy read, but it’s a classic. There are a lot of scenes that students could role play and act out, and the themes throughout the book are important for a YA reader to understand. The southern dialogue is difficult to read and may be easier if it was used with audio copy. 

A Wrinkle In Time

The first thing I noticed about this book was how whimsical the plot is and how unique the characters are. The book takes place in the 1960's in New England, but it travels around to different planets and universes. The main character’s name is Megan but she goes by Meg. The main conflict in the book is that Meg’s Dad has been taken from the planet Earth and is being held captive by evil forces. 

Through a series of events, Meg, Calvin (Meg’s boyfriend), and Charles (Meg’s younger brother) travel through the fifth dimension in order to find Meg’s Dad. There are three witches in the book that act like mentors to Meg, Calvin, and Charles. They advise them they each have a special ability that will help them fight off the evil force. As the story continues, an evil force that goes by the name “It”  acts like a cloud in the universe and is the reason for the world’s pessimism, sadness, and rigid conformity. Meg, Calvin, and Charles try to fight “It” to stop the negativity and find Meg’s and Charles’s dad. 

At the beginning of the novel, the three of them go to the planet called Camazotz- which has been taken over by darkness and it’s the planet where Meg’s Dad is located. The planet is a utopian society in which there is no individualism, and the humans are almost robots. Meg finds  “It” and “It” turns out to be a massive sized brain. One time he takes complete mind control over Charles, Calvin, and Meg. Meg’s and Charles’s dad appears and also tries to fight off “It”.

Charles is accidently left on Camazotz,and Meg is sent to another planet with Grinch-like creatures. The Grinch- like creatures take care of Meg until she is strong enough to return and save her brother. At the end of the book, all of the characters return to Earth and back to their home in New England after “It” was defeated and Charles was saved. 

The main character Meg is upbeat, a problem solver, and outspoken. For as young as she is, she has a lot of wisdom and good decision making that is seen in the book. The way she handles the unrealistic dystopian fantasy problems is impressive and noble. 

Themes that are seen throughout the book are good vs evil, using your brain and knowledge for smart and ethical purposes, trusting your intuition, and the importance of family, faith, and individualism.  

The theme of young love is also seen in the book between the relationship of Meg and Calvin.

The book’s descriptive details on the scenes happening on other planets and realities are essential for the book to make sense to readers.There are also descriptive details of the witches and Aunt Beast (the Grinch-like creature) that help a reader visually understand the characters.  Madeline L’Engle does a great job of using descriptive details without overwhelming the reader, and she also does a good job of keeping the plot moving without having extra events or details. There is a strong focus on Meg’s actions, problem solving, and moral character that saves her younger brother.

Would I use this book in a classroom?  

Yes- I really enjoyed this book, the main character, the whimsical plot and details, and L’Engle’s writing style. I know that book is used in 6th and 7th grade classrooms, and is a common staple for school curriculum. There are a lot of side projects students could do with descriptive details, plot, and characterization in this book. 

Thank you for reading! I hope to get more book reviews finished in the upcoming months! Sorry for a busy schedule!