1861, James overhears that he is about to be separated from his family and sold on - he decides to hide but finds himself embarking on a journey down the Mississippi River with young Huck Finn who has faked his own death…

This was good - very good even - but honestly, it just did not knock my socks off in the way I expected given all the praise it has been getting. I’ve only read two of Everett’s other books (The Trees and Dr No) but this feels rather conventional in comparison, leaving me ever so slightly disappointed. On the flip side, I guess that does make it more accessible to a broader public.

So it’s more a case that I went in with overly high expectations, because this IS a clever novel, if a little over-explained at times. It is also funny - Everett doesn’t hold back on poking fun at the white characters (and fair enough, too) and manages to pack a lot in through his dark, absurdist humour: the realities of slavery (for the slaves), what freedom means and the intricacies of passing. The language element was also a great touch and cleverly done, though also over-explained at times.

I did find that the plot relied on a few too many convenient coincidences to move forward. I haven’t read Huckleberry Finn (yet), so don’t know how much of that is due to the constraints imposed by the original story - I’m willing to give Everett the benefit of the doubt on that one.

A clever, funny and accessible slave-centred retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, very good but not Everett’s best.