Finn
By Matthew Olshan
(Bancroft Press, Paperback, 9781890862145, 188pp.)
Publication Date: March 1, 2001
Other Editions of This Title: Hardcover
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Description
Imagine a modern-day retelling of Mark Twain's classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with a teenage girl and a very pregnant young Mexican as the main characters. That's the gist of Matthew Olshan's brilliant literary debut, Finn: A Novel.
The book's narrator is Chloe Wilder, a quiet girl, part tomboy, part survivor. Rescued from a murderous life with her mother, Chloe lives with her grandparents in the cocoon of a quiet, middle-class neighborhood. For the first time in her life, things are steady, safe—and stifling.
Enter Silvia Morales, the grandparents' maid. Silvia is an illegal immigrant, but that's not her only secret: She's also pregnant, a transgression which gets her kicked out of the house. Not long after, Chloe is torn from her quiet life, too, and forced to live on the run.
While Finn is about Chloe and Silvia's comic mishaps—and their brushes with real danger—on the road, it's also a dark portrait of modern America, where smug suburbanites live minutes away from the wilderness of inner cities, and once-mighty rivers meander under superhighways.
Finn has been approved for ninth-grade English use statewide by the South Carolina Department of Education (2004). It's required for all high school college prep freshmen (2009).
It was named one of LA's Best 100 Books for 2001 by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Finn was a finalist for the Michal L. Printz Award and the Booklist Editor's Choice Award, and it was considered for the PEN/Faulkner. It was nominated for YALSA Quick Picks (for reluctant teen readers) and for "Best Book of 2001) by Bookreporter.com.
It was selected "Best Children's Book of 2001) by Plymouth Library, Plymouth, MI, and voted "Book of the Month" by Lake Mills, Wisconsin Library (2002).
It was placed on the 2002 Summer Reading List for Lovett School in Atlanta, GA, and also on the Summer Reading List at Westside High School in Mason, GA.
The book's narrator is Chloe Wilder, a quiet girl, part tomboy, part survivor. Rescued from a murderous life with her mother, Chloe lives with her grandparents in the cocoon of a quiet, middle-class neighborhood. For the first time in her life, things are steady, safe—and stifling.
Enter Silvia Morales, the grandparents' maid. Silvia is an illegal immigrant, but that's not her only secret: She's also pregnant, a transgression which gets her kicked out of the house. Not long after, Chloe is torn from her quiet life, too, and forced to live on the run.
While Finn is about Chloe and Silvia's comic mishaps—and their brushes with real danger—on the road, it's also a dark portrait of modern America, where smug suburbanites live minutes away from the wilderness of inner cities, and once-mighty rivers meander under superhighways.
Finn has been approved for ninth-grade English use statewide by the South Carolina Department of Education (2004). It's required for all high school college prep freshmen (2009).
It was named one of LA's Best 100 Books for 2001 by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Finn was a finalist for the Michal L. Printz Award and the Booklist Editor's Choice Award, and it was considered for the PEN/Faulkner. It was nominated for YALSA Quick Picks (for reluctant teen readers) and for "Best Book of 2001) by Bookreporter.com.
It was selected "Best Children's Book of 2001) by Plymouth Library, Plymouth, MI, and voted "Book of the Month" by Lake Mills, Wisconsin Library (2002).
It was placed on the 2002 Summer Reading List for Lovett School in Atlanta, GA, and also on the Summer Reading List at Westside High School in Mason, GA.
Praise For Finn…
"Set in a thoroughly modern context, this inventive, affectionate homage to Mark Twain's classic about Huck Finn clearly illustrates that prejudice still affects human understanding, behavior, and language. Like Huck's journey, Chloe's is both a multilayered story of personal growth and an entertaining, provocative satire that explores society, culture, and humankind's occasionally ironic notions of freedom and progress. . . . Olshan's creative prose shines in Chloe's sharp, intimate, funny narrative, which is filled with vivid observations, philosophical musings, and insights into the world and people around her. Teens who have read Twain's book will appreciate Olshan's direct references and parallels; those who haven't will like the action and the heroine's resourcefulness. The book's satire and cynicism may create controversy and strike some readers as harsh, but the novel effectively raises awareness of contemporary social concerns, and, like the classic, is certain to invite both thought and discussion."--BOOKLIST, STARRED REVIEW
"Telling the story from Chloe's perspective makes the improbable seem plausible. Vivid descriptions and realistic details involve the reader. Chloe and Silvia are counterparts of Twain's Huck and Jim, and their adventures echo those of their fictional predecessors. Young readers will admire Chloe, who overcomes adversity and is clever, perceptive, and vulnerable. Her story is funny, pathetic, and engrossing."
--VOYA
"Feisty teenage Chloe is fearless and resourceful but believably naïve in some respects. When she returns to her grandparents from her adventures, she does so with new perspectives on camaraderie, racism, and the underbelly of America's cities. The sections dealing with her experiences in the railroad yard are particularly strong, with a memorably nightmarish feel about them . . . For those unfamiliar with Twain, this first novel will work as an adventure story. Readers who know Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might enjoy searching out the parallels and differences . . . A novel to ponder and discuss."
--KLIATT
"Stereotypes of ethnic, religious, and racial groups abound; some fit in the context of Chloe's observations of her surroundings, while others are left for readers to ponder . . . The book is written in short chapters that will appeal to reluctant readers. Chloe is a spirited, resourceful, observant, and humorous heroine who will keep readers interested until the end, when things are wrapped up neatly, but believably."
--SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"In Matthew Olshan's lively and captivating novel, the action just keeps coming--one bad situation after another. Yet Olshan has created a quick-witted heroine in Chloe Wilder/Finn that teenage readers will admire and want to follow—if they can keep up the frantic pace. This is just the book to get young people turning the pages while asking, "What else could possibly happen?" . . . Huckleberry Finn's creative and mischievous spirit soars in protagonist Chloe Wilder, who follows her own wild adventure in the tradition of one of Mark Twain's most memorable characters. . . . As a contemporary version of Huckleberry Finn, Chloe is a daring, crafty survivor--one who will especially appeal to girls who want their own gutsy heroines to follow. Mark Twain should be proud."
--JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT LITERACY
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