Janelle's Reviews > Tom Sawyer Abroad

This book was both a surprise and a disappointment. I had assumed that Tom and Huck would be adults, and had expected the book to be longer. Instead the book is quite short, and the story takes place not too long after the events of Huckleberry Finn.
The plot is so ridiculously impossible that the reader needs to suspend their disbelief quite a degree. However, it's still an interesting story, and the idea of flying off in a balloon is an engaging one.
Unfortunately Twain dumbed down his characters, I'm assuming for humorous effect. Some of the things Huck and Jim believed begged belief. I don't remember either character being so stupid in the previous books, and this characterisation spoiled the story for me. Twain also devoted a lot of the story to silly debates between Tom, Huck and Jim. These debates grew painful after a while.
I can see why this story has never been as successful as the previous two books in the series. But I still think it's worth reading. Parents of younger readers might like to discuss the book's racial issues with their kids, as attitudes have obviously changed since it was penned.