Review: In Darkness by Nick Lake

Book: In Darkness by Nick Lake
Pages: 342 Pages
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:
In darkness I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two. In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital: thirsty, terrified and alone. 'Shorty' is a child of the slums, a teenage boy who has seen enough violence to last a lifetime, and who has been inexorably drawn into the world of the gangsters who rule Site Soleil: men who dole out money with one hand and death with the other. But Shorty has a secret: a flame of revenge that blazes inside him and a burning wish to find the twin sister he lost five years ago. And he is marked. Marked in a way that links him with Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian rebel who two-hundred years ago led the slave revolt and faced down Napoleon to force the French out of Haiti. As he grows weaker, Shorty relives the journey that took him to the hospital, a bullet wound in his arm. In his visions and memories he hopes to find the strength to survive, and perhaps then Toussaint can find a way to be free ...

My Thoughts:
In Darkness was a very raw, sad story about a two boys: Shorty and Toussaint. Since the bad stuff that happened to Shorty happens/has happened to real people in Haiti now I found it really hard to read without crying.

The writing was very good and I found myself drawn to the switch between first person and third person point of views. This for me made the story seem really good and interesting to read. The emotions Shorty was feeling translated very well and at some times it didn't seem like he didn't have any because of all the hurt he had had.

In Darkness was one of those books that will be enjoyed by both younger and older audiences. In fact, I believe this book will win an award someday.