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In Darkness

Nick Lake author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:3rd Jan '13

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In Darkness cover

Shorty is given a choice. But is he man enough to take it? An audacious and astounding novel that grips the heart and the imagination

WINNER of the 2013 Printz Award.

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 Solèy; 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 seven years ago . . .

A vivid and unforgettable voice . . . incredibly moving * The Times *
Unputdownable * Daily Mail *
Gripping . . . beautifully subtle * New York Times *
Both violent and subtle, unexpectedly reminding me of The Wire. Characters, settings, and the half-believed Haitian vodou religion are handled with patience and complexity . . . A serious, nuanced, challenging novel. Trust me, there are plenty of young readers who hunger for exactly that * Patrick Ness, Guardian *
Remarkable . . . Lake's elegant, restrained prose and distinct characters will reward adults and older teenagers able to brave a story with strong language, harrowing scenes of brutality and an almost painful stab of joy at the end * Wall Street Journal *

  • Winner of Michael L. Printz Award (YALSA) 2013 (United States)
  • Short-listed for Best Books for Young Adults (YALSA) 2013 (United States)

ISBN: 9781408819951

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 284g

352 pages