In Darkness by Nick Lake, Paperback

Publishers Weekly

Shorty, 15, is trapped in the rubble of a hospital following the 2010 earthquake that left Haiti in ruins. As time wears on without rescue, he relives the journey that brought him to the hospital with a bullet wound, recounting his life running drugs and gunning down enemies for one of Site Solèy’s most notorious gangs. In a startling but successful feat of literary imagination, Lake (the Blood Ninja series) pairs Shorty’s story with that of Toussaint l’Ouverture, the 18th-century slave who led the revolt that forced out the island’s French colonizers. The narrative is as disturbing (people are hacked to death, an encephalitic baby is found alive in a trash pile) as it is challenging; the book moves back and forth in time from Shorty’s fictional first-person account, shot through with street slang and Creole, to Toussaint’s story, told in third-person. But the portrait it reveals of a country relegated throughout history to brutality and neglect is powerful and moving, as readers come to understand that Shorty is held captive by more than just the ceiling that fell on him. Ages 14–up. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

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

VOYA - Matthew Weaver

Shorty is a budding gang member in Haiti when the 2010 earthquake occurs, leaving him buried and not certain whether he is alive, a ghost, or a "zombi." Shorty reflects back on the events that led him to his current situation—the abduction of his twin sister, Marguerite, the murder of his father by other gang members, and his friendship with fellow gangsta Biggie. Through the use of a voudou pwen, a stone given to him by real-life disputed Haitian civil rights leader/gangster/martyr Dread Wilme, Shorty is cosmically linked to another figure right out of the history books. In a bold storytelling move ripe for reader discussion, Toussaint L'Ouverture also sees Shorty's future as he leads a slave rebellion during the Haitian Revolution. In Darkness is provocative, daring, and sure to be polarizing. Lake does not shy from the graphic depiction of life in past or present Haiti. Toussaint watches as slave owners murder a baby and hack away at a dying slave; Shorty and Marguerite rescue a baby with hydro-encephalitis from the trash. Such grittiness elevates his story above and beyond more typical historical fiction and gives the events an edge not found in classroom social studies lessons. Lake says in an author's note that little in the book is made up; to him, even the supernatural elements feel real. There is little oasis to be found in the darkness. All the same, readers are sure to have a hard time looking away. Reviewer: Matthew Weaver

Children's Literature - Nancy Partridge

The setting is Haiti after the earthquake of 2010. Shorty is a teenage boy trapped under a collapsed building there. Alone and in total darkness, he lapses in and out of consciousness as he reflects on his life. Part truth and part fantastic fiction, a picture emerges of a boy who is held captive not only by stone and earth, but also by the history of his troubled culture. The book moves back and forth in time from Shorty's first-person account of his childhood in Site Soley, the major Haitian slum run by thugs and drug runners, to a third-person narrative of revolutionary leader Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led an actual slave revolt in Haiti in the 18th century. Their stories alternate by chapters. Shorty's voice and street slang contrast sharply with the slightly academic and detached manner of L'Ouverture's story. Voodoo and violence abound in both realities; for example, L'Overture attends a ceremony to invoke possession by dead spirits, and Shorty sees his own father killed. As he lies dying beneath the rubble, the boy dreams he is the black revolutionary; similarly, L'Ourverture dreams of flying as a young boy into a future Haiti, free from slavery, but lying in the ruins of some great natural disaster. The two share a single soul, and their intertwined destinies paint a dark and trembling portrait of a country relegated through the centuries to darkness and neglect. While the transition between the two narratives is not always smooth, the book is incredibly powerful and does its job well. Lake clarifies what is real and what is not in an "Author's Note" at the end. Readers will certainly come away with a much deeper cultural awareness than any factual account of the natural disaster could ever achieve. While the raw depictions of violence and black magic make the book inappropriate for younger grades, it is sure to inspire lively and engaged discussion in high school classrooms. Reviewer: Nancy Partridge

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Trapped in the rubble of Haiti's massive 2010 earthquake, teenage Shorty desperately waits for rescue. While in darkness, events of his traumatic, violent life replay in his head. He is haunted by his father's brutal murder, his twin sister's disappearance, and the armed gang activity that has been his means of survival in Site Soléy (Cite Soleil), a very real and dangerous slum. As he faces death and struggles to understand the external forces that have shaped him, Shorty gradually feels the uplifting spiritual presence of revered slave liberator Toussaint L'Ouverture and draws strength and hope from the man's extraordinary life, determination, and idealism. The pervasive Haitian voodoo belief in spirit transfer empowers Shorty and connects him with Touissant across time. In alternating chapters of "Now" and "Then," Shorty's and Toussaint's stories unfold. The relentless oppression, poverty, violence, and instability of the country is vividly conveyed through Shorty's stark, graphic narrative. Toussaint's story provides historical background for the socioeconomic and political conflicts that continue today. As the author notes, he portrays the essential spirit and history of Touissant with some omissions and simplifications. For example, Touissant learned to read as a boy, and not late in life, but this factual inaccuracy does not diminish the account of his charisma and significance. The entangled actions of gangs and government, the complicated relationship between Haitians and foreign-aid organizations, and the rich mix of Creole and French patois provide insight and authenticity. A striking cast of characters, compelling tension as Shorty confronts his own death, and the reality and immediacy of Haiti's precarious existence will captivate secondary readers.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC

Kirkus Reviews

A tale of two Haitis—one modern, one historic—deftly intertwine in a novel for teens and adults. Readers first meet Shorty under the rubble of the recent earthquake, as he struggles to make sense of his past, present and future. Through flashbacks, they learn of his gangster life in a dangerous Port-au-Prince slum, where he searches for his twin sister, Marguerite, after they've been separated by gang violence. In his stressed state, Shorty communes with the spirit of Toussaint l'Ouverture, leader of the slave uprising that ultimately transformed Haiti into the world's first black republic. Lake (Blood Ninja II: The Revenge of Lord Oda, 2010, etc.) adeptly alternates chapters between "Now" (post-earthquake) and "Then" (circa turn-of-the-19th century). His minimalist, poetic style reveals respect for vodou culture, as well as startling truths: "In darkness, I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two." While the images of slavery and slum brutality are not for the faint-hearted, and Shorty's view of humanitarian workers may stir debate, readers will be inspired to learn more about Haiti's complex history. Timed for the second anniversary of the Haitian earthquake, this double-helix-of-a-story explores the nature of freedom, humanity, survival and hope. A dark journey well worth taking—engrossing, disturbing, illuminating. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)

In Darkness

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