Review

In Darkness

Common Sense Media says

Violent but riveting story of Haiti's past and present.
Age
14
Quality
 
  • Educational value4
    Set in Haiti in both the past and present, In Darkness focuses on two important events in the country's history: the 2010 earthquake, and the 1791 slave rebellion led by Toussaint l'Ouverture. Through the memories of Shorty, a boy caught in the rubble of a hospital after the earthquake, and the eyes of Toussaint, the leader of Haiti's first foray into independence, readers will be able to learn much about Haiti. However, it's a lot to absorb for those unfamiliar with either Haiti's history or the bleak present-day situation of the poor and disenfranchised, and readers may feel a little lost at times. In addition to many foreign names and phrases and political and historical background, Lake introduces the voudou mythology and describes ceremonial practices of the religion that invoke the large pantheon of gods.
  • Positive messages3
    It may not be immediately apparent in the face of all the horrors that occur during the two stories in this book, but the overriding message of In Darkness is that you have to hold onto love and try to make the world a better place, even if the situation seems hopeless.
  • Positive role models3
    Toussaint l'Ouverture is portrayed as a wise, insightful, and fair leader. At the beginning of the revolution he leads, he instructs his followers not to kill their former masters nor destroy their property, even though they, as former slaves, have received horrible treatment at their masters' hands. Shorty is the first to tell you that he has done a lot of bad things in his life, including murder. Even so, he, too, is insightful and spends the duration of his entrapment under the rubble thinking about his life and what he could have done differently.
  • Violence5
    At a young age, Shorty sees his father killed by gang members wielding clubs and machetes right in front of his eyes. When he later joins the Route 9 gang that rules one part of the slums of Site Solèy, the violence in his life escalates. He sees many people gunned down, either by a rival gang or government forces, and he is also taught to shoot and kill people at the age of 12. In the other narrative, Toussaint tries to conduct his revolution peacefully whenever possible, but it is a war, and violence is unavoidable.  He sees white men dismember his friend and nail hism to a tree, and he remembers the horrors inflicted on the slaves, including rape and severe beatings.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism1
    Shorty mentions that his friend raps about Cadillacs and Cristal (champagne) and dreams of living the life of an American rap star. Shorty finds this laughable in a land where people are so hungry they bake dirt to have something to fill their stomachs.
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the 2013 Printz Award-winning In Darkness is a violent, disturbing novel that's nevertheless fascinating and emotionally powerful. The bleak life of Shorty, who was born in the Haitian slums of Site Solèy and seems to have no hope for a better future, is tempered by the second narrative of the historical figure Toussaint L'Ouverture, who leads the slaves of Haiti to freedom during the 18th century. However, Toussaint's story is a violent one, too, and Shorty is a gang member who has seen and done many awful things.

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