In Darkness

I didn't enjoy this book. It's hard to enjoy a book on a topic like this. "Shorty" is trapped when the hospital collapses during the recent, devastating Haitian earthquake. He thinks back on his life, and the horrors he's seen, the violence that he's been a part of, as he tries to dig himself out of......more

If I haven't already done so, I like to read the Printz winner each year, so I gave this one a fairly substantial try, getting about 2/3 of the way through the twin tales of a current day Haitian boy trapped in the rubble of a hospital after the earthquake and that of Tousssaint L'Overture, leader o......more

The "now" part of this novel follows a boy named Shorty who lies trapped in the rubble of a collapsed hospital, surrounded by the dead bodies and scavengers. Shorty has grown up in the slums of Port-au-Prince, often dubbed "the most dangerous place on earth." As he drifts in and out of consciousness......more

Wow. Go read this now. This is, without a doubt, the best book I have read in a while. If you like reading about any of the following things, you will adore this book: teenagers, urban underclass, poverty, Haiti, strength in the face of despair, love, family, earthquakes, slums, historical fiction,......more

Compelling and a quick read. I don't feel qualified to comment on the accuracy or genuineness of the book, but it certainly makes an impression. I was most interested in the Toussaint L'Ouverture story, but also read with wide eyes about the young aid workers taken in by the glamor of the gangster.......more