Pong and his best friend Somkit live in a jail called Namwon. Neither of them have committed a crime. They are just young, nine-year-old boys but this is their home because their mothers committed small crimes many years ago - actually nine years ago. Sadly both mothers died in childbirth so these two orphan boys have spent the whole of their lives in a jail.
Of course I have read other books with jail setting - The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli; Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman; and All rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook by Leslie Connor but early on in this book we are given a hint of some thing very strange about this city.
"A single orb of glass swung from the mango tree overhead. Its dim Violet glow couldn't complete with the bright blaze across the river."
"Chattana is a city of light, but the light must be earned. That is why I had this reform centre (read jail) built here, away from the city. To remind the people that wickedness has a price. You see, light shines only on the worthy."
"Everything in Chattana - every orb, every cook stove, every boat motor - all of ran on the Governor's light-making powers. Once he arrived, there was no more need for fire, no more danger. The orbs lit the night; they powered magnificent machines; they had made Chattana prosperous again."
As this story open things are falling into place. The Governor has visited the jail. Everything has gone wrong for Pong and this has been witnessed by Warden Sivapan and his family. It is time to escape and right now Pong can see a way. He climbs into the garbage barrel which is heading down the river.
By chance Pong arrives in a small village and he is befriended by a wise old monk. Pong has no idea his friendship with Father Cham will set him on a course back to the city; back to his good friend Somkit; and back to a huge confrontation with the most powerful man - The Governor. He has no idea that the girl, Nok (Supatra Sivapan daugher of former jail Warden now the Law Commissioner) who is hunting him down, will eventually become a vital friend and ally. And most importantly, Pong and his new friends will discover the truth about the lights and the way The Governor uses them to control their stratified society. It is time for the poor to rise up and challenge him.
A Wish in the Dark is my book of the year so far. YES it is THAT good. Over the last 24 hours I kept grabbing minutes to gobble down more of this wonderful story. So many of the ingredients I enjoy in a Middle Grade book - corruption; danger; destiny; heroism; community action; friendship; a setting that makes you feel hot, cold, wet, dry, grimy and clean; and a story that employs all our senses - this book has it all. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. If you work in a school library you should add this book to your shopping list. I have labelled this book as a fantasy but it also has a dystopian feel. AND as a read aloud this book will be fabulous because nearly every chapter ends with a cliff hanger. I also love books like this onr which use multiple voices or perspectives.
Here is a video where the author talks about her book. Read the blurb at Walker Books Australia. Read this review - Five Reasons to read A wish in the Dark. This book was awarded a 2021 Newbery Honor alongside another of Soontornvat's books, All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team. Here is an interview with Christina. And you might explore her web site. Here is a short trailer. In this video Christina reads part of her book.
Colby Sharp (4 minute book talk) "One of the best books I have read this year ... It is an absolutely beautiful story ... It will capture your heart ... There are twists and turns that are fascinating ... I love what this book did for my heart ... A magical timeless story. "
Here are some text quotes which will give you a flavour of this book (which you MUST read).
"All prisoners in Chattana were tattooed with the name of their prison. Pong and Somkit had gotten theirs when they were babies. The ink was permanent, set with the light from a powerful Gold orb owned by the Governor's office. No one could make it disappear except maybe the Governor himself."
"Shops selling orbs in every shade of red and orange lined the hall. Vendors hawked strings of Amber orbs the size of pomegranate seeds next to enormous ruby-red orbs big enough to cook soup for an army. ... He realised for the first time that each colour of orb buzzed a slightly different pitch." - Jade, Crimson, Amber and Blue.
"He watched her lift up the giant man using only her words."
"The world is full of darkness, and that will never change. Those words had kept him locked up for so long. Now Pong understood what sad cruel words they were. If you believed them, then the only way to make sense of the world was with courts and judges, rule and jails. Those were the things that kept a city orderly. They kept people in line. But by themselves, they did nothing to make the world better."
Apart from the jail books I mentioned previously this book also reminded me of the atmosphere in:
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