A Wish In The Dark
“‘Those who are born in darkness always return. You’ll see.’”
In the city of Chattana, every light is created by the Governor; the man who arrived after the Great Fire to return peace, order, and light to the city.
Born in Namwon Prison, Pong dreams of the day he will be released and be able to walk among the magical lights. When Pong escapes from prison, he learns that the rest of the world is just as unfair as the one behind bars. As the prison warden’s daughter, Nok, hunts after Pong, she also discovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held on to.
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Christina Soontornvat
Candlewick Press
375 Pages
The theme of this book is to create your own light, and not simply follow paths created by others.
This book takes place in the city known as Chattana, where the city is
lit by magical lights. Each light is created by the ruler of Chattana, the
Governor. Gold lights are the brightest, and can only be bought by the
rich. Violet lights are the dimmest, used by the poor and to light prisons. Throughout the story, it switches between Namwon Prison, the monk’s temple in Tanavuri, and Chattana itself.
I found it interesting how, though Pong has been through difficult
situations, he still presses on and doesn’t give up hope. After his escape
from Namwon Prison, he found refuge in the form of the temple in Tanavuri.
Despite eventually being discovered and forced to flee, he still went on.
When he met back up with his old friend, who had been released, he
helped him and others with their plan to protest against the Governor.
Though he later considered leaving, he changed his mind and returned to
help his friends. Nok, the daughter of the prison warden, has set
out on a personal quest, to hunt Pong and return him to Namwon. Though
her parents didn’t give her their blessing to do so, Nok believes it to be her
duty to track Pong down. This made it interesting when Nok realized that
she was wrong and began to help him and his allies. I've always enjoyed this in stories: enemies becoming friends is a personal favorite of mine.
People who enjoyed reading this book may also enjoy Leonard: My Life As A Cat, which also involves forging one's own path (If more comedically.)
