Tuesdays with Ambrea: A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

 

 

Reviewed by Ambrea

According to history, the Governor saved Chattana after the Great Fire.  He brought light in the darkness and rebuilt the city with his magic.  Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, dreams of one day being able to bask in that light.  When he finally makes his escape, he discovers the world beyond his prison bars is no better—even worse, his prison tattoo forever marks as a fugitive.  Nok, who is the prison warden’s daughter, is obsessed with tracking down Pong and earning the Governor’s favor, but, in the process, she’ll discover that not every story she’s been told is true.

I absolutely loved—and I mean loved—reading A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat.  Not only does it craft a beautifully descriptive fantasy world, which I adored, it weaves a complex story that feels both modern and relevant.  (It’s also inspired by Victor Hugo’s classic, Les Misérables, which I found fascinating, and it’s a Newberry Honor Book.  It has quite an impressive reputation already.)

One of the things I appreciated most about this novel is its depth.  Soontornvat expresses both emotion and detail remarkably well.  Sure, I fell in the love with the setting—well, I fell in love with the cover of the book, and then I fell in love with the setting, even if it did begin behind prison walls—and I adored the author’s use of language; however, I quickly learned that A Wish in the Dark is one of those novels that grabs onto your heart and your mind and refuses to let go. 

As I followed Pong on his journey, during his escape and his fight for survival and his efforts to defy the fate he believes chases him, I found his plight tugged at my heart.  His ordeal is painful, and his heartbreak—his terror, his hope, his fears—feel very real.  It’s a bit of a kick in the chest, if I’m being honest, because, as a reader, I was constantly being presented with difficult topics and questions of morality.

Soontornvat’s novel deals with concepts of truth, justice, and fairness, and it poses the question:  It is really justice when you know it isn’t fair?  Is it really justice when you know it isn’t right?  Nok, like the reader, tries to follow these questions and find an answer.  It’s definitely an uncomfortable journey, and I have to say A Wish in the Dark really made me sit back and think about my own ideas of fairness.

Even so, I loved reading this novel.  Although it does run slightly longer than I expected, it isn’t a difficult novel to read and it’s well worth the journey.  It’s a fascinating, thought-provoking story—and I’m so very glad I had the chance to read it.