Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of the Hub Challenge and it is a finalist for the Michael Printz Award. All is have to say is WOW; it was gut wrenching; I had to keep putting it down because it was so sad and rife with racism, but I also had to keep picking it back up to read and find out what was going to happen to Naomi, Wash and twins Beto and Cari. The story begins with the shocking but true story of a school explosion in 1937 in New London, Texas. But the author then weaves back in time and pieces together the story of Naomi, a Mexican girl who has moved with her very light colored siblings (their mother is dead) and her stepfather, Henry who is the most evil man- he gave me the creeps throughout the book to this oil town. In a town where racism is ripe, Naomi and the twins meet and become friends with African American, Wash. That is the only GOOD part of this story. The rest made me cringe, ache, sob and wish for redemption. All I can say is "it is a must read" but it is not an easy read. Perez's characters, the town, and the times are all too REAL and I agonized as I read every word.

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