A Wish in the Dark Review and A Wish in the Dark Quotes written by the Hobbit on 01/06/2022 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Book: A Wish in the Dark
Author: Christina Soontornvat
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Retelling a Classic
Length: 232 pages
Age suggested: 9 and up
Release Date: March 24th, 2020
Warnings: Several people die, including one in a fire
Quick Summary of A Wish in the Dark
Pong was born in Namwon Prison, and he dreams of life outside the prison walls. When he escapes, he finds that life outside the prison is no better than life inside. Even worse, he is marked by a prison tattoo and finds himself being chased by the prison warden’s daughter, seeking to prove her perfection by catching him. As social turmoil increases in the city of Chattana, both Pong and Nok have a role to play. But what will that role be?
A Wish in the Dark Review: (Contains Some Spoilers)
Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable is a personal favorite. This is a twist on Les Misérables set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world. Just like Les Mis, A Wish in the Dark explores the difference between law and grace, and how that difference affects and defines justice.
In years past, Chattana was destroyed in a fire. The Governor saved the remaining residents. He can create light giving orbs, eliminating the need for fire. But this comes at a price. The rich can afford the bright gold orbs, the poor only the dim purple ones. This exacerbates the inequalities in the city and leads to many of the poor ending up in prison. Pong was born in Namwon prison. He later escapes but is marked by a tattoo that now identifies him as an escaped prisoner.
Pong lives in peace for several years at a monastery but then a chance encounter with Nok, the daughter of the former prison warden, shatters this. Nok begins a pursuit of Pong, eager to uphold the law and restore her family’s honor and her position in the family. As the pursuit unfolds, we see the social unrest in Chattana growing. Pong and Nok will be drawn into the struggle over wealth disparity and poverty, and each will have a role to play in determining the future of Chattana.
The author develops the characters well, and there is a great deal of growth and change in both of the primary characters (Pong and Nok). There are memorable secondary characters such as Somkit, Pong’s closest friend, Father Cham, the Buddhist monk who takes Pong in and mentors him, and Ampai, the caretaker and helper of those in need. The resolution to Nok’s relationship with her parents is also very well done.
–Why Read A Wish in the Dark-
Reading through reviews, this is a really accurate depiction of Thai culture. Reading is a wonderful way to learn about a different culture, and it is a joy when the book is as well written as this one is. The story addresses so many issues that are important today. The use and abuse of power, poverty and its causes, systemic injustice. And, as in Les Mis, the meaning of justice, the contrast between law and grace. If you don’t think a book for middle grade readers can enchant you with a story and teach values at the same time, read this book. It will change your mind.
While the book is written from a Thai perspective, and the religion is Buddhism, religion plays an important role in the story. There are some subtle differences, but the principal concepts about justice and the worth of each person are ones that should also inspire Christian readers, as well as those of any other faith.
Favorite A Wish in the Dark Quotes
“Thank you, my boy.” “For what?” “For teaching me that desperate people deserve our compassion, not our judgment.”
“If happiness is the goal, then you could wish her to be happy.” “Is happiness the goal of a person’s life?”
“I learned the hard way that it’s not up to me to save people or to force the world to bend to my desires, even if I have good intentions.”
“The rules are stupid!” Pong cried, so loud that it made Nok take a step back. “And unfair!” “Call them whatever you want,” said Nok, steadying her feet and her voice. “You still have to follow them. Otherwise, what good are they?”
“Sometimes life doesn’t give us what we want. We don’t get to do everything we wish, and we have to deal with what we’re given in the best way we can.”
“Life outside the prison walls wasn’t much fairer than life inside it. The best lights were only for the people who could afford them.”
“And there was one thing that was wrong most of all: the boy she’d been hunting had found her first. He had had her locked behind bars. That was his moment for victory, his chance for revenge, and he had let her go. This, more than anything else, shook Nok to her core. He let her go. Why?”
“You can’t run away from darkness,” Pong whispered. “It’s everywhere. The only way to see through it is to shine a light.”
From A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
A Wish in the Dark Discussion Questions:
- What are some ways that you can shine a light to the people around you?
- If you could give a blessing to someone that would come true, what would it be and who would you give it to? (and remember here what Father Cham learned about giving blessings – that trying to save people or to force the world to bend to my desires, even if you have good intentions, does not work.)
- If you were to ask your friends which character you resemble the most, who would they say? Pong? Nok? Somkit? Ampai? Why do you think they would say this?
- The governor tells Pong early in the story that he was born bad and will always be bad. Why were the people on the eastern shore living in poverty? Did it have anything to do with their character? Why were (and are) the governor’s views so wrong?
- Which character changes the most in the story? Where do you think Pong, Nok, and Somkit will be five years after the story ends?
Thanks for reading our A Wish in the Dark Review. Before you go, check out these other posts
–American Born Chinese Review with Discussion Questions
–Look Both Ways By Jason Reynolds Review
-Our New Kid and Class Act Book reviews and discussion questions
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this A Wish in the Dark Review and A Wish in the Dark Quotes use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.