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  • A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat book cover
  • A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat book cover
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A Wish in the Dark

by Christina Soontornvat

Freedom and justice in a city divided by light

$11.53 USD
$19.22 USD $11.53 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    2021 Newbery Honor Book

    The book is identified as a 2021 Newbery Honor Book.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Freedom and justice in a city divided by light

In Chattana, magical light is controlled by the Governor, and access to its glow reflects the city’s sharp divide between wealth and poverty. Pong’s escape from Namwon Prison brings him into a world where the marks of his imprisonment continue to restrict him. Meanwhile, Nok’s search for him leads her to question the beliefs she has taken for granted. Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, the novel connects its pursuit plot with questions of privilege, protest, justice, and who gets to claim freedom. Its description also frames the book as a twist on Victor Hugo’s *Les Misérables*.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Young readers interested in fantasy worlds shaped by social inequality.
  • Readers who enjoy stories that explore justice, protest, and freedom.
  • Readers curious about a fantasy take on *Les Misérables*.

Themes

Freedom and imprisonmentPrivilege and inequalityProtest and justiceQuestioning inherited beliefs

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A 2021 Newbery Honor Book

A boy on the run. A girl determined to find him. A compelling fantasy looks at issues of privilege, protest, and justice.

All light in Chattana is created by one man -- the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong's prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free.

Nok, the prison warden's perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family's good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held dear. Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, Christina Soontornvat's twist on Victor Hugo's Les Mis
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