Author History:
Nick Lake was born on August 21st, in a year unknown. (In an interview he omits the year, replying with only “8/21.”) Son of a British civil servant, Nick was raised in Luxembourg from the age of four. His first book, The Secret Ministry of Frost, was released on October 27th, 2009. Published months before the third installment of his Blood Ninja trilogy, In Darkness is Lake’s fourth and most mature book thus far. This book, along with Mr. Lake’s fifth, Hostage Three, and his yet to be titled release for next year, are what he refers to as “literary thrillers” (Goodreads).
Steeped in culture and history, Lake says In Darkness, “felt like Shorty and Toussaint wrote it through me” (in-darkness.org). After watching a boy delivered from the mangled wreck of a building, shortly after the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, Lake marveled at what might be going through the boy’s head, how it must feel. Coupling this with his interest in Toussaint l’Ouverture (sparked during his postgraduate work in Linguistics), Lake sought to combine the two into one narrative. This powerful story of identity, betrayal, and hope won Lake acclaim and a Printz award for literature for teens.
Nick Lake was born on August 21st, in a year unknown. (In an interview he omits the year, replying with only “8/21.”) Son of a British civil servant, Nick was raised in Luxembourg from the age of four. His first book, The Secret Ministry of Frost, was released on October 27th, 2009. Published months before the third installment of his Blood Ninja trilogy, In Darkness is Lake’s fourth and most mature book thus far. This book, along with Mr. Lake’s fifth, Hostage Three, and his yet to be titled release for next year, are what he refers to as “literary thrillers” (Goodreads).
Steeped in culture and history, Lake says In Darkness, “felt like Shorty and Toussaint wrote it through me” (in-darkness.org). After watching a boy delivered from the mangled wreck of a building, shortly after the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, Lake marveled at what might be going through the boy’s head, how it must feel. Coupling this with his interest in Toussaint l’Ouverture (sparked during his postgraduate work in Linguistics), Lake sought to combine the two into one narrative. This powerful story of identity, betrayal, and hope won Lake acclaim and a Printz award for literature for teens.
A Timeline of Haiti:
- 1492: Christopher Columbus finds Haiti, naming it la Isla Espanola, later Hispaniola.
- 1697: The island nation splits in half - the eastern half under Spanish rule, the western half under French control.
- 1804: Led by Toussaint l'Ouverture, Haiti gains its independence from France.
- 1844: Haiti and Dominican Republic split, forming two countries on the island of Hispaniola.
- 1915-1934: United States occupies Haiti.
- 1956-1988: "Papa Doc" succeeded by his son, "Baby" Doc, rule the country living lavish lifestyles at the expense of Haiti's citizens. They use violence and fear to control the country.
- 1990: Jean-Baptiste Aristide wins Haiti's first open and peaceful elections.
- 1991: Aristide thrown out of office in a coup.
- 2000: Aristide elected again.
- 2004: Aristide ousted and forced into exile.
- 2010: Over 200,000 people killed in massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake. It is the worst urban natural disaster in modern times.
- 2011: "Baby" Doc Duvalier returns from exile. He is arrested and charged with corruption and human rights abuse.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1202857.stm)
- 1492: Christopher Columbus finds Haiti, naming it la Isla Espanola, later Hispaniola.
- 1697: The island nation splits in half - the eastern half under Spanish rule, the western half under French control.
- 1804: Led by Toussaint l'Ouverture, Haiti gains its independence from France.
- 1844: Haiti and Dominican Republic split, forming two countries on the island of Hispaniola.
- 1915-1934: United States occupies Haiti.
- 1956-1988: "Papa Doc" succeeded by his son, "Baby" Doc, rule the country living lavish lifestyles at the expense of Haiti's citizens. They use violence and fear to control the country.
- 1990: Jean-Baptiste Aristide wins Haiti's first open and peaceful elections.
- 1991: Aristide thrown out of office in a coup.
- 2000: Aristide elected again.
- 2004: Aristide ousted and forced into exile.
- 2010: Over 200,000 people killed in massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake. It is the worst urban natural disaster in modern times.
- 2011: "Baby" Doc Duvalier returns from exile. He is arrested and charged with corruption and human rights abuse.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1202857.stm)
Haitian Earthquake
- - 7.0 Magnitude Quake struck near Port au Prince
- - 3,500,000 people were affected by the quake
- - 220,000 people died
- - 300,000+ people were injured
- - Over 180,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, 1.5m people became homeless
- - After the quake there were 19 million cubic metres of rubble and debris in Port au Prince – enough to fill a line of shipping containers stretching end to end from London to Beirut.
- - 4,000 schools were damaged or destroyed
- - 25% of civil servants in Port au Prince died
- - Over 600,000 people left their home area in Port-au-Prince and mostly stayed with host families
- - At its peak, one and a half million people were living in camps including over 100,000 at critical risk from storms and flooding
- - 4,000+ people were killed by cholera, and 216,000 were infected
Book History
“This is a work of fiction. That said, much in it is true. If you were hoping that some of the more unpleasant things you have just read were made up, then I apologise.” - Nick Lake, Author's Note
(http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11451112-in-darkness)
In Darkness was released on January 17, 2012 as a young adult novel and as Lake's 4th novel.
Reviews
“A vivid and unforgettable voice ... incredibly moving.” --The Times
“Unputdownable” --Daily Mail
“Gripping ... beautifully subtle.” --New York Times
“Both violent and subtle, unexpectedly reminding me of The Wire. Characters, settings, and the half-believed Haitian vodou religion are handled with patience and complexity ... A serious, nuanced, challenging novel. Trust me, there are plenty of young readers who hunger for exactly that.” --Patrick Ness, Guardian
“Remarkable ... Lake's elegant, restrained prose and distinct characters will reward adults and older teenagers able to brave a story with strong language, harrowing scenes of brutality and an almost painful stab of joy at the end.” --Wall Street Journal
(http://www.in-darkness.org/reviews)
History Handout:
For this activity, you will be writing your own review of the book. Using this website on how to write a book review, write a clear, thorough, and interesting review of the book. You will graded on how well you follow the instructions on the website.
These instructions are:
As a source of reference, use this article for assistance while writing your own book review. This book review written by Patrick Ness is a great example of a book review that has all the elements I am asking you to include in your own review.
“This is a work of fiction. That said, much in it is true. If you were hoping that some of the more unpleasant things you have just read were made up, then I apologise.” - Nick Lake, Author's Note
(http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11451112-in-darkness)
In Darkness was released on January 17, 2012 as a young adult novel and as Lake's 4th novel.
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; First Edition edition (January 17, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9781599907437
- ISBN-13: 978-1599907437
- ASIN: 1599907437
- Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,093 in Books
Reviews
“A vivid and unforgettable voice ... incredibly moving.” --The Times
“Unputdownable” --Daily Mail
“Gripping ... beautifully subtle.” --New York Times
“Both violent and subtle, unexpectedly reminding me of The Wire. Characters, settings, and the half-believed Haitian vodou religion are handled with patience and complexity ... A serious, nuanced, challenging novel. Trust me, there are plenty of young readers who hunger for exactly that.” --Patrick Ness, Guardian
“Remarkable ... Lake's elegant, restrained prose and distinct characters will reward adults and older teenagers able to brave a story with strong language, harrowing scenes of brutality and an almost painful stab of joy at the end.” --Wall Street Journal
(http://www.in-darkness.org/reviews)
History Handout:
For this activity, you will be writing your own review of the book. Using this website on how to write a book review, write a clear, thorough, and interesting review of the book. You will graded on how well you follow the instructions on the website.
These instructions are:
- Establish a Background, Remember your Audience: Remember that your audience has not read the work; with this in mind, be sure to introduce characters and principals carefully and deliberately. What kind of summary can you provide of the main points or main characters that will help your readers gauge their interest? Does the author’s text adequately reach the intended audience? Will some readers be lost or find the text too easy?
- Minor principals/characters: Deal only with the most pressing issues in the book. You will not be able to cover every character or idea. What principals/characters did you agree or disagree with? What other things might the author have researched or considered?
- Organize: The purpose of the review is to critically evaluate the text, not just inform the readers about it. Leave plenty room for your evaluation by ensuring that your summary is brief. Determine what kind of balance to strike between your summary information and your evaluation. If you are writing your review for a class, ask your instructor. Often the ratio is half and half.
- Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
- Publisher/Price: Most book reviews include the publisher and price of the book at the end of the article. Some reviews also include the year published and ISBN.
As a source of reference, use this article for assistance while writing your own book review. This book review written by Patrick Ness is a great example of a book review that has all the elements I am asking you to include in your own review.