Review: A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. Being on summer break has felt kind of weird so far. I always feel like there’s something I need to do. When I had school, there was homework and studying, but now, I’m like, “what am I supposed to do with all this free time?”

It’s been a ~~month~~ minute since I’ve done a review and I was wanting to get one out, so I decided to review A Wish in the Dark, one of the books I read for AAPI Month. I’ve heard great things about it and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint.

Title: A Wish in the Dark
Author: Christina Soontornvat
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Middle Grade
Series: None
Page Count: 375 (hardcover)

A boy on the run. A girl determined to find him.

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, and inspired by Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

Content Warnings

fire – death – drowning

There are no spoilers in this review.

I have not seen Les Misérables, but I looked up the summary for it and I can see the similarities in the storyline. In A Wish in the Dark, we follow Pong, an orphan who is stuck in Namwon Prison, because of his late mother’s actions, until he turns thirteen. Across the the water is the city of Chattana, where there are magical lights created by the Governor, the man who saved them after the Great Fire. To Pong, they represent freedom. But then he escapes from prison, and learns that the city isn’t all that it seemed to be. Worse, Pong’s prison tattoo marks him as a runaway. And the warden’s daughter is determined to track him down.

I loved the Thai-inspired world and the fact that everything in the city was built around waterways. It all felt so magical. I feel like A Wish in the Dark would make a great film adaptation, with all the scenery.

The relationships that the characters form with one another is one of the most important aspects of the book. Pong’s relationship with Somkit and his relationship with Father Cham were highlighted. Pong and Somkit’s brother-like attitude towards each other was so sweet to read and I’m happy how their story ended. Father Cham was a wonderful mentor to Pong and I love the bond they created.

“You can’t run away from darkness…It’s everywhere. The only way to see through it is to shine a light.”

Another major character was Nok, the prison warden’s daughter, who we get a portion of the story’s perspective from. She comes from a privileged, higher class family and has lived by and benefited from the rules for all her life. She hasn’t experienced the rules as being something against her. I like how she came to learn about these injustices and how her perspective changed after seeing the poorer people stand up for themselves.

A large theme in A Wish in the Dark is justice and poverty, and the large difference between the wealthy and the poor. Christina Soontornvat handles these topics well and presents them in a clear and understanding way. In Chattana, light comes from the magical orbs. There are different colors and sizes, and it’s set up in a way that the rich get the best ones, while the poor are left with the cheapest and dimmest lights. Through their separate journeys, Pong and Nok discover the inequality that plagues the city and they both come to question whether they can make a change, as just ordinary civilians.

“Well, sometimes light shines on the worthy. But sometimes it just shines on the lucky ones. And sometimes… Sometimes good people get trapped in the dark.”

I rooted for the characters from the very start. They were all created and developed well, and you can’t help but be on their side. This was a wonderful read, that, while being classified as middle grade, tackles serious topics that affect our world today.

My Rating: 4.5/5 dragons