Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

 

This book is a must-read for young adults, especially with racial tension playing such a large role in the media recently. The author set the scene for this book in East Texas during the 1937 school explosion while a young girl named Naomi who is Mexican and Wash who is African-American. The challenges they face in this small oil town will enlighten those who have never experienced racial turmoil before. Naomi finds a close friend in Wash which creates issues throughout their town. I felt that readers of all ethnicities would be filled with emotion reading this intense and dramatic page-turner of a story by Ashley Hope Perez. This book has a story that will enlighten and challenge young adults around the world.

Printz Honor Award 2015

Pérez, A. H. (2015). Out of darkness. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.