Christina Soontornvat
Candlewick, 2020
375 pages
Grades 3-6
Fantasy
Pong, a thoughtful and observant boy, was born an orphan in a prison where he must remain captive until he comes of age. After an encounter with the evil Governor, who controls all of the light in the land, and the warden with his sneaky daughter, Pong escapes. After a harrowing journey he ends up in a rural village where he falls in with a group of monks and joins their ranks. After learning many valuable lessons, he must leave the safety of the community and journey to the city, where he encounters an old friend from the prison and meets an underground network of destitute rebels, who aim to protest the Governor's power. Meanwhile, the warden's daughter, Nok, seeks to find Pong to turn him into the authorities and redeem herself her family's eyes. What follows is a game of cat and mouse, where it becomes murky who is the actual enemy.
Set in a mythological Thai-inspired world, Soontornvat taps into the story Les Miserables to present a tale of poor folks trying to find justice and freedom. This story offers two narratives with different intentions, yet overlapping stories, who appear to be enemies, but end up coming together by book's end. The fantasy involves the light created by the governor and his magical powers. Where does this magic come from? This question is answered in a satisfying way as Pong joins the fight for light for the all citizens. A world with disappearing light reminds me of City of Ember and the story will appeal to fans of both fantasy and dystopia. I was immediately attracted to this book by the cover and intended to read it. It took Soontornvat winning a well-deserved Newbery honor (one of two this year) for me to actually sit down and crack into it. I immediately fell into the story and was captivated by the fresh and original plot and the bold struggles of the young people. A hard-to-put-down adventure/fantasy that will satisfy many readers.
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