Publishers Weekly
Shorty, 15, is trapped in the rubble of a hospital following the 2010 earthquake that left Haiti in ruins. As time wears on without rescue, he relives the journey that brought him to the hospital with a bullet wound, recounting his life running drugs and gunning down enemies for one of Site Solèy’s most notorious gangs. In a startling but successful feat of literary imagination, Lake (the Blood Ninja series) pairs Shorty’s story with that of Toussaint l’Ouverture, the 18th-century slave who led the revolt that forced out the island’s French colonizers. The narrative is as disturbing (people are hacked to death, an encephalitic baby is found alive in a trash pile) as it is challenging; the book moves back and forth in time from Shorty’s fictional first-person account, shot through with street slang and Creole, to Toussaint’s story, told in third-person. But the portrait it reveals of a country relegated throughout history to brutality and neglect is powerful and moving, as readers come to understand that Shorty is held captive by more than just the ceiling that fell on him. Ages 14–up. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
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
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up—Nick Lake's harrowing story (Bloomsbury, 2012) about Shorty, a young Haitian earthquake victim, is brought to life through Benjamin Darcie's reading. His accent and cadence transport listeners to Haiti where they learn about the country's history and the contemporary events surrounding the earthquake. Shorty has spent his young life witnessing and perpetrating violence. He's in the hospital with a gunshot wound when the earthquake strikes and he's buried in rubble. Shorty tells his story as he waits to be rescued—or to die. Somehow he is also connecting with Francois-Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture, former slave and leader of the late 19th-century Haitian Revolution. In this way, Haiti's history is woven into the story. Even before the horror and destruction of the earthquake, Shorty has endured the brutal murder of his father, the abduction of his twin sister, and numerous gang-related killings. The parallels between contemporary Haiti and the country during the revolution are deftly drawn and will lead to interesting classroom discussions about freedom, poverty, loyalty/betrayal, slavery, hope/despair, and more. As Shorty is rescued and reunited with his mother, listeners have the sense that he has changed and has learned something profound while struggling to survive in the darkness.—Cynthia Ortiz, Hackensack High School Library, NJ
MARCH 2012 - AudioFile
Benjamin L. Darcie brings a rich Haitian accent to his performance of this story about Shorty, a teen trapped in a hospital after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Shorty’s grim present bleeds into the past and the story of revolutionary leader Toussaint L’Ouverture. Darcie reads the chapters in the present at a slightly fast pace and the chapters about L’Ouverture a bit more slowly, helping to distinguish between the two time periods—although it takes careful listening to keep them straight. This is partly because Shorty and L’Ouverture seem to share a mystical connection that is perhaps only in Shorty’s mind as he slowly loses his grip on reality. This graphic and occasionally disturbing production isn’t for all YA listeners but will appeal to those looking for something challenging. A.F. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
A tale of two Haitis—one modern, one historic—deftly intertwine in a novel for teens and adults. Readers first meet Shorty under the rubble of the recent earthquake, as he struggles to make sense of his past, present and future. Through flashbacks, they learn of his gangster life in a dangerous Port-au-Prince slum, where he searches for his twin sister, Marguerite, after they've been separated by gang violence. In his stressed state, Shorty communes with the spirit of Toussaint l'Ouverture, leader of the slave uprising that ultimately transformed Haiti into the world's first black republic. Lake (Blood Ninja II: The Revenge of Lord Oda, 2010, etc.) adeptly alternates chapters between "Now" (post-earthquake) and "Then" (circa turn-of-the-19th century). His minimalist, poetic style reveals respect for vodou culture, as well as startling truths: "In darkness, I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two." While the images of slavery and slum brutality are not for the faint-hearted, and Shorty's view of humanitarian workers may stir debate, readers will be inspired to learn more about Haiti's complex history. Timed for the second anniversary of the Haitian earthquake, this double-helix-of-a-story explores the nature of freedom, humanity, survival and hope. A dark journey well worth taking—engrossing, disturbing, illuminating. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)
