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The Darkest Path
USA TODAY bestselling author Jeff Hirsch once again creates a futuristic world with stunning, dramatic realism.
A civil war rages between the Glorious Path--a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier--and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
A civil war rages between the Glorious Path--a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier--and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
195 people are currently reading
2526 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Hirsch
18 books390 followersHere are some things about me.
I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. One day I hope to have a very large dog that I can name Jerry Lee Lewis.
I used to write plays (I actually have an MFA in it, which is currently number 8 on US News and World Report's annual list of the top twenty most useless masters degrees) and now I write books for teens. I've written two. One was about a girl who wanted to be a rock star and could graciously be called a learning experience.
The second, is The Eleventh Plague and it comes out Sept. 1, a fact I still find pretty amazing.
I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. One day I hope to have a very large dog that I can name Jerry Lee Lewis.
I used to write plays (I actually have an MFA in it, which is currently number 8 on US News and World Report's annual list of the top twenty most useless masters degrees) and now I write books for teens. I've written two. One was about a girl who wanted to be a rock star and could graciously be called a learning experience.
The second, is The Eleventh Plague and it comes out Sept. 1, a fact I still find pretty amazing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
June 14, 2020
this book does many unexpected things, and it does them well.
i'm not sure if this is the first part of something, the way so many YA books are, but i really hope it is a standalone. the way the character is left at the end, with so many unresolved issues, but with a firm purpose in mind, is excellent, and i kind of don't want to see those issues resolved. those scenes would only diminish the strengths of the book, the elements that make it stand out from so many of its kind.
and if you're just tuning in to "karen's star ratings," you should know that three stars, for a book like this, is not at all a low rating. i am just rating it against all the other books i have read in the teen-dysto pantheon, and a three-star in that genre is pretty much the norm. this one brings several new twists to the game, and i really appreciated that. i like that i can still be surprised in a genre in which i have read so extensively. so it is the highest three a three can be while still remaining a three.
okay, book.
the united states is in the middle of a civil war. a highly militarized religious cult called the glorious path has gained control over much of the country, and what remains of the old world order, the fed, is struggling to defeat them. cal is fifteen and six years before the events in this book, he and his younger brother james were taken by the path to california and essentially made prisoners, forced to follow the tenants of the faith and also contribute to the manual labor and military aspects of the movement. combining the rigorous obedience of both a religion and a military organization results in some pretty extreme situations; the path's mo is to roll up on a town and offer its inhabitants "the choice," basically "join or die," which has made them very successful, but it is a terrible regime under which to live. cal has been planning his escape for years, wanting only to protect his brother and get back to their parents in ithaca. he gets his chance, or rather his choice is made for him, when, protecting a miniature pinscher from a sadistic path officer, he accidentally kills the man and is forced on the run. he tries to make james come with him, but james has been thoroughly indoctrinated in the path, and refuses. so cal and the dog, wearing a collar that says "bear," escape alone, pursued by the path army.
adventure follows.
along the way he will meet people who help him, but cal isn't some sweet innocent little kid escaping the big baddies. he has become hard in his years of imprisonment, he has learned how to be calculating, selfish, and manipulative, and despite you-as-reader wanting to see him succeed because you naturally want your protag in these books to succeed, he does get an awful lot of people killed and he makes some rash decisions that when they do work out, seem to only work out by chance.
and poor bear!! being dragged through dangerous situations as such a tiny little dog!! BBBBEEEAAAARRR!!! i loved him. and about halfway through the book, i was reading outside, and i literally yelped out "no!! bear!!," so you can see where my loyalties were.
there are some good secondary characters: natalie is reasonably well-drawn, if a bit inconsistent, and why she cares about cal is beyond me,
the interlude with kate and the the others was a welcome break in the relentless violent action - these laconic, protected one percenters with no idea what is happening beyond their protected walls. i appreciated the novelty of this perspective after so much of the front-line narrative.
definitely a book worth reading, and proof that there's still something "new" to be done with these kinds of storylines.
one quick note, though, and it is more me being bewildered by a genre-norm than a criticism of this book, although it definitely applies. i understand the pull of "home," but characters in these kinds of books are always trying to get back to someplace and someone, sometimes years after the country has gone kablooie. what on earth makes people think there will still be someone there waiting for them? penelope aside, who's gonna stick around in some bombed-out building on the off-chance that johnny's gonna come marching home?
this is just a bugbear of mine, and i completely understand it from a storytelling aspect, but it is maddening. also maddening: when characters in these kinds of stories encounter each other again after being separated by time and distance with no means of contact. the country is huuuuge. i can't guarantee that if i were separated from someone here in queens that i would ever run into them again, without knowing where they were likely to be found, let alone 3,000 miles away. sorry, that's just an eyeroll of mine. of course i understand why it's done, but it never fails to make me twitch a little.
but - yes - good book! enjoy!
come to my blog!
i'm not sure if this is the first part of something, the way so many YA books are, but i really hope it is a standalone. the way the character is left at the end, with so many unresolved issues, but with a firm purpose in mind, is excellent, and i kind of don't want to see those issues resolved. those scenes would only diminish the strengths of the book, the elements that make it stand out from so many of its kind.
and if you're just tuning in to "karen's star ratings," you should know that three stars, for a book like this, is not at all a low rating. i am just rating it against all the other books i have read in the teen-dysto pantheon, and a three-star in that genre is pretty much the norm. this one brings several new twists to the game, and i really appreciated that. i like that i can still be surprised in a genre in which i have read so extensively. so it is the highest three a three can be while still remaining a three.
okay, book.
the united states is in the middle of a civil war. a highly militarized religious cult called the glorious path has gained control over much of the country, and what remains of the old world order, the fed, is struggling to defeat them. cal is fifteen and six years before the events in this book, he and his younger brother james were taken by the path to california and essentially made prisoners, forced to follow the tenants of the faith and also contribute to the manual labor and military aspects of the movement. combining the rigorous obedience of both a religion and a military organization results in some pretty extreme situations; the path's mo is to roll up on a town and offer its inhabitants "the choice," basically "join or die," which has made them very successful, but it is a terrible regime under which to live. cal has been planning his escape for years, wanting only to protect his brother and get back to their parents in ithaca. he gets his chance, or rather his choice is made for him, when, protecting a miniature pinscher from a sadistic path officer, he accidentally kills the man and is forced on the run. he tries to make james come with him, but james has been thoroughly indoctrinated in the path, and refuses. so cal and the dog, wearing a collar that says "bear," escape alone, pursued by the path army.
adventure follows.
along the way he will meet people who help him, but cal isn't some sweet innocent little kid escaping the big baddies. he has become hard in his years of imprisonment, he has learned how to be calculating, selfish, and manipulative, and despite you-as-reader wanting to see him succeed because you naturally want your protag in these books to succeed, he does get an awful lot of people killed and he makes some rash decisions that when they do work out, seem to only work out by chance.
and poor bear!! being dragged through dangerous situations as such a tiny little dog!! BBBBEEEAAAARRR!!! i loved him. and about halfway through the book, i was reading outside, and i literally yelped out "no!! bear!!," so you can see where my loyalties were.
there are some good secondary characters: natalie is reasonably well-drawn, if a bit inconsistent, and why she cares about cal is beyond me,
the interlude with kate and the the others was a welcome break in the relentless violent action - these laconic, protected one percenters with no idea what is happening beyond their protected walls. i appreciated the novelty of this perspective after so much of the front-line narrative.
definitely a book worth reading, and proof that there's still something "new" to be done with these kinds of storylines.
one quick note, though, and it is more me being bewildered by a genre-norm than a criticism of this book, although it definitely applies. i understand the pull of "home," but characters in these kinds of books are always trying to get back to someplace and someone, sometimes years after the country has gone kablooie. what on earth makes people think there will still be someone there waiting for them? penelope aside, who's gonna stick around in some bombed-out building on the off-chance that johnny's gonna come marching home?
this is just a bugbear of mine, and i completely understand it from a storytelling aspect, but it is maddening. also maddening: when characters in these kinds of stories encounter each other again after being separated by time and distance with no means of contact. the country is huuuuge. i can't guarantee that if i were separated from someone here in queens that i would ever run into them again, without knowing where they were likely to be found, let alone 3,000 miles away. sorry, that's just an eyeroll of mine. of course i understand why it's done, but it never fails to make me twitch a little.
but - yes - good book! enjoy!
come to my blog!
June 22, 2016
I don’t have much to say on this one. It’s an average story. I read it in one sitting, and it’s quite an easy book to fly through, but at no point did it blow me away.
The story follows Cal, a boy who has been captured by a military like government who has taken over sections of America. He runs away after killing the man who runs the dog kennel when he tries to hurt a dog Cal has bonded with. I honestly picked this book up just for that tidbit with the dog, because I’m always up for a cute human/dog relationship.
I felt really thrown in at the beginning, almost like the story was started in the middle and I had missed a ton of backstory. Eventually I was able to settle into the story, and while it was entertaining it was pretty much your run of the mill dystopian.
Atmosphere is really the only thing I ask for with dystopian, and while this one didn’t excel on atmosphere it did have a good amount of suspense to keep me pretty interested, which is why it ended up being positively rated. However, I probably won't remember this story a week from now.
I think this story was just a bit too meh and average for me to recommend, but huge fans of dystopian stories will most likely enjoy it more than I did.
The story follows Cal, a boy who has been captured by a military like government who has taken over sections of America. He runs away after killing the man who runs the dog kennel when he tries to hurt a dog Cal has bonded with. I honestly picked this book up just for that tidbit with the dog, because I’m always up for a cute human/dog relationship.
I felt really thrown in at the beginning, almost like the story was started in the middle and I had missed a ton of backstory. Eventually I was able to settle into the story, and while it was entertaining it was pretty much your run of the mill dystopian.
Atmosphere is really the only thing I ask for with dystopian, and while this one didn’t excel on atmosphere it did have a good amount of suspense to keep me pretty interested, which is why it ended up being positively rated. However, I probably won't remember this story a week from now.
I think this story was just a bit too meh and average for me to recommend, but huge fans of dystopian stories will most likely enjoy it more than I did.
September 27, 2013
Including a country at war with its self and a cultish regime that threatens to tear apart two brothers, the Darkest Path strikes you as a hauntingly original novel. With Darkest Path being his third book, Jeff Hirsch shows improvement in his mastery of storytelling. On a whole, Hirsch’s writing really shines when he creates scenes of tension and turmoil. It’s the dramatics that pull the reader in and invoke such strong emotions. But lets not forget about how he also manages to create great characters that helps set his writing apart.
Set in a modernistic world, America struggles in a civil war between the US government and a crazy cult regime named the Glorious Path. Caught at a young age by the regime, Callum and his brother James struggle to sustain loyalties. Callum works hard to earn a role in the regime with a viscous dog trainer to support James who has an asthma problem. One day Cal befriends a dog that forces him to act against his boss who wants to turn the dog into a monstrosity. This forces Cal and James to go on the run sending them on a journey that will change his life forever. Through out his journey Cal faces terrible obstacles that ultimately shows him where his true path lays. Jeff Hirsch shows his writing talent in his best book yet, demanding a share of the limelight in the young adult genre. With his extreme character and dramatic writing Hirsch leaves me after reading his book, hoping for a sequel.
Set in a modernistic world, America struggles in a civil war between the US government and a crazy cult regime named the Glorious Path. Caught at a young age by the regime, Callum and his brother James struggle to sustain loyalties. Callum works hard to earn a role in the regime with a viscous dog trainer to support James who has an asthma problem. One day Cal befriends a dog that forces him to act against his boss who wants to turn the dog into a monstrosity. This forces Cal and James to go on the run sending them on a journey that will change his life forever. Through out his journey Cal faces terrible obstacles that ultimately shows him where his true path lays. Jeff Hirsch shows his writing talent in his best book yet, demanding a share of the limelight in the young adult genre. With his extreme character and dramatic writing Hirsch leaves me after reading his book, hoping for a sequel.
Read
August 27, 2013Spectacular book with thrills galore and wonderful world-building. Jeff Hirsch is a master of suspense.
June 6, 2019
This is An amazing Dystopian book. Following the story of A boy and his brother attempting to escape from the Glorious Path, a harsh Utopian Society that has taken root in the United States, causing a civil war. The two make a perilous journey across the country, back to the north to be with there parents. I liked it and I would say that most would enjoy this read.
October 12, 2013
Be prepared to get up close and personal with what life can be like for the masses during a modern day civil war. The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch follows young Cal as he struggles to make sense of the war around him, while trying to get both himself and his brother across enemy lines and hundreds of miles to return to the family they have not seen in six years. Under a charismatic leader, an army of religious fanatics have risen up against a less-than-perfect American government and one by one states are falling to one side or the other. Corruption runs rampant, neither side is what they seem, and brutality and death are everywhere.
Fifteen year old Cal sees things beyond anything his worst nightmare can conjure as a captive follower of the Path. The last straw comes when he saves a stray dog who steals his heart and becomes a symbol of normalcy for Cal in a world where he has been used, abused and seen as less than human. His desire to “go home” with his younger brother fuels him on as his journey crosses paths with both the good and evil in the world. Will there be anything left of Cal’s humanity? How much loss can he withstand? If he makes it “home” what will he discover? Will brother be pitted against brother? How does Cal decide which side is really The Darkest Path?
Jeff Hirsch has built a brutal reality for his characters where there is no definitive line between good and evil, forcing his characters to choose what they consider to be the lesser of the two evils. He spares nothing in creating a sense of hopelessness and never eases up on the tension or the action in what is only a small piece of the turmoil taking place. Even the once strong are crumbling, yet through it all, as Cal’s character develops and grows, he finds moments of peace, loyalty and inner strength far beyond his years, risking himself for others.
With crisp writing and attention to detail, Jeff Hirsch has created a fearsome reality that evokes total emotional involvement for the reader. I was simultaneously proud of Cal and shredded by some of his actions as he was forced to make hard and unselfish decisions to give up what he held most dear on his journey to discover what he needs most, to face reality, hold the past close and move on toward the future.
I received a review copy from Scholastic Press in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780545512237
Page Count: 336
Genre: YA Fiction
Available for Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Fifteen year old Cal sees things beyond anything his worst nightmare can conjure as a captive follower of the Path. The last straw comes when he saves a stray dog who steals his heart and becomes a symbol of normalcy for Cal in a world where he has been used, abused and seen as less than human. His desire to “go home” with his younger brother fuels him on as his journey crosses paths with both the good and evil in the world. Will there be anything left of Cal’s humanity? How much loss can he withstand? If he makes it “home” what will he discover? Will brother be pitted against brother? How does Cal decide which side is really The Darkest Path?
Jeff Hirsch has built a brutal reality for his characters where there is no definitive line between good and evil, forcing his characters to choose what they consider to be the lesser of the two evils. He spares nothing in creating a sense of hopelessness and never eases up on the tension or the action in what is only a small piece of the turmoil taking place. Even the once strong are crumbling, yet through it all, as Cal’s character develops and grows, he finds moments of peace, loyalty and inner strength far beyond his years, risking himself for others.
With crisp writing and attention to detail, Jeff Hirsch has created a fearsome reality that evokes total emotional involvement for the reader. I was simultaneously proud of Cal and shredded by some of his actions as he was forced to make hard and unselfish decisions to give up what he held most dear on his journey to discover what he needs most, to face reality, hold the past close and move on toward the future.
I received a review copy from Scholastic Press in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780545512237
Page Count: 336
Genre: YA Fiction
Available for Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
December 4, 2013
At times filled with scary comparisons that could totally happen (just check out the endpages that have a picture of the takeover from The Glorious Path before and after the book's plot that make it starkly realistic) this has similarities to The Eleventh Plague with a futuristic and plausible occurrence that will make any reader think.
In this story, centered around two brothers, they struggle to survive in the United States where a religious group is fighting to take over the states by infiltrating one by one and converting them. Case in point, Callum is used to pose as an informant warning of a Path infiltration and instead, is the Path and allows them to take over through their fear. But Callum has always wanted to escape, yet his brother, seems to have adopted the Path's religion and wants to remain. Setting up the story of Callum's survival with a dog in trying to get to a place of "freedom".
Full circle, like stories like Daniel Half Human, there is a reunion of sorts and a resolution, but not of all things. Definitely a great adventure story but also one that allows for conversations of the future.
In this story, centered around two brothers, they struggle to survive in the United States where a religious group is fighting to take over the states by infiltrating one by one and converting them. Case in point, Callum is used to pose as an informant warning of a Path infiltration and instead, is the Path and allows them to take over through their fear. But Callum has always wanted to escape, yet his brother, seems to have adopted the Path's religion and wants to remain. Setting up the story of Callum's survival with a dog in trying to get to a place of "freedom".
Full circle, like stories like Daniel Half Human, there is a reunion of sorts and a resolution, but not of all things. Definitely a great adventure story but also one that allows for conversations of the future.
May 26, 2015
In the begging You meet a teenager named Cal Roe. He meets a dog called Bear and runs away from the place he got him later he finds himself with four other teenagers and they help the U.S. army fight the Path.
After the war he goes back to New York and sees his Mom.
I recomend this book to people that like a lot of details and never want to put the book down. I enjoyed this book a lot because I like detailed books.
After the war he goes back to New York and sees his Mom.
I recomend this book to people that like a lot of details and never want to put the book down. I enjoyed this book a lot because I like detailed books.
Read
February 28, 2019Cal is a 15-year-old boy from Arizona. He is currently stuck in a government place called path. Cal works in a kennel with the attack dogs. The man who trains the dogs is a horrible person. He abuses the dogs to make them aggressive. Cal eventually shoots him for a good reason. He is saving a dog that makes the entire book better. The dog is lovable because he goes from nervous to fully trusting. The dog's name is bear and he is a legend. I think a bear is one of my favorite book characters.
December 18, 2014
The darkest path is good. It had up and downs. It had happy spots and sad spots. It also had a small love part and it had a little rebellion. it may have had assassinations but i wont say if it did or not. I recommned this to action lovers or people who love jeff hirsch books. I also rate it a 5 star.
May 8, 2014
A really good YA read. This one will appeal to those not looking for romance or supernatural themes. The pacing is quite fast and should keep most young readers turning the pages. The ending leaves room for a sequel or could be used as a creative writing jump off point.
March 13, 2015
A boring, action-packed book... an oxymoron, but true.
October 2, 2017
The Darkest Path is dystopian with the breakdown of a divided America. It is action-packed –military, helicopters, and full of thrills.
A few notes:
Callum Roe isn’t some perfect protagonist, and we have a tough female girl, Nat, a great companion who would rather fight and risk her life than stay in a comfortable house not helping others. She is stubborn as well, and she doesn’t want to live knowing that she could’ve helped people but didn’t.
I like the way the author uses the Path as an analogy for religious beliefs. The Path manipulates, forces recruits to follow certain rules. Callum has his agenda, and the book is a page-turner how he escapes, struggles to find his parents and his own way.
The author also includes a bunch of spoilt teenagers who have no clue of the pain and suffering out there. Their parents are wealthy and sent them to an isolated house with bodyguards. These teens don’t bother about the outside world and the lack of resources. They go on with their lives, partying, wasting, without a care in the world. But the breakdown of civilization affects everyone, and these teenagers are forced to defend themselves. Knock, knock, reality. Grow up, people!
Many dystopias are action, fire, smoke, rotting, decay. Darkest path amazed me with the concise, vivid details and the emotional story. There is Bear (the dog has his own short story by the author) and Callum’s goal, after all, is to find his parents. The writing strikes this balance between the action and emotion. Here, Callum is about to discover whether his parents are home:
I thought of an ancient ship locked inside a glass bottle. What would happen if you broke the seal? Would all those accumulated years rush in at once, turning it to dust?
It ends with a message of hope. In a dystopian world, where young children are forced to join military Glorious Path, forced to fight for beliefs they do not hold, it’s a human thing to cling to hope and find some purpose in living.
A few notes:
Callum Roe isn’t some perfect protagonist, and we have a tough female girl, Nat, a great companion who would rather fight and risk her life than stay in a comfortable house not helping others. She is stubborn as well, and she doesn’t want to live knowing that she could’ve helped people but didn’t.
I like the way the author uses the Path as an analogy for religious beliefs. The Path manipulates, forces recruits to follow certain rules. Callum has his agenda, and the book is a page-turner how he escapes, struggles to find his parents and his own way.
The author also includes a bunch of spoilt teenagers who have no clue of the pain and suffering out there. Their parents are wealthy and sent them to an isolated house with bodyguards. These teens don’t bother about the outside world and the lack of resources. They go on with their lives, partying, wasting, without a care in the world. But the breakdown of civilization affects everyone, and these teenagers are forced to defend themselves. Knock, knock, reality. Grow up, people!
Many dystopias are action, fire, smoke, rotting, decay. Darkest path amazed me with the concise, vivid details and the emotional story. There is Bear (the dog has his own short story by the author) and Callum’s goal, after all, is to find his parents. The writing strikes this balance between the action and emotion. Here, Callum is about to discover whether his parents are home:
I thought of an ancient ship locked inside a glass bottle. What would happen if you broke the seal? Would all those accumulated years rush in at once, turning it to dust?
It ends with a message of hope. In a dystopian world, where young children are forced to join military Glorious Path, forced to fight for beliefs they do not hold, it’s a human thing to cling to hope and find some purpose in living.
November 24, 2013
Originally published in the Broadkill Review
Jeff Hirsch’s third novel with Scholastic, The Darkest Path, a YA dystopian adventure, is a descent into hell for young Callum Roe, who flees the fanatical Path Army that sweeps across the United States like a dark shadow. America is in the grips of a second Civil War. The 1% are even richer, and more untouchable than before, and the poor are poor, and forced into situations that aren’t safe or pretty. The Federal Army is weakening, the infrastructure crumbling. The young Cal is attempting to return home, and must travel through a fractured America with only his scrappy dog, Bear, as his only trusted companion. The Path Forces are close behind, a fanatical sect of America led by Nathan Hill, a religious and military bully who looms over the narrative, unseen, a dark magic man pushing buttons from behind the curtain.
The Path loosely resembles a religious right sect, with strict Middle Eastern inspired gender roles enforced by law, and a fervor that matches the best of Sunday salesmen. If you are “on Path,” you follow God’s will, and Nathan Hill’s will, and seek to remake America into a beacon of light and hope. They are brutal, strict, and when they crush over your land they offer you “The Choice,” join their belief or die, or so everyone believes. What The Choice is, no one is sure and The Choice becomes a ringing motif in the novel, the theme extending beyond the Path’s brutality into Cal’s life as he makes choices, many of the split second decisions, that alter his path as he and Bear pushes East.
In the first section, Cal’s brother, James, haunts the Path camp. He’s asthmatic, spiritual, and moving up Hill’s ladder. Cal has made a choice to give up his body for Path plans, allowing the Path army to beat him nearly to death so he can crawl into Federal camps, and like a human Trojan Horse, set up a trap for the Path soldiers. One day Cal, on dog detail, spots Bear in the middle of a ruined town. Cal can’t bear to see Bear turned into a vicious weapon, and is forced to kill his commanding officer, setting in play a series of events where James betrays Cal and sets Cal and Bear full throttle into the wilderness to return home to the East Coast. To family. To what Cal hopes is normalcy.
But nothing is normal anymore, except war, unless you are rich and influential in the Path or Federal territories. For most Americans, life is a struggle against things you can’t really control. The Darkest Path is of course about more than a scrappy teenager being chased by nefarious forces, it’s also a platform for Hirsch to explore contemporary issues such as religious and military fascism, family, and more topical issues such as drone attacks, which are responsible for havoc in the American west during this second Civil War. Cal witnesses the death of innocents first hand and is powerless.
In fact, Cal is powerless throughout most of the novel. Hirsch grinds Cal up, making him suffer as he tries to work his way back to Ithaca, like a teenage Odysseus with a dog companion instead of a host of mighty warriors. He gets beaten, almost sold out, thrown into cells, and thrown to the ground dozens of times in his quest to go home. If action is your cup of tea, Path packs it in. Fist fights, RPGs, fumbled rifles, helicopter attacks, and even a contemporary Wolverines--a group of teenagers fighting Red Dawn style against their ex-countrymen, keep the action rolling, rolling, rolling.
Cal’s a thoughtful protagonist, despite the violence he contributes to, and his on-going feats of deception, which is mostly a by product of Nathan Hill’s Path training, and his natural ability to find trouble; he’s able to manipulate the situation to his benefit, without malice. Hirsch sets up Cal as a dehumanized figure in the Path regime. And in many ways The Darkest Path is a young man’s journey towards humanization again. He has to learn to trust himself, to trust others, even though he is burning from his younger brother’s betrayal. He gets to learn a little about love, too, from the equally broken Nat, who gets tangled up with Cal after she leads an explosive raid against Path forces. But mostly Cal learns that life throws punches, and that there are consequences for your actions, and that memory is not always reality. Alec, one of his transient friends, and a member of the rich elite (his father is a Hollywood big shot) confronts Cal's notions about returning to an America that no longer exists. “The future is coming whether you like it or not . I promise you, in a few years, we’ll all wonder what it is we got so worked up about.” Hirsch could easily be talking about American politics, or the American Dream, or even how Generation X’s middle class America is falling apart in the wake of economic crisis, political ineptness, and general apathy towards serving one's country, community, or even family. One of the covers Cal uses to explain why he and his dog are out in the wilderness is that he is camping with his father, something the Path would approve of, fostering self-reliance and male bonding. It’s a good cover for the young protagonist, and an open yearning for parental structure and love, something Hill’s Path forces want to provide, but fail to do.
One of the more touching motifs in the novel is the songs Cal remembers from his childhood, and like a homing beacon, the song's memory pulls him deeper and deeper into a country torn to shreds, "Moonlight road/Why don't you turn me on around?/Moonlight road/Why don't you light my way home?" And that's the exigency of the novel, of the conflict, a yearning for security, love, and warmth. A place where one isn't judged by the path one takes, or has taken. The theme echoes through the characters, teenagers, and parents Cal meets on the way, particularly the aforementioned Nat, one of the cute girls Cal gets to spend some close time with. And these orphaned kids are not unlike the children of poverty that is resting in the real cradle of America. In the end there isn't much difference between Cal and Nat and the children of broken homes and broken families who struggle to make ends in a country where the one percent control the power.
As the novel chases towards the end, Cal and James are reunited as the military action focuses its beam towards the Lighthouse, a recurring symbol through the book, where Cal is confronted with Nathan Hill, and his own choice, to either allow further death to occur or to be a force for life, for light. Hirsch doesn’t offer an easy conclusion, the novel concludes, like most good speculative fiction, with more questions, plenty of what if scenarios, candy for the mind, indeed.
Jeff Hirsch’s third novel with Scholastic, The Darkest Path, a YA dystopian adventure, is a descent into hell for young Callum Roe, who flees the fanatical Path Army that sweeps across the United States like a dark shadow. America is in the grips of a second Civil War. The 1% are even richer, and more untouchable than before, and the poor are poor, and forced into situations that aren’t safe or pretty. The Federal Army is weakening, the infrastructure crumbling. The young Cal is attempting to return home, and must travel through a fractured America with only his scrappy dog, Bear, as his only trusted companion. The Path Forces are close behind, a fanatical sect of America led by Nathan Hill, a religious and military bully who looms over the narrative, unseen, a dark magic man pushing buttons from behind the curtain.
The Path loosely resembles a religious right sect, with strict Middle Eastern inspired gender roles enforced by law, and a fervor that matches the best of Sunday salesmen. If you are “on Path,” you follow God’s will, and Nathan Hill’s will, and seek to remake America into a beacon of light and hope. They are brutal, strict, and when they crush over your land they offer you “The Choice,” join their belief or die, or so everyone believes. What The Choice is, no one is sure and The Choice becomes a ringing motif in the novel, the theme extending beyond the Path’s brutality into Cal’s life as he makes choices, many of the split second decisions, that alter his path as he and Bear pushes East.
In the first section, Cal’s brother, James, haunts the Path camp. He’s asthmatic, spiritual, and moving up Hill’s ladder. Cal has made a choice to give up his body for Path plans, allowing the Path army to beat him nearly to death so he can crawl into Federal camps, and like a human Trojan Horse, set up a trap for the Path soldiers. One day Cal, on dog detail, spots Bear in the middle of a ruined town. Cal can’t bear to see Bear turned into a vicious weapon, and is forced to kill his commanding officer, setting in play a series of events where James betrays Cal and sets Cal and Bear full throttle into the wilderness to return home to the East Coast. To family. To what Cal hopes is normalcy.
But nothing is normal anymore, except war, unless you are rich and influential in the Path or Federal territories. For most Americans, life is a struggle against things you can’t really control. The Darkest Path is of course about more than a scrappy teenager being chased by nefarious forces, it’s also a platform for Hirsch to explore contemporary issues such as religious and military fascism, family, and more topical issues such as drone attacks, which are responsible for havoc in the American west during this second Civil War. Cal witnesses the death of innocents first hand and is powerless.
In fact, Cal is powerless throughout most of the novel. Hirsch grinds Cal up, making him suffer as he tries to work his way back to Ithaca, like a teenage Odysseus with a dog companion instead of a host of mighty warriors. He gets beaten, almost sold out, thrown into cells, and thrown to the ground dozens of times in his quest to go home. If action is your cup of tea, Path packs it in. Fist fights, RPGs, fumbled rifles, helicopter attacks, and even a contemporary Wolverines--a group of teenagers fighting Red Dawn style against their ex-countrymen, keep the action rolling, rolling, rolling.
Cal’s a thoughtful protagonist, despite the violence he contributes to, and his on-going feats of deception, which is mostly a by product of Nathan Hill’s Path training, and his natural ability to find trouble; he’s able to manipulate the situation to his benefit, without malice. Hirsch sets up Cal as a dehumanized figure in the Path regime. And in many ways The Darkest Path is a young man’s journey towards humanization again. He has to learn to trust himself, to trust others, even though he is burning from his younger brother’s betrayal. He gets to learn a little about love, too, from the equally broken Nat, who gets tangled up with Cal after she leads an explosive raid against Path forces. But mostly Cal learns that life throws punches, and that there are consequences for your actions, and that memory is not always reality. Alec, one of his transient friends, and a member of the rich elite (his father is a Hollywood big shot) confronts Cal's notions about returning to an America that no longer exists. “The future is coming whether you like it or not . I promise you, in a few years, we’ll all wonder what it is we got so worked up about.” Hirsch could easily be talking about American politics, or the American Dream, or even how Generation X’s middle class America is falling apart in the wake of economic crisis, political ineptness, and general apathy towards serving one's country, community, or even family. One of the covers Cal uses to explain why he and his dog are out in the wilderness is that he is camping with his father, something the Path would approve of, fostering self-reliance and male bonding. It’s a good cover for the young protagonist, and an open yearning for parental structure and love, something Hill’s Path forces want to provide, but fail to do.
One of the more touching motifs in the novel is the songs Cal remembers from his childhood, and like a homing beacon, the song's memory pulls him deeper and deeper into a country torn to shreds, "Moonlight road/Why don't you turn me on around?/Moonlight road/Why don't you light my way home?" And that's the exigency of the novel, of the conflict, a yearning for security, love, and warmth. A place where one isn't judged by the path one takes, or has taken. The theme echoes through the characters, teenagers, and parents Cal meets on the way, particularly the aforementioned Nat, one of the cute girls Cal gets to spend some close time with. And these orphaned kids are not unlike the children of poverty that is resting in the real cradle of America. In the end there isn't much difference between Cal and Nat and the children of broken homes and broken families who struggle to make ends in a country where the one percent control the power.
As the novel chases towards the end, Cal and James are reunited as the military action focuses its beam towards the Lighthouse, a recurring symbol through the book, where Cal is confronted with Nathan Hill, and his own choice, to either allow further death to occur or to be a force for life, for light. Hirsch doesn’t offer an easy conclusion, the novel concludes, like most good speculative fiction, with more questions, plenty of what if scenarios, candy for the mind, indeed.
August 1, 2016
Genre: Dystopian
MLA Citation: Hirsch, Jeff. The Darkest Path. New York: Scholastic, 2013. Print.
Number of Pages: 336
Targeted grade level/ age span: Grade 7 and up. 12-17 years.
Identify Award and Award Year: Nominated for Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice, 2016.
Summary:
In this dystopian novel, America is divided in a civil war. Young Callum Roe is a dog trainer for a group of religious militants called The Glorious Path. Though he is a favorite of his commander, Cal balks at a promotion because of his loyalty to his brother James and his deep skepticism at the violence the Path endorses to achieve it’s objectives. Cal adopts a local stray dog named Bear, but after a conflict that leaves a superior officer dead, Cal is forced to flee his Arizona base. Cal’s quest takes him through the western states and into Wyoming. Along the way, some members of the Path hide him out of sympathy, while others turn him over to the Path out of desperation and their own need to survive. Cal’s develops a strong bond with Nat, a young girl in a force opposed to the faith militant. He also reunites with his brother James and has to bid farewell to Bear. Cal is recaptured by the Path and discovers that Nat is training for a suicide mission to assassinate the Path leader, Nathan Hill. He attempts to save her failed mission and convince leaders that her treason should be excused, but in the end he attacks Hill. James saves Cal, shooting Hill, and they continue their quest home. Cal’s ultimate goal is to return to his home in Ithaca, New York and reunite with his family, but once he reaches his abandoned childhood home, Cal has come to realize and reluctantly accept that his brother’s devotion to the Path was not a cover for survival. James and Cal part company with a sense of acceptance that their future together may be permanently divided, but their fraternal bond is undeniable. Hirsch leaves Cal’s future open for a sequel in which he may continue to play a role in the civil war between the Path and the Fed.
Evaluation:
Characterization: The characters in the novel are believable. Cal and James are teens caught up with religious fanatics. The boys seem to embody realistic responses to such passion: Cal is skeptical, but his younger brother James is more susceptible to the pressure of the cult. Nat is a strong female role who reflects trends in YA literature depicting independent young women keeping pace with more traditional male characters. Cal’s views of the Path do not change over the course of the novel, but his relationship with James evolved from one of parent/ child to physical and intellectual equals, each determined to make decisions for himself. Teens will relate to these characters because of their inquisitive personalities and willingness to question authority.
Plot: The plot is well-developed and ends with the possibility of a sequel or future trilogy to see Cal realize his potential into adulthood. Nat’s story, particularly her role in the assassination attempt make for a compelling story. James’s unexpected slaying of Hill shows his devotion to Cal, but leaves opportunity for a future story that confronts this betrayal of the Path. The militant culture and connections to religious zealots reflects historical groups like the Branch Davidians of the 1990s. The setting spans the lower forty-eight states and provides geographic details of various regions. Though it is not unique to depict America in a dystopia embroiled in a civil war, Hirsch references Apache helicopters, IEDs, and Strykers to connect to current military equipment rather than futuristic technology or sci-fi elements like those of The Hunger Games. This verisimilitude makes the story unique and makes the transition to the setting easy. Though readers will be curious about the circumstances of Cal and James’s initial kidnapping by the Path, technical questions and consistency are not an issue.
Internal consistency: The technological elements and infrastructure of the setting are those of the current day. Though some areas of the story world are war torn and seem more like images of Aleppo, Syria than anything possible in the United States, Hirsch depicts urban warfare accurately. This contrasts with the more protected areas of the setting, like Cal’s home in Ithaca, but the distinctions are well reasoned with the particulars of the warring parties and do not defy belief.
Style: The writing style is natural and smooth. Hirsch uses figurative language and varies it so that the descriptions are not monotonous. The writing adds to the enjoyment of reading.
Themes: Hirsch confronts a relevant and worthy theme: religion. Through this story, Hirsch questions the role of religion in government, family, and the individual. Because teens are questioning these values in their own lives and trying to reconcile their identities, they will relate to these characters and the struggles they face. In addition, by confronting these themes in fiction, Hirsch’s novel will open up opportunities for dialogue about these struggles and teens may feel more comfortable talking about them in context of other characters rather than themselves.
Recommendation:
Strengths: The references to military equipment and terminology that we use today makes the story more believable and natural to make the transition into the story world. Hirsch describes the military conflicts with an eye for realism as well. These are strengths that overcome the sometimes circular plot.
Weaknesses:Cal repeatedly flees the Path, is captured, reunited briefly with James, Nat, or Bear and restarts the cycle. This becomes tiresome.
Opinion: I enjoyed the internal conflicts that Cal, James, and Nat experience as they try to determine their level of religious zeal within this culture. Though dystopian depictions of America are nothing entirely unique, this particular conflict and connections to contemporary American culture make it interesting and a book I would recommend.
Teen Appeal: Teens of all ages can relate to these characters. Hirsch plays on the tradition of the boy and his dog, a little too much for my liking, but I imagine young readers will enjoy this story element. The action scenes and battles will appeal to a generation of readers who are familiar with military lingo from video game series like Modern Warfare.
MLA Citation: Hirsch, Jeff. The Darkest Path. New York: Scholastic, 2013. Print.
Number of Pages: 336
Targeted grade level/ age span: Grade 7 and up. 12-17 years.
Identify Award and Award Year: Nominated for Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice, 2016.
Summary:
In this dystopian novel, America is divided in a civil war. Young Callum Roe is a dog trainer for a group of religious militants called The Glorious Path. Though he is a favorite of his commander, Cal balks at a promotion because of his loyalty to his brother James and his deep skepticism at the violence the Path endorses to achieve it’s objectives. Cal adopts a local stray dog named Bear, but after a conflict that leaves a superior officer dead, Cal is forced to flee his Arizona base. Cal’s quest takes him through the western states and into Wyoming. Along the way, some members of the Path hide him out of sympathy, while others turn him over to the Path out of desperation and their own need to survive. Cal’s develops a strong bond with Nat, a young girl in a force opposed to the faith militant. He also reunites with his brother James and has to bid farewell to Bear. Cal is recaptured by the Path and discovers that Nat is training for a suicide mission to assassinate the Path leader, Nathan Hill. He attempts to save her failed mission and convince leaders that her treason should be excused, but in the end he attacks Hill. James saves Cal, shooting Hill, and they continue their quest home. Cal’s ultimate goal is to return to his home in Ithaca, New York and reunite with his family, but once he reaches his abandoned childhood home, Cal has come to realize and reluctantly accept that his brother’s devotion to the Path was not a cover for survival. James and Cal part company with a sense of acceptance that their future together may be permanently divided, but their fraternal bond is undeniable. Hirsch leaves Cal’s future open for a sequel in which he may continue to play a role in the civil war between the Path and the Fed.
Evaluation:
Characterization: The characters in the novel are believable. Cal and James are teens caught up with religious fanatics. The boys seem to embody realistic responses to such passion: Cal is skeptical, but his younger brother James is more susceptible to the pressure of the cult. Nat is a strong female role who reflects trends in YA literature depicting independent young women keeping pace with more traditional male characters. Cal’s views of the Path do not change over the course of the novel, but his relationship with James evolved from one of parent/ child to physical and intellectual equals, each determined to make decisions for himself. Teens will relate to these characters because of their inquisitive personalities and willingness to question authority.
Plot: The plot is well-developed and ends with the possibility of a sequel or future trilogy to see Cal realize his potential into adulthood. Nat’s story, particularly her role in the assassination attempt make for a compelling story. James’s unexpected slaying of Hill shows his devotion to Cal, but leaves opportunity for a future story that confronts this betrayal of the Path. The militant culture and connections to religious zealots reflects historical groups like the Branch Davidians of the 1990s. The setting spans the lower forty-eight states and provides geographic details of various regions. Though it is not unique to depict America in a dystopia embroiled in a civil war, Hirsch references Apache helicopters, IEDs, and Strykers to connect to current military equipment rather than futuristic technology or sci-fi elements like those of The Hunger Games. This verisimilitude makes the story unique and makes the transition to the setting easy. Though readers will be curious about the circumstances of Cal and James’s initial kidnapping by the Path, technical questions and consistency are not an issue.
Internal consistency: The technological elements and infrastructure of the setting are those of the current day. Though some areas of the story world are war torn and seem more like images of Aleppo, Syria than anything possible in the United States, Hirsch depicts urban warfare accurately. This contrasts with the more protected areas of the setting, like Cal’s home in Ithaca, but the distinctions are well reasoned with the particulars of the warring parties and do not defy belief.
Style: The writing style is natural and smooth. Hirsch uses figurative language and varies it so that the descriptions are not monotonous. The writing adds to the enjoyment of reading.
Themes: Hirsch confronts a relevant and worthy theme: religion. Through this story, Hirsch questions the role of religion in government, family, and the individual. Because teens are questioning these values in their own lives and trying to reconcile their identities, they will relate to these characters and the struggles they face. In addition, by confronting these themes in fiction, Hirsch’s novel will open up opportunities for dialogue about these struggles and teens may feel more comfortable talking about them in context of other characters rather than themselves.
Recommendation:
Strengths: The references to military equipment and terminology that we use today makes the story more believable and natural to make the transition into the story world. Hirsch describes the military conflicts with an eye for realism as well. These are strengths that overcome the sometimes circular plot.
Weaknesses:Cal repeatedly flees the Path, is captured, reunited briefly with James, Nat, or Bear and restarts the cycle. This becomes tiresome.
Opinion: I enjoyed the internal conflicts that Cal, James, and Nat experience as they try to determine their level of religious zeal within this culture. Though dystopian depictions of America are nothing entirely unique, this particular conflict and connections to contemporary American culture make it interesting and a book I would recommend.
Teen Appeal: Teens of all ages can relate to these characters. Hirsch plays on the tradition of the boy and his dog, a little too much for my liking, but I imagine young readers will enjoy this story element. The action scenes and battles will appeal to a generation of readers who are familiar with military lingo from video game series like Modern Warfare.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2014
Over the past month I have read about three hours per week. The books I read have included The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsh, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, and Daemon by Daniel Suarez. I finished The Darkest Path, and am currently reading Daemon. I did not finish The Golem and the Jinni because it was not my kind of book. I do not like not finishing a book, but it just did not seem interesting to me, so I moved on.
The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsh was really my kind of book. It is a mystery, and that is one of my favorite genres. It was also a dystopian setting and I like that, because it makes me wonder about what it would be like to live in that kind of world. One of the characters in the book was a dog named Bear. He was the main character’s friend and I really like it when animals play big roles in books. The story takes place in the future in a world that the author describes as war torn and mean. There is a civil war between a group named the Glorious Path and the US government. When civilians are captured by the Glorious Path, they have to make a choice. They can either join or be executed. Not much of a choice. Children are separated from their parents and this sets up the main conflict of the book. Cal and his brother James want to find their parents. I liked the way the author builds the story and hooks you in as a reader.
A big part of what kept my interest in this book was the main character Cal’s relationship with the dog Bear. Cal has met Bear because he was a stray dog. Cal was being promoted to become a dog trainer for the Glorious Path. They train the dogs to be vicious and kill. The head of the training kennel is a man named Quarles. He is a fat jerk and treats the dogs as bad as is possible. It was easy to dislike him based upon the way the author described him. I could really picture him in my mind. On Cal’s first mission he sees Bear out walking around. He throws a ball for Bear to chase after, but soon Cal has to leave. When he tries to leave, Bear follows him. That is where you know that they will be friends. In some ways it seems like Bear is family for Cal. I like the way the author builds the conflict between Cal and Quarles. This describes what happens when Quarles is approaching Cal and Bear.
A dust cloud rose in the desert across the road. I squinted into the sunny glare and saw it was centered around a black Ford pickup truck that was racing in our direction. It was one I’d know anywhere, one that only a single person would be driving. Quarles. I didn’t even think. I grabbed Bear’s collar and ran. (Hirsch 39)
This passage shows how Cal will do almost anything for Bear. After they see the truck, they run into a nearby store. Quarles hears them and attacks Cal. Since Quarles is clumsy, Cal knocks him to the ground and takes his gun. Quarles goes for one last hit, and Cal shoots him. This is where the real story begins. I think that since Cal’s family is gone, Bear sort of makes up that hole in his heart. That is why Cal is now risking his life to save Bear, like what you would do for your family.
I also liked the way the author tied James, Cal’s brother back into the story. James is devoted to the Glorious Path and doesn’t want to be killed. He leaves Cal for a very long time. Way into the story, Cal is taken back to a Path camp. There he saves the leader of the Path, Aaron hill’s life. Hill knew about Cal killing Quarles but forgives him after saving his life. While Cal is eating lunch, he meets a familiar face.
I pushed the tray towards novice’s hand, but the tray and everything on it crashed onto the linoleum floor. Shards of glass glittered among the charred piles of beef. I looked to see if the novice was okay and was met with a rush of vertigo. The room spun around the young novices face and I sat there, mouth open, fingers splayed weakly on the plastic tabletop.
“James?” (Hirsch 275)
I really enjoyed the way the author’s choice of words created an image in my mind. The way the author says shards of glass and charred piles of beef on the linoleum really makes me feel like I’m there. The reason I liked this quote was because I was always frustrated with how James was devoted to the Path. It was as if he didn’t really care about finding his family. Soon after they reunite, Aaron Hill, the Glorious Path creator, calls Cal to talk. I liked the way the plot intensified here. Hill shows him the battle command room and shows him the targets. His plan is to detonate nukes in US government controlled areas. Cal is enraged because he thinks his parents will be killed. While he is listening to Hill talk, he finds a knife and tries to attack. Hill counters, and pins Cal to the ground. Just as Hill is about to shoot Cal, a sword impales Hill. It was James. James falls to the ground, horrified to see who he had killed. They decide to then flee the base and continue to look for their parents. To make a long story short, the parents leave a note saying how they decided to move to Canada. At the end of the book, James leaves Cal again to go back to return to his camp. Cal sits for a while, sad, but then he thinks about Bear pulls out the map where Bear was staying. This is my favorite quote in the book.
I imagined him in a cabin, safe and well fed, and wondered if it was home to him now or if he still thought of me. Did he wonder why I left him even now? And did he lie among the woman and her family, awaiting the day I’d come back for him?
The map rustled as I flattened it out on the floor. I found what I was looking for in a corner of Montana way out on its own. Bull Lake. A dot of a town next to a blue patch of water. I pulled the pen out of my pack and circled it in red. (Hirsch 320)
This made me really happy at the end of the book because I knew in my mind he was coming back to get Bear. The last scene of the book is him driving out setting his GPS to Bull Lake. I do wish that the author could’ve ended the book with him pulling up to the door with Bear looking out the window. All in all, I think it was a great book. If you love books that are dystopian, action packed, and like a dog as a main character, you’ll love this book. The best part is the dog doesn’t die! In so many books about dogs the animal dies and it is usually very sad.
The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsh was really my kind of book. It is a mystery, and that is one of my favorite genres. It was also a dystopian setting and I like that, because it makes me wonder about what it would be like to live in that kind of world. One of the characters in the book was a dog named Bear. He was the main character’s friend and I really like it when animals play big roles in books. The story takes place in the future in a world that the author describes as war torn and mean. There is a civil war between a group named the Glorious Path and the US government. When civilians are captured by the Glorious Path, they have to make a choice. They can either join or be executed. Not much of a choice. Children are separated from their parents and this sets up the main conflict of the book. Cal and his brother James want to find their parents. I liked the way the author builds the story and hooks you in as a reader.
A big part of what kept my interest in this book was the main character Cal’s relationship with the dog Bear. Cal has met Bear because he was a stray dog. Cal was being promoted to become a dog trainer for the Glorious Path. They train the dogs to be vicious and kill. The head of the training kennel is a man named Quarles. He is a fat jerk and treats the dogs as bad as is possible. It was easy to dislike him based upon the way the author described him. I could really picture him in my mind. On Cal’s first mission he sees Bear out walking around. He throws a ball for Bear to chase after, but soon Cal has to leave. When he tries to leave, Bear follows him. That is where you know that they will be friends. In some ways it seems like Bear is family for Cal. I like the way the author builds the conflict between Cal and Quarles. This describes what happens when Quarles is approaching Cal and Bear.
A dust cloud rose in the desert across the road. I squinted into the sunny glare and saw it was centered around a black Ford pickup truck that was racing in our direction. It was one I’d know anywhere, one that only a single person would be driving. Quarles. I didn’t even think. I grabbed Bear’s collar and ran. (Hirsch 39)
This passage shows how Cal will do almost anything for Bear. After they see the truck, they run into a nearby store. Quarles hears them and attacks Cal. Since Quarles is clumsy, Cal knocks him to the ground and takes his gun. Quarles goes for one last hit, and Cal shoots him. This is where the real story begins. I think that since Cal’s family is gone, Bear sort of makes up that hole in his heart. That is why Cal is now risking his life to save Bear, like what you would do for your family.
I also liked the way the author tied James, Cal’s brother back into the story. James is devoted to the Glorious Path and doesn’t want to be killed. He leaves Cal for a very long time. Way into the story, Cal is taken back to a Path camp. There he saves the leader of the Path, Aaron hill’s life. Hill knew about Cal killing Quarles but forgives him after saving his life. While Cal is eating lunch, he meets a familiar face.
I pushed the tray towards novice’s hand, but the tray and everything on it crashed onto the linoleum floor. Shards of glass glittered among the charred piles of beef. I looked to see if the novice was okay and was met with a rush of vertigo. The room spun around the young novices face and I sat there, mouth open, fingers splayed weakly on the plastic tabletop.
“James?” (Hirsch 275)
I really enjoyed the way the author’s choice of words created an image in my mind. The way the author says shards of glass and charred piles of beef on the linoleum really makes me feel like I’m there. The reason I liked this quote was because I was always frustrated with how James was devoted to the Path. It was as if he didn’t really care about finding his family. Soon after they reunite, Aaron Hill, the Glorious Path creator, calls Cal to talk. I liked the way the plot intensified here. Hill shows him the battle command room and shows him the targets. His plan is to detonate nukes in US government controlled areas. Cal is enraged because he thinks his parents will be killed. While he is listening to Hill talk, he finds a knife and tries to attack. Hill counters, and pins Cal to the ground. Just as Hill is about to shoot Cal, a sword impales Hill. It was James. James falls to the ground, horrified to see who he had killed. They decide to then flee the base and continue to look for their parents. To make a long story short, the parents leave a note saying how they decided to move to Canada. At the end of the book, James leaves Cal again to go back to return to his camp. Cal sits for a while, sad, but then he thinks about Bear pulls out the map where Bear was staying. This is my favorite quote in the book.
I imagined him in a cabin, safe and well fed, and wondered if it was home to him now or if he still thought of me. Did he wonder why I left him even now? And did he lie among the woman and her family, awaiting the day I’d come back for him?
The map rustled as I flattened it out on the floor. I found what I was looking for in a corner of Montana way out on its own. Bull Lake. A dot of a town next to a blue patch of water. I pulled the pen out of my pack and circled it in red. (Hirsch 320)
This made me really happy at the end of the book because I knew in my mind he was coming back to get Bear. The last scene of the book is him driving out setting his GPS to Bull Lake. I do wish that the author could’ve ended the book with him pulling up to the door with Bear looking out the window. All in all, I think it was a great book. If you love books that are dystopian, action packed, and like a dog as a main character, you’ll love this book. The best part is the dog doesn’t die! In so many books about dogs the animal dies and it is usually very sad.
December 31, 2019
Third book I've read by Hirsch, and it's just as good as the other two. I like that each book is its own creation, each with a uniquely imagined revision of this country/continent. This one has a sort of Jim Jones/David Koresh figure, with the main character, Callum, a kid unwillingly caught and "recruited" to the army of believers that is attempting to take over the U.S. in the near future (2026). Absolutely believable, given the current state of things.
March 20, 2025
soooo. i’m gonna need a sequel
but actually ts was so good i shed tears MULTIPLE times while reading
i kind of liked how james didn’t switch up at the end and abandon the whole path religion. it makes sense for his character tho i’m not sure what’s gonna end up happening to him. anyway i love him bc i love younger siblings in stories always nothing will change this
anyway it lost a star because of that one sentence of nyc slander
but actually ts was so good i shed tears MULTIPLE times while reading
i kind of liked how james didn’t switch up at the end and abandon the whole path religion. it makes sense for his character tho i’m not sure what’s gonna end up happening to him. anyway i love him bc i love younger siblings in stories always nothing will change this
anyway it lost a star because of that one sentence of nyc slander
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September 1, 2017the darkest path was full of twisted mysterious turns that kept you on edge. throughout the book I was entwined in the dark plot that took a young boy and his companion a German shepherd through various challenges that resulted in new enemies, friends, and responsibilities. The Darkest Path was a great book that was very captivating and kept me on the edge of my seat.
May 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this book but was a little bit sad it wasn't a continuation of the Eleventh Plague. It was good and had a lot of controversial plot points that were intriguing to play out. For me, I would have enjoyed if it was a continuation but it was good even without continuing the Eleventh Plague.
September 18, 2023
The book was really good, religious cult starts civil war against us army and all that, BUT THE DOG I LOVED BEAR SO MUCH he was such a good boy…
But yeah good characters, nats a little annoying and the spoiled ass rich kids were a pain (except for that one *wink) but overall
THE DOG WAS THE BEST CHARACTER
BEAR🔛🔝
But yeah good characters, nats a little annoying and the spoiled ass rich kids were a pain (except for that one *wink) but overall
THE DOG WAS THE BEST CHARACTER
BEAR🔛🔝
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2025
A little confusing, but also interesting. Takes place next year... Lol
March 2, 2017
This book was insanely accurate at what I think the world will be like soon. The country splitting like this because people only care about the rich, that's basically what's going on now. The Feds and the Path are the two different powers fighting for the USA. This boy in the story is like 15, it never actually said. His brother and him were captured by The Path, and they were forced to join or die. They obviously joined but later, the older boy tried escaping with his brother, but his brother believed in The Path. He then left the older brother and went back. For the rest of the book, the older brother goes trying to make it back home to fed territory to get to his family in New York. There are many close calls and gruesome obstacles he has to pass, but in the end he doesn't make it home... it's sad but the book is really good, and I couldn't put it down.
September 7, 2015
Finally finished...
The Glorious Path wants complete control of the country. Those they capture are give the choice: Join or Be Killed.
Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured by the Glorious Path -- a militant religion based on the teachings of a former U.S. soldier -- and forced to join six years ago. As a war rages between the Path and what's left of the U.S. government, Cal gets along by working in the Path's dog kennels. But soon Cal is presented with an opportunity to move up in the Path's ranks, putting him on the verge of becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train Bear to be a vicious attack dog. This sends them both on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
--From the book jacket
This isn't a bad book, but it took me a very long time to read. Partly because it is a physical book, I think. At night I mostly read on my Kindle because it is more convenient. But I also think the plot just wasn't that compelling. The blurb on the book jacket (see above) sounds very exciting. But the story just didn't live up to the excitement. Maybe if I had read just this book all at once, it would have been more enjoyable.
The bond between Cal and Bear really touched me. Once Bear trusted Cal, he was a faithful companion and would never leave Cal's side. But I just didn't get some of the actions Cal took when it came to Bear. Even though one time especially it was for Bear's own good, it really bothered me.
Nathan Hill wasn't a very scary villain and we didn't get to know him enough to feel his motives or to hate him. I hated the organization (The Path) more than I hated Hill. I get why Cal and James agreed to join, they didn't want to die. But it seemed like others could have fought back and didn't. The book tells us that Hill was very persuasive and his followers practically worship him. I think that is how James becomes a believer. They are taken at a young age; Cal was 9 and James was younger but I don't remember exactly how much younger. And maybe Cal was able to resist Hill's teachings but James needed something to believe in.
The end was predictable to a point. But I was really disappointed by part of it.
[spoiler]
When James shot Nathan Hill to protect his brother, I thought he knew who he was shooting and I was glad he chose his brother over the leader of the Path. But, when James admitted that he didn't know who it was, he just wanted to save his brother, well, I realized that he was still brainwashed. And that was disappointing.
[/spoiler]
I do like that the final ending of the book wasn't cut and dried. You don't know exactly what happens to Cal, James & Bear, but you have hope that they will be okay.
Recommended to:
Fans of young adult dystopian fiction or fans of the author Jeff Hirsch.
The Glorious Path wants complete control of the country. Those they capture are give the choice: Join or Be Killed.
Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured by the Glorious Path -- a militant religion based on the teachings of a former U.S. soldier -- and forced to join six years ago. As a war rages between the Path and what's left of the U.S. government, Cal gets along by working in the Path's dog kennels. But soon Cal is presented with an opportunity to move up in the Path's ranks, putting him on the verge of becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train Bear to be a vicious attack dog. This sends them both on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
--From the book jacket
This isn't a bad book, but it took me a very long time to read. Partly because it is a physical book, I think. At night I mostly read on my Kindle because it is more convenient. But I also think the plot just wasn't that compelling. The blurb on the book jacket (see above) sounds very exciting. But the story just didn't live up to the excitement. Maybe if I had read just this book all at once, it would have been more enjoyable.
The bond between Cal and Bear really touched me. Once Bear trusted Cal, he was a faithful companion and would never leave Cal's side. But I just didn't get some of the actions Cal took when it came to Bear. Even though one time especially it was for Bear's own good, it really bothered me.
Nathan Hill wasn't a very scary villain and we didn't get to know him enough to feel his motives or to hate him. I hated the organization (The Path) more than I hated Hill. I get why Cal and James agreed to join, they didn't want to die. But it seemed like others could have fought back and didn't. The book tells us that Hill was very persuasive and his followers practically worship him. I think that is how James becomes a believer. They are taken at a young age; Cal was 9 and James was younger but I don't remember exactly how much younger. And maybe Cal was able to resist Hill's teachings but James needed something to believe in.
The end was predictable to a point. But I was really disappointed by part of it.
[spoiler]
When James shot Nathan Hill to protect his brother, I thought he knew who he was shooting and I was glad he chose his brother over the leader of the Path. But, when James admitted that he didn't know who it was, he just wanted to save his brother, well, I realized that he was still brainwashed. And that was disappointing.
[/spoiler]
I do like that the final ending of the book wasn't cut and dried. You don't know exactly what happens to Cal, James & Bear, but you have hope that they will be okay.
Recommended to:
Fans of young adult dystopian fiction or fans of the author Jeff Hirsch.
January 14, 2023
friend rec. bear is the cutest! ups and downs but mostly downs ngl. i like the bittersweetness and how morally grey cal is, its a good dystopian book!
August 17, 2013
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I actually own all of Jeff Hirsch's YA titles and they have been sitting on my shelf for a while. I finally felt an urge to read one of Hirsch's books recently when I received The Darkest Path in the mail. The Darkest Path is one of hundreds of dystopian books that I've read this year. The Darkest Path isn't the strongest dystopian novel, but it is extremely entertaining and was worth a read!
I personally wanted to learn more about The Glorious Path and The Feds. Hirsch provided the reader with a view of both sides, but I really wished this information was expanded upon. I would have loved to learn how The Path started and how the conflict escalated into a full-out war. I personally craved more world-building because the world building was minimal and very lacking. How did the states break up into The Path and The Feds? Why would people decide to join The Path? I wanted answers and I never really received any throughout the entire novel.
I really enjoyed reading about this "Civil War" from Callum's point-of-view. I really loved Callum's relationships with Bear and his bother James. I really wanted to give furry Bear a cuddly hug and never let him go. I really wish the reader was given more finality on what happened to Bear; after a certain part in the story, Bear isn't mentioned ever again. Despite my small qualms with him, I really loved Callum's character and his determination to get home.
The Darkest Path is filled to the brim w/ heart-pounding action scenes that were extremely well-written. The plot may not be the most original or the most refreshing, but it is extremely fast-paced and well-written. Aside from a shaky opening with an overwhelming amount of choppy sentences, the rest of the book is well-written and thrilling. Hirsch definitely knows how to write a gripping dystopian tale w/ extremely likeable characters.
The Darkest Path isn't my favorite dystopian book, but it had just enough action and adventure to keep me turning the pages. The Darkest Path is a perfect read for those looking for a quick, gripping adventure that never has a dull moment. I guess soon I'll be reading The Eleventh Plague and The Magisterium!
I actually own all of Jeff Hirsch's YA titles and they have been sitting on my shelf for a while. I finally felt an urge to read one of Hirsch's books recently when I received The Darkest Path in the mail. The Darkest Path is one of hundreds of dystopian books that I've read this year. The Darkest Path isn't the strongest dystopian novel, but it is extremely entertaining and was worth a read!
I personally wanted to learn more about The Glorious Path and The Feds. Hirsch provided the reader with a view of both sides, but I really wished this information was expanded upon. I would have loved to learn how The Path started and how the conflict escalated into a full-out war. I personally craved more world-building because the world building was minimal and very lacking. How did the states break up into The Path and The Feds? Why would people decide to join The Path? I wanted answers and I never really received any throughout the entire novel.
I really enjoyed reading about this "Civil War" from Callum's point-of-view. I really loved Callum's relationships with Bear and his bother James. I really wanted to give furry Bear a cuddly hug and never let him go. I really wish the reader was given more finality on what happened to Bear; after a certain part in the story, Bear isn't mentioned ever again. Despite my small qualms with him, I really loved Callum's character and his determination to get home.
The Darkest Path is filled to the brim w/ heart-pounding action scenes that were extremely well-written. The plot may not be the most original or the most refreshing, but it is extremely fast-paced and well-written. Aside from a shaky opening with an overwhelming amount of choppy sentences, the rest of the book is well-written and thrilling. Hirsch definitely knows how to write a gripping dystopian tale w/ extremely likeable characters.
The Darkest Path isn't my favorite dystopian book, but it had just enough action and adventure to keep me turning the pages. The Darkest Path is a perfect read for those looking for a quick, gripping adventure that never has a dull moment. I guess soon I'll be reading The Eleventh Plague and The Magisterium!
March 5, 2021
In the year 2026, there is a civil war raging in the USA. The nation is split up into two parties. There is the army of the Glorious Path which is a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier, and what's left of the US Federal Government.
Six years ago fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert to the Glorious Path. While working in the Path's dog kennels, Cal became very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.
When Cal comes across a stray dog named Bear he kills the commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends the two of them on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
The Darkest Path is the third novel that I've read of Jeff Hirsch. All of his novels have a certain brutality to them. Yet, at the same time I find myself wanting more from them in the end. That is again the case with this novel.
This book reads like a cross between a dystopian and post-apocalyptic novel. The world building is done fairly well. You get a general sense of your surroundings, but the details to the scene are missing. With a dystopian novel I'm looking for a real sense of overwhelming doom from the looming governmental threat. I felt that this is where The Darkest Path lacked the most.
In general, I felt like this was on the lighter side of this genre, even with the darker touches thrown in every now and then. The shining light to this book for me was Bear. Anytime an animal is used as one of the 'main characters', I become a sucker. It was executed very well in this book.
In the end, I did enjoy reading The Darkest Path. I don't think this book is apart of a series. I do wish the author had fleshed out more of the journey. The end happened rather quickly and I think it would have had a much stronger impact if it had been longer. I encourage fans of this author not to miss this novel.
*Won in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway
Six years ago fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert to the Glorious Path. While working in the Path's dog kennels, Cal became very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.
When Cal comes across a stray dog named Bear he kills the commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends the two of them on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
The Darkest Path is the third novel that I've read of Jeff Hirsch. All of his novels have a certain brutality to them. Yet, at the same time I find myself wanting more from them in the end. That is again the case with this novel.
This book reads like a cross between a dystopian and post-apocalyptic novel. The world building is done fairly well. You get a general sense of your surroundings, but the details to the scene are missing. With a dystopian novel I'm looking for a real sense of overwhelming doom from the looming governmental threat. I felt that this is where The Darkest Path lacked the most.
In general, I felt like this was on the lighter side of this genre, even with the darker touches thrown in every now and then. The shining light to this book for me was Bear. Anytime an animal is used as one of the 'main characters', I become a sucker. It was executed very well in this book.
In the end, I did enjoy reading The Darkest Path. I don't think this book is apart of a series. I do wish the author had fleshed out more of the journey. The end happened rather quickly and I think it would have had a much stronger impact if it had been longer. I encourage fans of this author not to miss this novel.
*Won in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway
November 2, 2019
My name is Dillon Lundgren (the reviewer) is reviewing the book called The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch. It was published by Scholastic and the copyright date is 2013. The ISBN is 978-0-545-79964-5. The price for it is $5.99. The book has a total of 320 pages.
The book is about a boy named Callum Roe. He and his brother who was captured by the religious driven Glorious Path. After killing a Beacon (sergeant), Quarles, Cal runs away with a dog named Bear in order to flee back into the United States Federal Army controlled territory. He and Bear finally make it back to Federal territory when Cal is snatched again by the Glorious Path in a raid on that territory. In surprising events, he saves the life of the leader of the Glorious Path named Nathan Hill from a suicide bomber. Cal goes with Nathan Hill to a command center where he meets his brother James who he hasn't seen in a whole month. After the Federal Army invaded the command center, Cal and his brother go with soldiers to a refugee camp where they stay another whole month. James decides he will go back to the Glorious Path while Cal searches for their parents which they haven't seen for over 6 years.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction books, especially based in the United States. Books like science fiction tell stories about things that could happen in real life but usually don't. I recommend reading science fiction books because of this reason. Other books like this one that are also written by the same author named Jeff Hirsch. These books include The Eleventh Plague, Black River Falls, and Unnatural Disasters. I hope you enjoyed reading my summary and why you should read books like this one.
The book is about a boy named Callum Roe. He and his brother who was captured by the religious driven Glorious Path. After killing a Beacon (sergeant), Quarles, Cal runs away with a dog named Bear in order to flee back into the United States Federal Army controlled territory. He and Bear finally make it back to Federal territory when Cal is snatched again by the Glorious Path in a raid on that territory. In surprising events, he saves the life of the leader of the Glorious Path named Nathan Hill from a suicide bomber. Cal goes with Nathan Hill to a command center where he meets his brother James who he hasn't seen in a whole month. After the Federal Army invaded the command center, Cal and his brother go with soldiers to a refugee camp where they stay another whole month. James decides he will go back to the Glorious Path while Cal searches for their parents which they haven't seen for over 6 years.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction books, especially based in the United States. Books like science fiction tell stories about things that could happen in real life but usually don't. I recommend reading science fiction books because of this reason. Other books like this one that are also written by the same author named Jeff Hirsch. These books include The Eleventh Plague, Black River Falls, and Unnatural Disasters. I hope you enjoyed reading my summary and why you should read books like this one.
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December 17, 2014This is the very first book I have read by Jeff Hirsch. I was not quite sure what to think of “the Path”. The book never really tells you what it is exactly so there is a lot of room for imagination of what it could be. All the main character, Cal, wants is to get to where he thinks is home. He and his brother were captured six years ago. When he finds out that he is going into the military, he doesn’t want to leave his brother. One day he finds a dog and falls in love with it. When the owner of the dog kennel comes out to find him, since he’s been gone for so long, he tries to hide the dog. The kennel owner gets mad and hits Cal. He finds the dog and as he is going to get it, Cal grabs the owner’s gun out of his back pocket and shoots him. Then he knows he has to leave so he goes back to get his brother. His brother does not want to leave but he convinces him to. They eventually crash the truck and have to go on foot. His little brother leaves him and goes back. Cal and the dog he found, Bear, go on in the desert. They run into lots of difficulties including getting more people killed. I really liked this book. I do not like how James leaves Cal in the desert all by himself. It’s not right
September 12, 2016
The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch is a novel for those who like dystopian books, and books about family. The Darkest Path takes place in 2026 where there's a war between a former soldier who created his own government, and what is left of the U.S. national government. It follows the story of two brothers, Callum and James Roe, who flee from the terrors of what is to come when someone finds out about what they've done. I like this book, but for many reasons there are times where I don't like it. I love the brothers in this story and how they still have the will power to pull through and survive. I also loved how they incorporated a dog as one of the main characters, as he follows the two brothers as they traveler. Although I feel this book jumps around from place to place too often. And I feel like there are too many new characters being thrown at you at once, it would be better if the book was a bit longer, so the two brothers can meet different people throughout the trip, and not all at once. At time s I would get lost and I'd have to read over a couple pages to remember what was going on. Overall this book met my expectations by revealing how hard it is for siblings to get along, let alone having to travel cross-country, not knowing if what they are looking for is still around.
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