What do you think?
Rate this book
Out of Darkness
"This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?"
New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people who enforce them. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.
Ashley Hope Pérez takes the facts of the 1937 New London school explosion the worst school disaster in American history as a backdrop for a riveting novel about segregation, love, family, and the forces that destroy people.
New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people who enforce them. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.
Ashley Hope Pérez takes the facts of the 1937 New London school explosion the worst school disaster in American history as a backdrop for a riveting novel about segregation, love, family, and the forces that destroy people.
Audiobook
First published April 26, 2016
753 people are currently reading
21596 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Hope Pérez
9 books302 followersWhen I’m not reading, writing, or teaching, I hang out with my sons, Liam Miguel and Ethan Andrés. In the scraps of time that remain, I also like to run (I did the Houston Marathon in 2007 and the Chicago Marathon in 2009), bake (but let’s don’t revive the “Cookie Girl” nickname, please), watch movies, and collage.
My novels are WHAT CAN'T WAIT, THE KNIFE AND THE BUTTERFLY, and OUT OF DARKNESS, a 2016 Printz honor book and named one of BOOKLIST's "50 Best YA Books of All Time." THE NEW YORK TIMES called it a "layered tale of color lines, love and struggle." OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned and removed in many school districts as a result of coordinated attacks against youth access to diverse books. Find out more: https://linktr.ee/ashleyhopeperez
My novels are WHAT CAN'T WAIT, THE KNIFE AND THE BUTTERFLY, and OUT OF DARKNESS, a 2016 Printz honor book and named one of BOOKLIST's "50 Best YA Books of All Time." THE NEW YORK TIMES called it a "layered tale of color lines, love and struggle." OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned and removed in many school districts as a result of coordinated attacks against youth access to diverse books. Find out more: https://linktr.ee/ashleyhopeperez
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,674 reviews
January 6, 2022
I read this book because it has been challenged at my children’s school district and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I had a short conversation online with the author (who is a cousin of my teacher friend) in which she explained her reasoning for the content in question. It made a lot of sense.
The book actually had more disturbing sexual and violent content than I expected. It was also very well-written and the disturbing content written in such a way that a naive reader might miss most of it entirely. Nothing in the book felt gratuitous, but rather purposeful.
This is historical fiction intended to reveal the darker sides of history, the racism and abuse that live on today, perhaps in part because nobody wants to talk about it. One might say that a high school or middle school student should not be exposed to such content. However, I know there are students out there who are living realities of similar racism, abuse, and violence, and will find this book a healthy way to process those experiences and become change makers for the future. Others who are lucky enough to escape such experiences can develop empathy for those who do experience them.
Reading this book in its entirely helped me experience for myself how important it is for those who make decisions about the fate of a challenged book to read the whole book. I started off thinking, “This book is fine. What’s the big deal?” Then, midway through, as the weight of the book’s awful events settled in, I started to think maybe the book banners were right. By the end, however, I felt hopeful and contemplative, like reading the book empowered me to help make the world a better place based on what I had learned and felt.
This is why fiction is so important. The very fact that it makes us uncomfortable enables us to develop empathy for others, without having to experience things firsthand. May others who have concerns about the book read it cover to cover, and then see how you feel.
The book actually had more disturbing sexual and violent content than I expected. It was also very well-written and the disturbing content written in such a way that a naive reader might miss most of it entirely. Nothing in the book felt gratuitous, but rather purposeful.
This is historical fiction intended to reveal the darker sides of history, the racism and abuse that live on today, perhaps in part because nobody wants to talk about it. One might say that a high school or middle school student should not be exposed to such content. However, I know there are students out there who are living realities of similar racism, abuse, and violence, and will find this book a healthy way to process those experiences and become change makers for the future. Others who are lucky enough to escape such experiences can develop empathy for those who do experience them.
Reading this book in its entirely helped me experience for myself how important it is for those who make decisions about the fate of a challenged book to read the whole book. I started off thinking, “This book is fine. What’s the big deal?” Then, midway through, as the weight of the book’s awful events settled in, I started to think maybe the book banners were right. By the end, however, I felt hopeful and contemplative, like reading the book empowered me to help make the world a better place based on what I had learned and felt.
This is why fiction is so important. The very fact that it makes us uncomfortable enables us to develop empathy for others, without having to experience things firsthand. May others who have concerns about the book read it cover to cover, and then see how you feel.
Read
October 14, 2021I am known for being soulless and hard, but this book has broken me in about a hundred ways. Brilliant. Heartwrenching. Brave. Intricate. I will say more coherent things in the morning maybe, but DAMN.
Okay, here's the rest of my review: https://mclicious.wordpress.com/2015/...
Okay, here's the rest of my review: https://mclicious.wordpress.com/2015/...
October 4, 2022
I read this for banned books week- but now I wish I had chosen a different book. The history is interesting as it is based on true events- which have been mostly forgotten about now. I understand much of what the author is trying to accomplish with the book, but it is too heavy and dismal. I turned the last pages feeling utterly deflated and miserable.
Banning and censoring books is never the way to handle controversial material or opinions that differ from your own. That said, this book is supposedly aimed at a YA audience and even us old jaded adults appreciate those trigger warnings that come in BIG BOLD LETTERS about abuse- sexual or physical- as well as racist language, etc., so I do think this book should come with some kind of warning about the content, as some people are more sensitive than others.
Overall, this one was too depressing for my taste. A good book to prompt important, healthy conversations about race and abuse- but it won't be for everyone.
3 stars
Banning and censoring books is never the way to handle controversial material or opinions that differ from your own. That said, this book is supposedly aimed at a YA audience and even us old jaded adults appreciate those trigger warnings that come in BIG BOLD LETTERS about abuse- sexual or physical- as well as racist language, etc., so I do think this book should come with some kind of warning about the content, as some people are more sensitive than others.
Overall, this one was too depressing for my taste. A good book to prompt important, healthy conversations about race and abuse- but it won't be for everyone.
3 stars
September 19, 2023
... ... ... ...
Read
July 1, 2015Gut.
Punch.
This is a powerful, painful story not about the school explosion, though that plays a part, but rather, about the lives of marginalized individuals in history. Set in east Texas in the 1930s, this story told in alternating POVs explores a Mexican girl coming to terms with her family's heritage; a white man's interest in ownership and power; a black man's interest in being and doing good; romance; and so much more. It is not an easy read in the least, but Perez does an outstanding job of making it compelling. These are rich, layered, tough characters in a rich, layered, tough environment. Their stories are worth reading about.
My one complaint, the one thing that bothered me, was this
Punch.
This is a powerful, painful story not about the school explosion, though that plays a part, but rather, about the lives of marginalized individuals in history. Set in east Texas in the 1930s, this story told in alternating POVs explores a Mexican girl coming to terms with her family's heritage; a white man's interest in ownership and power; a black man's interest in being and doing good; romance; and so much more. It is not an easy read in the least, but Perez does an outstanding job of making it compelling. These are rich, layered, tough characters in a rich, layered, tough environment. Their stories are worth reading about.
My one complaint, the one thing that bothered me, was this
November 21, 2016
I don't even know how to rate this book. Like, it's an important book. And I liked the characters. But it's also possibly the bleakest book I've ever read and I hated so much of what happens in the story because it filled me with so much rage.
Full review to come. Hopefully a rating will come with it.
____________
Okay, so. I'm going with a 2.5 star rating at this stage. Because even though I think the story is incredibly important and wonderfully diverse - I mean, it's set in the Texas oil fields in the 1930s and it's the story of a Latina girl and an African American boy falling in love - it's just so dark and bleak and miserable to read that I can't really give it anything more than that.
I honestly would even hesitate to call this a young adult book. Because even though that's clearly the intended audience and that's the age of the narrators, it deals with so many incredibly serious issues and there is so much of those issues on the page that I genuinely doubt I'd ever recommend this book to a teenager.
I mean, just knowing that this is about an interracial relationship in 1930s Texas should be enough to tell you that this book isn't going to be the happiest of stories (don't get me wrong - I LOVED the relationship between Naomi and Wash. But Texas. 1930s. Interracial relationship. You know?). But when you add in the fact that this is about a seventeen year old girl whose stepfather considers her his property and that he's entitled to do whatever he likes to his property, things become even more bleak.
Honestly, this could have been a 3-3.5 star book for me if it wasn't for the way the story ended. I know that a happy ending was always going to be difficult. But, like, OOF.
The general reaction to this book, based on the Goodreads reviews, seems to have been a lot of tears. In contrast, this didn't make me teary. It just made me angry and then sick to my stomach. Whether that's a sign of incredible writing or not, I leave entirely up to you.
Full review to come. Hopefully a rating will come with it.
____________
Okay, so. I'm going with a 2.5 star rating at this stage. Because even though I think the story is incredibly important and wonderfully diverse - I mean, it's set in the Texas oil fields in the 1930s and it's the story of a Latina girl and an African American boy falling in love - it's just so dark and bleak and miserable to read that I can't really give it anything more than that.
I honestly would even hesitate to call this a young adult book. Because even though that's clearly the intended audience and that's the age of the narrators, it deals with so many incredibly serious issues and there is so much of those issues on the page that I genuinely doubt I'd ever recommend this book to a teenager.
I mean, just knowing that this is about an interracial relationship in 1930s Texas should be enough to tell you that this book isn't going to be the happiest of stories (don't get me wrong - I LOVED the relationship between Naomi and Wash. But Texas. 1930s. Interracial relationship. You know?). But when you add in the fact that this is about a seventeen year old girl whose stepfather considers her his property and that he's entitled to do whatever he likes to his property, things become even more bleak.
Honestly, this could have been a 3-3.5 star book for me if it wasn't for the way the story ended. I know that a happy ending was always going to be difficult. But, like, OOF.
The general reaction to this book, based on the Goodreads reviews, seems to have been a lot of tears. In contrast, this didn't make me teary. It just made me angry and then sick to my stomach. Whether that's a sign of incredible writing or not, I leave entirely up to you.
January 3, 2016
I don’t get book hangovers very often but when I finished reading OUT OF DARKNESS I swore, I took the names of various deities in vain, and I stared off into space for a few minutes. I was physically exhausted by the time I read the last line. This book will just tear you apart from the inside out and spit you out on the back end.
OUT OF DARKNESS is a dark book that deals with some really rough things like blatant and violent racism and statutory rape. At times it’s a difficult book to read but it’s so damn compelling I dare you to willingly put it down. If life didn’t get in the way I have no doubt I would have just plowed through this in a (very long) sitting.
The story itself focuses on a real event that happened in East Texas where leaking gas caused a white school to explode back in 1937. The majority of the events that happen around that particular moment are fictional but they’re not outside the realm of reason. Some of the things are outlandish and grotesque and as a human being you’ll have a hard time fathoming how people can think in such ways and act in even worse ways. But when you sit down and you really let that darkness in you’ll know that while these specific events may be fictional what they’re based on is not. This country went through some dark times and that kind of thinking runs deep, even today, and hopefully dragging it out into the light in such a way gives people a reminder that this wasn’t that long ago, racism isn’t dead, and if we allow this ignorance to come back into the light this is the kind of fear that everyone would be living in.
Perez switched POVs between Naomi, Beto (Naomi’s little brother), Wash (Naomi’s love interest), and Henry (Naomi’s step-father), with a sprinkling of The Gang thrown in, this mob mentality thought bubble that isn’t specific to any one individual but the collective brain of those thinking the same things. It didn’t need to be specific and that was the point. It’s a look into the hive brain functioning in East Texas and it’s meant to be horrifying.
I’ll start with Henry first because he’s just repugnant. But getting into his head you see his thought process. I don’t think it’s meant as a way of understanding why he did what he did but it allows you a look behind the curtain to see how he’s reasoning with himself and how his mind is breaking down everything that’s happening. There’s a high level of expectation and ownership because he’s a white man and certain things should be bestowed upon him. Henry has a very solid ideal of what his life should be like but when reality doesn’t match up with that he doesn’t know how to cope so he allows his anger, his frustration, and his scapegoating to really rear its ugly head and take his failings out outwardly, where he thinks they belong. As a rational human being reading his sections it’s horrifying because there is nothing rational about Henry.
Naomi, Beto, and Wash are just trying to exist in this really messed up world. Naomi and Wash are well aware of the world of racism around them and they try to function around them as much as possible. Beto just loves who he loves and skin color means nothing to him. He recognizes right from wrong and knows enough that even when someone of authority does something wrong he shouldn’t blindly follow. He’s not aware of the blatant racism around him, being light-skinned and able to pass for white. He doesn’t see how people treat Naomi or Wash (in part because they don’t allow him to see it) and when he does see injustices toward them happening he doesn’t fall into the hive. He hurts when people he loves hurt and it’s heartbreaking to see him in pain.
Naomi and Wash are two just incredibly endearing characters that are immediately likable. Naomi is a little more outwardly bitter (for lack of better words) and evasive toward people because of how she’s been treated in her past while Wash, at the insistence of his father, has adapted to it in a way that forces him to kowtow to people spitting on him. Each have adapted to shut out the world around them and function as best they can but when they find each other and those public barriers come down they can finally be who they really are and they both open up to each other.
The ending, though, is what really destroyed me. No spoilers but I’ll just say things don’t get better.
OUT OF DARKNESS is a difficult, brutal look at a window to our country’s history when everyone was suffering but some moreso than others at the hands of those who had it a little better simply because of skin color. It’s a look at what did happen in our past but it doesn’t mean this kind of thinking stayed in our past. It’s a rather apt book to read considering the talking orangutan running for Republican presidential nominee who has no problem publicly scapegoating minorities and wants to actually evict those people from this country. Racism is not dead. Not by a longshot and this book is a lesson in how bad it was and how bad it could be again. Lessons are hard learned and a lot of the people in this book didn’t learn them. Reading that should make your skin crawl. This SHOULD be a painful book to get through, in so many different ways. If it doesn’t tear at your soul a little it may make me question your humanity.
5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
OUT OF DARKNESS is a dark book that deals with some really rough things like blatant and violent racism and statutory rape. At times it’s a difficult book to read but it’s so damn compelling I dare you to willingly put it down. If life didn’t get in the way I have no doubt I would have just plowed through this in a (very long) sitting.
The story itself focuses on a real event that happened in East Texas where leaking gas caused a white school to explode back in 1937. The majority of the events that happen around that particular moment are fictional but they’re not outside the realm of reason. Some of the things are outlandish and grotesque and as a human being you’ll have a hard time fathoming how people can think in such ways and act in even worse ways. But when you sit down and you really let that darkness in you’ll know that while these specific events may be fictional what they’re based on is not. This country went through some dark times and that kind of thinking runs deep, even today, and hopefully dragging it out into the light in such a way gives people a reminder that this wasn’t that long ago, racism isn’t dead, and if we allow this ignorance to come back into the light this is the kind of fear that everyone would be living in.
Perez switched POVs between Naomi, Beto (Naomi’s little brother), Wash (Naomi’s love interest), and Henry (Naomi’s step-father), with a sprinkling of The Gang thrown in, this mob mentality thought bubble that isn’t specific to any one individual but the collective brain of those thinking the same things. It didn’t need to be specific and that was the point. It’s a look into the hive brain functioning in East Texas and it’s meant to be horrifying.
I’ll start with Henry first because he’s just repugnant. But getting into his head you see his thought process. I don’t think it’s meant as a way of understanding why he did what he did but it allows you a look behind the curtain to see how he’s reasoning with himself and how his mind is breaking down everything that’s happening. There’s a high level of expectation and ownership because he’s a white man and certain things should be bestowed upon him. Henry has a very solid ideal of what his life should be like but when reality doesn’t match up with that he doesn’t know how to cope so he allows his anger, his frustration, and his scapegoating to really rear its ugly head and take his failings out outwardly, where he thinks they belong. As a rational human being reading his sections it’s horrifying because there is nothing rational about Henry.
Naomi, Beto, and Wash are just trying to exist in this really messed up world. Naomi and Wash are well aware of the world of racism around them and they try to function around them as much as possible. Beto just loves who he loves and skin color means nothing to him. He recognizes right from wrong and knows enough that even when someone of authority does something wrong he shouldn’t blindly follow. He’s not aware of the blatant racism around him, being light-skinned and able to pass for white. He doesn’t see how people treat Naomi or Wash (in part because they don’t allow him to see it) and when he does see injustices toward them happening he doesn’t fall into the hive. He hurts when people he loves hurt and it’s heartbreaking to see him in pain.
Naomi and Wash are two just incredibly endearing characters that are immediately likable. Naomi is a little more outwardly bitter (for lack of better words) and evasive toward people because of how she’s been treated in her past while Wash, at the insistence of his father, has adapted to it in a way that forces him to kowtow to people spitting on him. Each have adapted to shut out the world around them and function as best they can but when they find each other and those public barriers come down they can finally be who they really are and they both open up to each other.
The ending, though, is what really destroyed me. No spoilers but I’ll just say things don’t get better.
OUT OF DARKNESS is a difficult, brutal look at a window to our country’s history when everyone was suffering but some moreso than others at the hands of those who had it a little better simply because of skin color. It’s a look at what did happen in our past but it doesn’t mean this kind of thinking stayed in our past. It’s a rather apt book to read considering the talking orangutan running for Republican presidential nominee who has no problem publicly scapegoating minorities and wants to actually evict those people from this country. Racism is not dead. Not by a longshot and this book is a lesson in how bad it was and how bad it could be again. Lessons are hard learned and a lot of the people in this book didn’t learn them. Reading that should make your skin crawl. This SHOULD be a painful book to get through, in so many different ways. If it doesn’t tear at your soul a little it may make me question your humanity.
5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2024
Really tragic book. Important themes about racism and trauma. I appreciated the representation and messages related to the romance between a Latina girl and a Black boy in the late 1930’s. But the book is very heavy and contains graphic depictions of childhood sexual abuse and physical beatings/racist violence so be warned.
The main reason I’m giving this book three stars is because unfortunately I didn’t find the characters’ voices very distinct from one another. So that made it hard for me to differentiate between them and stay invested in an immersed way. But I can see why others rated this book highly!
The main reason I’m giving this book three stars is because unfortunately I didn’t find the characters’ voices very distinct from one another. So that made it hard for me to differentiate between them and stay invested in an immersed way. But I can see why others rated this book highly!
March 22, 2016
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2016/03...
So this is being described as a novel about a major disaster--an explosion at a school in Texas in 1937--as a backdrop for a story about love, family, segregation, racism, etc. Which is accurate. But is also a novel about a young girl being molested by her stepfather. This is why trigger warnings are a thing! I don't want to read books about young girls being molested, I find it upsetting (I think understandably). I am especially tired of picking up YA books that I think are going to be literary and moving, and having them be super rapey. I mean, half the town thinks she should marry her stepfather, so gross! I cannot deal with this sort of thing anymore--and that's not even getting STARTED on the extremely crazy and bummerific ending--which I live-chatted in a Slack channel b/c I was so horrified (and bemused). One friend said it sounded like misery porn and I honestly have to agree. Ugh. Publishers, can't you use words like "harrowing" for stories like these, so we know? B-.
So this is being described as a novel about a major disaster--an explosion at a school in Texas in 1937--as a backdrop for a story about love, family, segregation, racism, etc. Which is accurate. But is also a novel about a young girl being molested by her stepfather. This is why trigger warnings are a thing! I don't want to read books about young girls being molested, I find it upsetting (I think understandably). I am especially tired of picking up YA books that I think are going to be literary and moving, and having them be super rapey. I mean, half the town thinks she should marry her stepfather, so gross! I cannot deal with this sort of thing anymore--and that's not even getting STARTED on the extremely crazy and bummerific ending--which I live-chatted in a Slack channel b/c I was so horrified (and bemused). One friend said it sounded like misery porn and I honestly have to agree. Ugh. Publishers, can't you use words like "harrowing" for stories like these, so we know? B-.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2015
If you haven't read a book by Ashley Hope Pérez, you are missing a unique and empowering voice in young adult fiction. The author's work for Teach for America Corps inspired her debut novel, What Can't Wait. Her gritty sophomore novel, The Knife and The Butterfly, explored the consequences of gang violence.
Pérez's third novel, Out of Darkness features a clandestine romance which dares to cross the racial divide of 1930's Texas. Inspired by the most deadly school disaster in American history, this provocative novel gives voice to those whose voices were silenced and whose histories were unjustly revised.
In Out of Darkness seventeen-year-old Naomi moves with her half siblings to her stepfather's new home in an oil drilling settlement town. When their Mexican-American mother died in childbirth seven years earlier, Naomi became the surrogate mother to the twins. Now Naomi must balance the demands of being the only Mexican-American at her high school with keeping house for her Caucasian stepfather, whom she despises.
A sign at the town diner: "No Negroes, Mexican or dogs."
Beautiful Naomi becomes the object of desire and of racial prejudice. She finds secret pleasure with Wash, an intelligent boy who is a senior at the all black school in a segregated town. They imagine a future together with the twins, free from persecution. The writing is as lush and as beautiful as the landscape:
"It was getting late, but time seemed to stretch like taffy. The pines stood out dark against the pinks and oranges creeping across the sky, and a breeze stirred around her. She found herself walking to their spot at the river. It was not a usual meeting time for them, but she couldn't help hoping."
After an explosive and confusing start, the narrative down-shifts to an unrushed pace, building tension slowly and allowing for in depth character development. The chapters are told from multiple points of view: Naomi, her Born Again stepfather, her seven-year-old half brother and her boyfriend Wash. Their star-crossed romance is realistically rendered with adolescent lust and idealistic love. The pace accelerates to a page-turner ending that left me stunned and shattered. Although this tragic story was set in the 1930s, the central theme of racism still feels relevant today.
Out of Darkness could have been published as literary historical fiction for adults. Since this novel includes sexual abuse, pedophilia and graphic violence, I would only recommend it to mature teens and to adults who aren't afraid to explore the dark side of human nature. Both Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal gave this soon to be released book starred reviews. Out of Darkness is Pérez's strongest young adult novel so far and shows a maturity of voice, technique and vision. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Follow the link to my blog for the author's explanation about why she wrote this historical novel: http://blog.sarahlaurence.com/2015/08...
Pérez's third novel, Out of Darkness features a clandestine romance which dares to cross the racial divide of 1930's Texas. Inspired by the most deadly school disaster in American history, this provocative novel gives voice to those whose voices were silenced and whose histories were unjustly revised.
In Out of Darkness seventeen-year-old Naomi moves with her half siblings to her stepfather's new home in an oil drilling settlement town. When their Mexican-American mother died in childbirth seven years earlier, Naomi became the surrogate mother to the twins. Now Naomi must balance the demands of being the only Mexican-American at her high school with keeping house for her Caucasian stepfather, whom she despises.
A sign at the town diner: "No Negroes, Mexican or dogs."
Beautiful Naomi becomes the object of desire and of racial prejudice. She finds secret pleasure with Wash, an intelligent boy who is a senior at the all black school in a segregated town. They imagine a future together with the twins, free from persecution. The writing is as lush and as beautiful as the landscape:
"It was getting late, but time seemed to stretch like taffy. The pines stood out dark against the pinks and oranges creeping across the sky, and a breeze stirred around her. She found herself walking to their spot at the river. It was not a usual meeting time for them, but she couldn't help hoping."
After an explosive and confusing start, the narrative down-shifts to an unrushed pace, building tension slowly and allowing for in depth character development. The chapters are told from multiple points of view: Naomi, her Born Again stepfather, her seven-year-old half brother and her boyfriend Wash. Their star-crossed romance is realistically rendered with adolescent lust and idealistic love. The pace accelerates to a page-turner ending that left me stunned and shattered. Although this tragic story was set in the 1930s, the central theme of racism still feels relevant today.
Out of Darkness could have been published as literary historical fiction for adults. Since this novel includes sexual abuse, pedophilia and graphic violence, I would only recommend it to mature teens and to adults who aren't afraid to explore the dark side of human nature. Both Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal gave this soon to be released book starred reviews. Out of Darkness is Pérez's strongest young adult novel so far and shows a maturity of voice, technique and vision. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Follow the link to my blog for the author's explanation about why she wrote this historical novel: http://blog.sarahlaurence.com/2015/08...
June 7, 2022
While I applaud Perez's work in anti-censorship, this book is a white woman's (the name Perez comes from her husband) appropriation of BIPOC pain. She boils down Latino culture to tortillas, poverty, and the sexualization of Latinx women. I saw Perez speak and she said on writing about other cultures that we all are writing characters so it is no different writing about different cultures. This showed a lack of deference to the cultures portrayed. I felt violated by this book and how it handled my culture. I felt violated by the letter from the grandmother who is so far off from the loving women in my culture. Terrible book for Latino characters. It might be the same for black characters, but I am not black so I can't speak to that.
March 27, 2016
Beautifully told story, wonderful editing. But so, so bleak. Why on earth would anyone need to endure such a horrific tragedy in their leisure reading? I needed more hope. More joy.
March 19, 2016
YA is becoming diverse (THANK THE LAWD) in representing a variety of issues people of color have experienced. Furthermore, I was SO EXCITED to see an interracial romance that wasn’t black and white. PUN! Would that be considered a pun? Moving on!!!! Heartbreaking, beautiful, and superbly executed read about race, politics, and love that is very much relevant today.
Let’s talk about my the tragical element. The two main characters mixed in with Naomi’s crazy stepfather and his lemme-get-advice-from-this-terrible-yet-i-know-of-plenty-that-still-exist-could-be-baptist-preacher relationship. When we meet Wash & Naomi---they were just radiating that
Especially because (in my cinematic mind)
Let’s just say that BOI:
Meets GURL:
and
ensues. In the teenage-agnst-way because nothing says first love like a -whole-lotta-communication-issues.
Yet, it was the undercurrents of the book that made it precious.
Those menacing undertones like Naomi’s past and Wash's future. The fact that the “gang” was narrating and I’m like OH SHIT something is going to go down, and when I was younger that would bug me. The older I get---I treasure the wonderful moments, the moments that you're hidden in a tree and sharing love with one other person that gets you.
Deadpool (the movie) had a fun quote: Here's the thing. Life is an endless series of trainwrecks with only brief commercial-like breaks of happiness. This had been the ultimate commercial break. Which meant it was time to return to our regularly scheduled programming.
The fact that Perez (took the time) went and made the stepfather a well-rounded character blew me away. Don’t get me wrong, what he does is sickening and despicable, but i love that you get into his pysche. ESPECIALLY when I heard the stories in my own family line through convos with my mom that “back in the day” a LOT of young women were married off/abused by their older stepfather. Yet, no one is talking/writing about all the crazy justifications that happened in history. ESPECIALLY That the church LOTSA TIMES tried to put their “stamp of God’s approval on it...”
I LOVED that she delved into that aspect. More importantly, I loved that the younger brother got to see the dichotomy of race relations.
I'm always surprised at how much history we DON’T learn about (i don’t know why i’m always ending up surprised) This is a fascinating glimpse of a town right up to the tragedy and the individuals affected by the aftermath.
I’m briefly touching a few themes. This book is an experience, which I feels makes you a better person JUST BY READING IT. I feel you go through if not a transformation a metamorphsis after from beginning to end. The best part is it looks hefty, but BOY does it read fast. I was hooked and felt I flew through the book faster than what I had anticipatd. For me, the heart and soul of this book revolves around the color lines. The internalized views of the town people as they treated Naomi differently than her step siblings. The fact that your ethnic differences can be looked at as an "exotic plus," which causes boys to want you and girls to hate you.
OH MAN. Ashley Perez is a hell of an author. I was publicly weeping at the hair salon and two people told me they were obsessed with watching me read this book and wanted to know what story was I reading. I replied, "TRAGICAL!"
September 14, 2016
This is a situation where it's not the book, it's me.
I think... I think I pretty much hated everything about this story.
I disliked most of the characters. I felt deceived by the summary of the book, because I thought this book was going to be about the tragedy of a school explosion.
Instead it's about a sex-addicted white man who kills his Mexican wife because he can't keep his dick in his pants long enough, even though he knew another pregnancy would kill her. And even before she dies he turns his sights on her little daughter, sexually assaulting her multiple times. Then even though they know he's a fucking creep, her grandparents still send her to live with him, and someone gets the fucking idea that they should get married. Her grandparents, her friends, their preacher, all think it's okay, because he's not her real dad. Like I don't think there are enough trigger warnings in the world to cover this book for the trauma I feel. Especially after they decide to blame the explosion on a black family and practically lynch them. They nearly get away, but because these fools are total morons, I can't even.... like what happens next has traumatized me. I've never been so angry and upset and disgusted because of the book. I'm so so angry.
TW: pedophilia, graphic sexual assault of a minor, graphic racism, near-lynching of a black family, rape, dead children.
I think... I think I pretty much hated everything about this story.
I disliked most of the characters. I felt deceived by the summary of the book, because I thought this book was going to be about the tragedy of a school explosion.
Instead it's about a sex-addicted white man who kills his Mexican wife because he can't keep his dick in his pants long enough, even though he knew another pregnancy would kill her. And even before she dies he turns his sights on her little daughter, sexually assaulting her multiple times. Then even though they know he's a fucking creep, her grandparents still send her to live with him, and someone gets the fucking idea that they should get married. Her grandparents, her friends, their preacher, all think it's okay, because he's not her real dad. Like I don't think there are enough trigger warnings in the world to cover this book for the trauma I feel. Especially after they decide to blame the explosion on a black family and practically lynch them. They nearly get away, but because these fools are total morons, I can't even.... like what happens next has traumatized me. I've never been so angry and upset and disgusted because of the book. I'm so so angry.
TW: pedophilia, graphic sexual assault of a minor, graphic racism, near-lynching of a black family, rape, dead children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2016
Honestly this book bored me to tears, the chapters were very short and not concise. There are some books that start off very intriguing but a little bit too intriguing, if that makes sense? I feel that the author tried to sound spooky with the language but it frustrated the hell out of me. The synopsis did not even make sense, it was just a bunch of mini plots that was not consistent with the first plot. Who were the characters that suppose to make a difference? When is the story about to pick up? I wanted to be in the light after reading this snooze-fest, thank God I came 'out of darkness reading this travesty.
Note to authors: Please save all the foreshadowing, if there is a BIG event happening. Also if you are going to have short chapters, at least let it be CONCISE!
Terrible,forgettable, laughable and cringe worthy.
NEXT!!!
Note to authors: Please save all the foreshadowing, if there is a BIG event happening. Also if you are going to have short chapters, at least let it be CONCISE!
Terrible,forgettable, laughable and cringe worthy.
NEXT!!!
August 12, 2017
Reader beware! I am never in favor of censoring anything, but it is only fair for a reader to be warned of potential triggers, and this book dives deep into some things that are hard for many people to handle. The book is an honest look at some of our dark places in history, but please be sure you can handle the list below before immersing yourself.
Child molestation
Domestic abuse
Rape
Lynching
Murder of children
Murder by children
Child molestation
Domestic abuse
Rape
Lynching
Murder of children
Murder by children
July 6, 2019
To me, a school explosion set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and race relations in East Texas is more than enough for one young adult novel to tackle. Add in sexual and child abuse, rape, and a triple murder, and I just feel like I’m having my nose rubbed in human depravity (or, more accurately, like being hit repeatedly in the head with a blunt instrument). The scene of the recently raped Naomi and beaten, now-dying Wash crawling to reach other through pools of blood and broken teeth is grotesque. What’s the point? To show us how despicable humans can be? Message already received loud and clear. To remind us they’re willing to die for their love for each other? Pretty much got that, too. Furthermore, the fate that befalls Wash and Naomi ultimately seems to be a result of psychotic behaviors, jealousy, and rage, not racial hatred. If that was intentional, it makes the author’s intent behind the story even more muddled for me.
Most of this book is incredibly well and thoughtfully written. I think there could have been improved character development (what exactly does Wash love about Naomi? can their lives be defined at all beyond each other, their families, and racism? why is Cari depicted as borderline evil? is there some mystical force joining the twins? Is Henry truly cursed, a self-fulling prophecy, a horrible person, a victim in his own way, something else, all of the above?) While I was not expecting a happy ending, this book takes on too much and sends it all clattering toward a conclusion that seems to go above and beyond to punish the reader as well as its characters.
Most of this book is incredibly well and thoughtfully written. I think there could have been improved character development (what exactly does Wash love about Naomi? can their lives be defined at all beyond each other, their families, and racism? why is Cari depicted as borderline evil? is there some mystical force joining the twins? Is Henry truly cursed, a self-fulling prophecy, a horrible person, a victim in his own way, something else, all of the above?) While I was not expecting a happy ending, this book takes on too much and sends it all clattering toward a conclusion that seems to go above and beyond to punish the reader as well as its characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2018
The first 50 pages were a 4.5. I loved Naomi, Wash, Beto, and Cari. The last 50 pages were a 1. I cannot comprehend that ending, and I refuse to. I refuse to believe that it how that book ended. I’m giving this a 2 because of this. For anyone who needs trigger warnings, this book has child sexual abuse, child physical and emotional abuse, explicit racism, extreme violence through lynching, and a brutal rape and murder. I had no idea I needed to expect these things when I began this book, and my mental health suffered for that. I hope no one else has to go through that because of this book.
May 5, 2022
I’m literally just staring into space at the moment
I’d come back and edit this review but damn !!!
This book , this book , this book
I think I won’t forget it in a hurry
Even if I don’t remember all that happened this broken way I’m feeling won’t be forgotten
Uurrgghh so heavy
I like POV that’s also still in third person and doesn’t just concentrate so much on the person alone but has the story flowing through. This book gave that
I’d come back and edit this review but damn !!!
This book , this book , this book
I think I won’t forget it in a hurry
Even if I don’t remember all that happened this broken way I’m feeling won’t be forgotten
Uurrgghh so heavy
I like POV that’s also still in third person and doesn’t just concentrate so much on the person alone but has the story flowing through. This book gave that
June 19, 2024
✒︎4.5 stars
Out of Darkness was my fourth pick for a YouTube video that I'm doing on banned books. This book follows multiple POVs of a family, a love interest, and the outsiders called "The Gang". It takes place in Texas during Jim Crow. One of our main POVs, Naomi, is a Mexican girl who falls in love with a Black boy, Wash. As we progress through this book, Naomi and Wash feel the intense need to escape the racism and abuse that they both- along with their family- are suffering through. Most of the book follows the fictional events that take place, but the premise is based off a real event: the New London school explosion.
Out of Darkness is a brutal read, but there are beautiful, and poetic moments scattered throughout. By the end of the book, even after all of the brutality that has taken place throughout, we see a glimmer of hope and a new life. Even when you want to die, you still get up and push through the day because a light will shine to coax out of darkness. This book absolutely has a lot of dark subject matter. Like many have said, it would benefit from a content warning, but the lack of it does not warrant it being banned. Out of Darkness shows the scary history of racism and misogyny in our country. The moments of rape and murder are not overly gratuitous, but certainly depressing. While I personally got a meaningful experience from this book, I could see why some would not like the bleakness of it, although I find it to be more realistic because of this. And no, this book should not be banned. Dark subject matter should not be censored, no matter what.
As I alluded to, I loved the writing in this book. It was easy to digest (in terms of prose, not subject matter), but very unique for a Y/A book which can sometimes feel very samey to other books. The plot, while very character-driven, was fast-paced and quick to read through due to the short chapters. It kept me on edge from the hook at the beginning, all the way to the end. As for the characters, they were exceptional. I connected to each of them deeply. Even the main villain of the book, Naomi's step-dad Henry, was complex enough to where you could see the human parts of him, despite the monstrous things he does.
Overall, I loved this book. I think that whenever I re-read it, I could see it becoming a favorite of mine.
✂︎----------
check me out on other platforms!
TikTok
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Patreon
Out of Darkness was my fourth pick for a YouTube video that I'm doing on banned books. This book follows multiple POVs of a family, a love interest, and the outsiders called "The Gang". It takes place in Texas during Jim Crow. One of our main POVs, Naomi, is a Mexican girl who falls in love with a Black boy, Wash. As we progress through this book, Naomi and Wash feel the intense need to escape the racism and abuse that they both- along with their family- are suffering through. Most of the book follows the fictional events that take place, but the premise is based off a real event: the New London school explosion.
Out of Darkness is a brutal read, but there are beautiful, and poetic moments scattered throughout. By the end of the book, even after all of the brutality that has taken place throughout, we see a glimmer of hope and a new life. Even when you want to die, you still get up and push through the day because a light will shine to coax out of darkness. This book absolutely has a lot of dark subject matter. Like many have said, it would benefit from a content warning, but the lack of it does not warrant it being banned. Out of Darkness shows the scary history of racism and misogyny in our country. The moments of rape and murder are not overly gratuitous, but certainly depressing. While I personally got a meaningful experience from this book, I could see why some would not like the bleakness of it, although I find it to be more realistic because of this. And no, this book should not be banned. Dark subject matter should not be censored, no matter what.
As I alluded to, I loved the writing in this book. It was easy to digest (in terms of prose, not subject matter), but very unique for a Y/A book which can sometimes feel very samey to other books. The plot, while very character-driven, was fast-paced and quick to read through due to the short chapters. It kept me on edge from the hook at the beginning, all the way to the end. As for the characters, they were exceptional. I connected to each of them deeply. Even the main villain of the book, Naomi's step-dad Henry, was complex enough to where you could see the human parts of him, despite the monstrous things he does.
Overall, I loved this book. I think that whenever I re-read it, I could see it becoming a favorite of mine.
✂︎----------
check me out on other platforms!
TikTok
YouTube
Patreon
October 14, 2022
This book carries a content warning for almost everything I'd usually warn for: sexual abuse of a minor, on page rape, anti-Black and anti-Mexican racism, threats of lynching, character death in violent accidents, torture, and on page murder of main characters.
December 23, 2016
This book took my breath away. I'm not sure how "young" the "young adult" title goes, but I would be nervous to share this text with my 14-year-old sister (because of my ridiculous desire to shield her from some of the world's hard and ugly truths). So intense; a beautiful love story between Naomi and Wash, a story of the power and resilience of sibling love among Naomi and Cari and Beto, a story of the anger and hate and hopelessness that inspires rape, racism, and death. And ultimately, a story of resistance and creation and the importance of owning and sharing your own story.
"Smuggled in the back of the Chevrolet, smuggled into a memory, smuggled into a tree inside that memory, Beto was starting the work that would save him."
"Smuggled in the back of the Chevrolet, smuggled into a memory, smuggled into a tree inside that memory, Beto was starting the work that would save him."
March 9, 2025
Compelling historical and YA fiction, this banned book will haunt me for a long long time. Beautifully written with amazing characters, I couldn't stop listening to the audible book. It is difficult to talk about the plot because there will be spoilers.
Here are some aspects of the book I loved:
*March 18, 1937, the worst school disaster occurred in New London, Texas where a school blew up, killing more than 300 people and wounding another 300. This is an integral part in the plot of the book.
*Texas - a place where black, brown, and white met and how they intermingled during Jim Crow.
*The sweet romance between Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller (brown + black)
Thematically, the book explores the vulnerability of women and girls, racism and colorism, and what really makes a family. I loved that trees were used as symbols of safety in "Out of Darkness."
I recommend the book highly, but be prepared for violence, racism, sexual abuse, and death of children.
Here are some aspects of the book I loved:
*March 18, 1937, the worst school disaster occurred in New London, Texas where a school blew up, killing more than 300 people and wounding another 300. This is an integral part in the plot of the book.
*Texas - a place where black, brown, and white met and how they intermingled during Jim Crow.
*The sweet romance between Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller (brown + black)
Thematically, the book explores the vulnerability of women and girls, racism and colorism, and what really makes a family. I loved that trees were used as symbols of safety in "Out of Darkness."
I recommend the book highly, but be prepared for violence, racism, sexual abuse, and death of children.
Read
February 9, 2022Out of Darkness, the Printz Honor Book by Ashley Hope Pérez, is a historical young adult novel about a 1937 school explosion in East Texas that is still the deadliest school disaster in American history. Pérez richly imagines the world surrounding the oil fields of East Texas, including the region’s complex but all too familiar attitudes about race.
The central character of Out of Darkness is Naomi, a teenage girl of Mexican descent. After Naomi’s mother dies in San Antonio, she has no choice but to leave her abuelita and abuelito and move to New London, Texas with her white stepfather Henry and her twin siblings Beto and Cari who present as white. Shortly after her arrival, she meets Wash, a young Black man who befriends Naomi, Beto, and Cari.
Naomi has been through a lot in her young life. In addition to the death of her parents, she is also a survivor of sexual abuse. In New London, she is the target of racial prejudice from members of both the white and Black communities. Wash is also unwelcome in the white community, except when he is working as a skilled laborer for some of the town’s most upstanding citizens.
Not much more can be said about this book without spoiling the searing reading experience that awaits its readers. Out of Darkness kept me up at night until I finished it. Pérez writes in short chapters that alternate from the points of view of Naomi, Wash, Henry, Beto, Cari, and a rough Texas chorus labeled “The Gang.” Readers can expect brutality, tenderness, sexuality, and violence–all of it believable and none of it gratuitous.
I don’t know how I missed Out of Darkness when it was first published in 2015. It came on my radar late last year when the book was challenged in a Texas school district, and the author issued on Youtube what may be the all-time greatest censorship clapback. I said something supportive about it on Twitter, and another author I admire–Joy McCullough–sent me a new copy of Out of Darkness from Third Place Books, an indie book store in Washington.
To put a finer point on this episode, an attempt to censor this book resulted in a new copy being purchased and read by a new reader. That’s right, folks. Read banned books, and Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez is an excellent choice.
This review appeared in slightly different form on my my What's Not Wrong? blog.
September 11, 2015
As soon as I finished Ashley's novel, I wanted to reread it as a writer. I want to pull it apart and study it because it's that good. One of the things I appreciate most was the slow burn of the narrative. The novel opens with the explosion, and then flashes back to show how the characters' live intersect before the event. The fuse lit in that opening scene coils through the narrative, gaining in intensity as the story leads back to the explosion and then its aftermath. The tension in Naomi's home, school, and community is palpable throughout the story and increases slowly as we're lead into the heartbreaking climax.
Ashley masterfully balances the big picture and the smallest details. Her writing made me think of a photographer who could both go wide and capture a panoramic view and then zoom in for a close up and not lose anything in this process. She also beautifully balances the swoony magic of falling deeply in love for the fist time and the absolutely brutal realities faced by African-Americans and Mexicans at this time in history. BRAVA!!
Ashley masterfully balances the big picture and the smallest details. Her writing made me think of a photographer who could both go wide and capture a panoramic view and then zoom in for a close up and not lose anything in this process. She also beautifully balances the swoony magic of falling deeply in love for the fist time and the absolutely brutal realities faced by African-Americans and Mexicans at this time in history. BRAVA!!
April 30, 2021
Spoiler for real! I initially liked the writing style of this book, but the devastation of it all was absolutely unnecessary. This is YA lit! I would never encourage a student to invest in a 400 page book that is so violently pointless. The ending was like a group of people sat down and kept adding horror to how painfully the story could end, like they started off with, let’s be sure the girl gets hurt. Let’s make the step dad rape her! Yeah, and let’s make the boyfriend watch! Yeah, and her little brother! I know, let’s make the little brother be the one who has to tie his hero to a tree, forcing him to watch! Yeah, yeah-and let’s be sure he watches his dad rape his sister, and kill her and the hero/boyfriend. Yeah, then he can kill his own father—and we can use the last 2 pages explain his decades of guilt. Great!! But let’s save the all this horror for the last 20 pages...
I am usually drawn to darker stories and find hope in the strength of characters. This book never allowed hope. It was creepy and vile. No one should do that to young readers ever.
I am usually drawn to darker stories and find hope in the strength of characters. This book never allowed hope. It was creepy and vile. No one should do that to young readers ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2016
I usually love super bleak books, and this was beautifully written, but in this dawning age of our nation's history with our new president-elect and his followers I wonder if it's too close to what will become real (again).
December 20, 2021
This was not an easy book to read (as far as content), but it’s one that definitely sheds light on many injustices in our county’s past.
June 16, 2017
Wow. That was intense. Here's my review:
https://suchanovelidea.com/2017/06/ou...
Out of Darkness is a tough book to read due to dark themes, but readers should not be dissuaded. This book puts a spotlight on racism in the south. East Texas during the 1930’s was a highly racist time period for anyone who was not white. This book dives into racism that is not addressed often in young adult fiction. This book demonstrates the injustice of racism at that time period with an emphasis on Mexican Americans and African Americans. This book is strong with the emphasis placed on racial issues as well as the theme of love. Naomi already had a strong family connection with her siblings, but she had yet to experience love. This novel dives into a realistic, but star-crossed, first love which is believable and powerful.
There are aspects of this book that could be difficult for some readers to handle. Readers should be aware of issues of rape and molestation are within this novel. This could be a downside for some readers who are unable to handle these topics. These topics are highly sensitive and could evoke trigger warnings with some readers. All readers are sure to be made uncomfortable by these additions to the book. However, these issues did not take away from the story but enhanced it. They were included with good reason. The author handled them delicately and was not too heavy handed.
This book could appeal to many young adults for the various themes. Young adults hoping to learn more about segregation and racism issues will find a lot to take out of this book. Those interested in love stories and family connections will find a heartwarming, if not also heartbreaking story. All of the themes within this book serve as appeal to young adults. This book is also a sort of history lesson on the tragic New London school Explosion of March 18, 1937. Young adults have a lot to gain from reading this book. This book is sure to stay within the minds of many people for years to come. It is a story that is not easy to forget.
https://suchanovelidea.com/2017/06/ou...
Out of Darkness is a tough book to read due to dark themes, but readers should not be dissuaded. This book puts a spotlight on racism in the south. East Texas during the 1930’s was a highly racist time period for anyone who was not white. This book dives into racism that is not addressed often in young adult fiction. This book demonstrates the injustice of racism at that time period with an emphasis on Mexican Americans and African Americans. This book is strong with the emphasis placed on racial issues as well as the theme of love. Naomi already had a strong family connection with her siblings, but she had yet to experience love. This novel dives into a realistic, but star-crossed, first love which is believable and powerful.
There are aspects of this book that could be difficult for some readers to handle. Readers should be aware of issues of rape and molestation are within this novel. This could be a downside for some readers who are unable to handle these topics. These topics are highly sensitive and could evoke trigger warnings with some readers. All readers are sure to be made uncomfortable by these additions to the book. However, these issues did not take away from the story but enhanced it. They were included with good reason. The author handled them delicately and was not too heavy handed.
This book could appeal to many young adults for the various themes. Young adults hoping to learn more about segregation and racism issues will find a lot to take out of this book. Those interested in love stories and family connections will find a heartwarming, if not also heartbreaking story. All of the themes within this book serve as appeal to young adults. This book is also a sort of history lesson on the tragic New London school Explosion of March 18, 1937. Young adults have a lot to gain from reading this book. This book is sure to stay within the minds of many people for years to come. It is a story that is not easy to forget.
October 23, 2019
Terrible book.
The romance between Wash and Naomi, though sweet, had very little actual substance to it, they seemed to love each other simply because there was no one else. The racism was not great in the beginning, but was horrifying at the end and, instead of being combated by the actions of the few good people, overcame the positive effect and ended in a truly sickening way.
And the way masturbation and rape was addressed was repulsive.
The end scene, instead of being sweet and romantic, was an absolutely grotesque and repugnant scene, that left you wishing you had never read it.
Which leaves me with my advice to you, never read it. The negative effects swamp any positive emotions you might feel from this book, please, do not read this.
The romance between Wash and Naomi, though sweet, had very little actual substance to it, they seemed to love each other simply because there was no one else. The racism was not great in the beginning, but was horrifying at the end and, instead of being combated by the actions of the few good people, overcame the positive effect and ended in a truly sickening way.
And the way masturbation and rape was addressed was repulsive.
The end scene, instead of being sweet and romantic, was an absolutely grotesque and repugnant scene, that left you wishing you had never read it.
Which leaves me with my advice to you, never read it. The negative effects swamp any positive emotions you might feel from this book, please, do not read this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,674 reviews