Book Recommendation: In Darkness by Nick Lake

Shorty has a tough life.  Born into the slums of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti (an island in the Caribbean Sea), Shorty and his family are trapped in a life of poverty, drugs, and violence.  After his father is killed, he joins a gang for the security and for the opportunity to search for his sister, who’s been kidnapped by a rival gang.   As the book opens, he’s been shot and taken to the hospital and it’s here that his troubles really begin.
It’s 2010 and the earthquake that devastated Haiti in real life has just occurred.  The hospital collapses, killing everyone except Shorty, who finds himself trapped in a small open space in the rubble.  Alone among the dead and in total darkness, Shorty is left to reflect on everything that has led him and his country to this very moment.
In Darkness has something for everyone:
• one part gangsta / street lit;
• one part survival story;
• one part supernatural (ghosts, voodoo, zombies, etc);
• one part realistic lit
• one part historical fiction (impress your Social Studies teacher with your newfound knowledge of Haiti)
The really interesting concept in In Darkness involves voodoo magic.  While trapped in the rubble, Shorty’s soul somehow travels across time to witness the founding of the Haiti- a republic created by former slaves in the 1700’s. He lives through Toussaint L’Ouverture, the real-life founder of Haiti.  Does this help Shorty?  Is there anything from this that can help his future?
Combining a gripping story with a really interesting, thought-provoking twist, I recommend In Darkness for anyone who wants a book that pushes your reading a little further.