Review: Wait Until Twilight – A Novel by Sang Pak

Mini Synopsis:

Samuel is in his first year of high school. He’s a good kid. He’s smart, popular, from a healthy family, and facing the normal challenges which occur for most young teens. Coupled with his adolescent angst, he just lost his mother to cancer. In addition he is also harboring feelings of guilt around her death.

In an attempt to create a video for a class assignment, he decides to record a local set of triplets whom have some unusual physical disabilities. Because of these oddities they are surround by local myth, mystery, ignorance, and sadly horror. When Samuel sees “the babies” for the first time, he has strong conflicting emotions, and an obsession develops for him to see them again, and again. This desire leads him to discover a terrifying situation involving them. As he becomes inextricably involved, he must ultimately decide what constitutes right action, and what defines men as evil. The choices he makes move him toward the beginnings of manhood.

My thoughts:

I gave this book 4 stars – I loved it.

Sang Pak has given the young adult reader “a modern rites of passage” story, with many of the current day conflicts which boys and teens face. Samuel, the main character, is an excellent and important role model for growing men as they struggle with the inevitable tobacco, drug and alcohol exposure, and sexual introduction. What is important is that Samuel’s character immerses himself in these situations without loosing his sensibilities and balance. The character provides an example of neither abstinence nor abuse when confronted with these issues, which although not the only option is a sensible one.

Speaking from the perspective of an adult with a background in childhood education I have been led to look at books for their “learning/teaching opportunities”. Waiting for Twilight has them. Because of the content in the story I do recommend this book for a mature teen, as well as their parents, or adults interested in issues around young adults. The book contains smoking, drugs and alcohol usage, safe sex, and violence. These examples can be used as a starting place to begin “conversations”, since as adults, we cannot prevent an exposure to them.

For more information on the author – web site, contact information for Sang Pak, publisher’s reviews, and Amazon purchasing information please see the preview for Wait Until Twilight.

Please stay tuned for my first author’s interview at Layers of Thought with Sang Pak!