Wander in the Dark

by Jumata Emill Narrated by Kevin R. Free, Nile Bullock

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A timely and necessary YA novel that wrestles with themes of systemic racism and racial bias in the modern South, Wander in the Dark also maintains all the hallmarks of a page-turning thriller.

In this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of The Black Queen, two brothers must come together to solve the murder of the most popular girl in school after one of them is caught fleeing the scene of her death.

A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR

Amir Trudeau only goes to his half brother Marcel's birthday party because of Chloe Danvers. Chloe is rich, and hot, and fits right into the perfect life Marcel inherited when their father left Amir's mother to start a new family with Marcel's mom. But Chloe is hot enough for Amir to forget that for one night.

Does she want to hook up? Or is she trying to meddle in the estranged brothers' messy family drama? Amir can't tell. He doesn't know what Chloe wants from him when, in the final hours of Mardi Gras, she asks him to take her home and stay-her parents are away and she doesn't want to be alone.

Amir never finds out, because when he wakes up, Chloe is dead-stabbed while he was passed out on the couch. And in no time, Amir becomes the only suspect. A Black teenager caught fleeing the scene of a rich white girl's murder? All of New Orleans agrees: the case is open-and-shut.

Amir is innocent. He has a lawyer, but unless someone can figure out who really killed Chloe, things don't look good for him. His number one ally? Marcel. Their relationship is messy, but Marcel knows that Amir isn't a murderer-and maybe proving his innocence will repair the rift between them.

To find Chloe's killer, Amir and Marcel need to dig into her secrets. And what they find is darker than either could have guessed. Parents will go to any lengths to protect their children, and in a city as old as New Orleans, the right family connections can bury even the ugliest truths.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

★ "Emill employs smart sleuthing, messy teen dynamics, and hidden agendas, as well as liberal use of Black cultural references and a vividly portrayed New Orleans, to present a propulsive and engaging thriller." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The plot accelerates at top speed to its exhausting, nail-biting, and unexpected climax, and there is enough falling action to allow readers to catch a breath....With his second novel, Emill is proving himself a fresh and talented writer." —Booklist, starred review 

★ "[An] enthralling, gripping murder mystery....Emill powerfully displays an unfair justice system, harmful stereotypes, political power, and inherent racism in private institutions. The author alternatively shows the strength and resiliency of family, friends, and community as they fight for justice." —Shelf Awareness, starred review 

"An edgy, fast-paced thriller exploring important issues." —Kirkus Reviews

"Truthful and twisted at the same time, Wander in the Dark is both a thrill and a delight." —BookPage

Kirkus Reviews

2023-10-21
Two half brothers put aside their childhood beef to solve a gruesome crime.

Amir and Marcel Trudeau share a father. Marcel, who’s two years younger, is out, drives a Tesla, and lives in an upscale part of New Orleans with his dad and mom. Amir rides his bike everywhere, is a great cook (thanks to his nana), and has a single mother who works a night shift in the ER. There’s a tense history between the boys that Marcel is trying to reconcile, especially now, with both brothers attending the same school for the first time—predominantly white Truman Academy, where they’re just two of a handful of Black students. On the last night of Mardi Gras, Amir arrives at Marcel’s 16th birthday party, hoping to smash with Marcel’s best friend, Chloe Danvers, the white girl who invited him. What Amir wasn’t planning on was not hooking up at all, instead falling asleep on Chloe’s couch and waking up to find her body bathed in blood. With Amir accused of murder, Marcel is determined to prove his older brother’s innocence. In the process, he uncovers how racist his white friends—and school—really are. The dual narrative allows readers to understand how desperate both brothers are to identify the murderer. In this page-turner, racism is the third major character, highlighting how deeply its systemic vortex affects Amir’s and Marcel’s lives. It’s at once riveting and downright disturbing.

An edgy, fast-paced thriller exploring important issues. (Thriller. 13-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160013398
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	01/30/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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