Your Corner Dark by Desmond Hall
Published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books on January 19, 2021
ISBN: 1534460713
Pages: 384
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

In Desmond Hall’s, Your Corner Dark, a picture of Jamaica will emerge that will not be seen in any tourist brochures. Eighteen-year-old Frankie Green has tried to make his father proud. He has studied in schools, stayed away from the dangerous and politically corrupt gang life of Jamaica, but then a series of events forces him to join his uncle’s gang (posse) in order to support his family. Trying to balance family responsibilities with friendships, a budding romance, and his personal ambitions, Frankie finds himself between a rock and a hard place (which in Jamaican culture is known as “your corner dark.”). Debut author Desmond Hall, who was born in Jamaica and lost his uncle to violence, draws a picture of a country that lives in fear of the gangs that are aligned with the two major political parties. Recommended for fans of Angie Thomas, Renee Watson, and Lamar Giles, grades 7 and up.

To learn more about the author, this book, and Jamaica, watch an interview with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkun-R5_YfY 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School