Reading It All: In the Place Where There is No Darkness by K.M. Douglas

Monday, January 13, 2014

In the Place Where There is No Darkness by K.M. Douglas - Review

The year is 2019. The Watchers maintain a state of constant surveillance: guns are outlawed, media is censored, and unmanned drones patrol the skies.

Derrion Parsing is a high school senior and the son of an ex-Army Ranger. Unlike his classmates, he has access to information from the time before the Invisible War, when the government shut down the Internet, reformatting into a propaganda tool. When Derrion attempts to use this information as part of a school project, he awakens to his worst nightmare.

My Thoughts: I read this book with no preconceptions, which was a good thing. I honestly didn't even read the synopsis closely enough to pick up on hints about where this book may go. I just love the title, and the cover is beautiful in it's simplicity. I'm a sucker for a good cover.

Derrion is the main voice readers meet. I loved him. Not for any of my typical reasons for liking a male lead. I loved him because he questioned the world. He wasn't satisfied with the stories he was being fed, and he asked for the truth. It was incredibly brave. He showed a bravery that I myself would be terrified of. It was admirable. His line of thought was disjointed at times, but it added so much to the character.

This book made me think. It wasn't a light-hearted story, but something that pushes readers to really consider things. Maybe it even pushes readers to be braver. I was completely surprised by the ending. By midway through the book I thought I had some idea of where things could be heading, then at the end everything changed. I would suggest this book to everyone. It may not be something they would typically read, but the moral to this story is amazing.

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K. M. Douglas grew up in Northeast Ohio and studied creative writing at The Ohio State University. He lives in Rainier, Washington with his wife, cat and two dogs. In the Place Where There is No Darkness is his first novel.