A Wish in the Dark, by Christina Soontornvat

A Wish in the Dark, by Christina Soontornvat (Candlewick, March 24, 2020, just named a Junior Library Guild selection), is a truly lovely fantasy in which the strong theme of social justice is given shape by the story of a boy trying to escape his past and make a better future for himself, and for all the poor and cast-off and downtrodden people in his city.  It's a twist on Les Misérables set in a Thai inspired world, with magic, but this being a middle grade novel, it is full of love and hope and ends with a promise of better things ahead.

Pong did not set off to save anyone but himself.  Born in a women's prison, and with a few more years to go before he's released from it to make his own way in a world that doesn't want him, he has come to believe what he's been told, that "light shines only on the worthy," which doesn't include him.  His dream that one day he and his best friend Somkit can be part of Chattana, the beautiful city whose rainbow light is magically made by the city's governor, starts to seem impossible.  So one day, when a smelly and awful chance to escape presents itself, Pong impulsively takes it.  Now he's outside the prison, but still marked by a tattoo in his wrist.  If he's caught, he will never taste freedom again.

Fortunatly, he is taken in by a remote monestary, whose wise old leader teaches him, and blesses him.  Less fortunately, or so it seems at first, he's recognized by Nok, the daughter of the former prison wardon.  Nok  thinks that if she can capture him, she'll help restore her family's fraying status, and she's sure that her prowess at the magical martial art of spire-fighting will make taking down one small boy easy.  Pong escapes, and ends up in Chattana again.  It is not the city of beautiful light he'd dreamt of, but a place with deeply rooted inequality, where  the rich live in the shine of golden globes, and the poor must make do with dim purple.  But there, in a wonderful coincidence, he's reunited by Somkit, who himself has been taken in by a caring mentor...one who wants to lead a revolution.

Pong, and Nok too, must decide if they are willing to throw away all they've been taught about who is worthy and join the revolution to bring light to everyone...

Of course they do, but it's a deeply moving journey to get to that point, full of danger and intrigue, and also magic.  All three kids have gifts they bring to the cause--Somkit has the technological skills that  give the revolution a chance to succeed, Nok's spire-fighting can make the very ground tremble, and Pong has preternatural skill of observation, and the blessings of the old monk wrapped in threads around his wrist.  And his blessings have always come true.

I loved the characters. The old monk, with his deep well of compassion, is simply wonderfully loveable, and teaches Pong beautifully by letting him figure out things for himself.  He also finds homes for abandoned babies, giving each a blessing of their own (I pause here to mentally hug the kind old monk...)   Pong's journey, though he slays no literal monsters and his fiercest struggle is within himself, is truly that of a hero.  Somkit's engineering skills and tinkering with the light globes make him a mirror for kids who loves to figure out how things work, and he is the very model of a loyal friend.  Nok has more than her brillance at marshal arts going for her; she's a character who must question the privilege in which she's been raised, and decide whether or not to reject the laws that's she's accepted without question all her life.

Add to this lovely cast of characters a vivid setting, full of sensory details that make it all real, and a strong message of social justice that drives the story without beating readers to death, and you have a real winner of a book!

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher