Mini-Reviews: A Wish In The Dark and Emmy In The Key Of Code

It feels super good to finally be writing a review on the blog. And what better way to get back into this than by reviewing two awesome middle-grade books.

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A Wish In The Dark By Christina Soontornvat

A Thai-inspired fantasy retelling of Les Miserables, I totally enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book.

A Wish in the Dark is a middle grade fantasy book that follows Pong and Nok. Two kids on opposite sides of society in a town called Chattana where light is provided in glowing orbs by the governor. Pong was born in prison while Nok is the prison warden’s daughter. When Pong escapes, Nok tracks him down while Pong discovers that life in Chattana isn’t as idyllic as he’d always imagined. Together with some friends, he works to bring justice for those who’d been sidelined by the Governor’s ruthless rule.

Can I just say that I loved the characters in this book. Pong who is driven by his desire to be someone better, to break away from fate as a prisoner and be free, Nok who is driven by the desire to do what’s right and make her parents proud.

I also really loved the relationships the characters formed with each other. If you love books about found family, deep friendships, complex family relationships, you’d enjoy reading this book. The world-building is exquisite as well, Chattana is a city built on water where light is provided in the form of orbs and a lot of the ideology around Chattana is built on who is worthy of the light which causes a class divide. Pong and Nok struggle with this throughout this book.

Well, sometimes light shines on the worthy. But sometimes it just shines on the lucky ones. And sometimes… sometimes good people get trapped in the dark.

a wish in the dark

I haven’t read Les Miserables yet so I can’t really rate how well this book acts as a retelling. A Wish In The Dark explores classism, friendship, grief, the struggle to survive in an unfair world, forgiving one’s self and hope with a diverse set of characters that aren’t one dimensional and good world-building.

I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a middle-grade book that tackles complex real-life issues and is uplifting at the same time. Even if you don’t normally read middle grade, I’d encourage you to give this book a try.

Trigger warnings: death, fire, drowning

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Here are some middle-grade books with similar themes to A Wish In The Dark;

Looking to add more middle-grade books to your reading list? Check out this review of two awesome middle-grade books: A Wish In The Dark and Emmy In The Key Of Code and get more recommendations. Share on X

Emmy In The Key Of Code by Aimee Lucido

A book about music, code and friendship, Emmy In The Key Of Code follows Emmy as she struggles to adjust to her new school and city while discovering her love for coding.

Emmy has a peculiar way of looking at the world, she looks at it in music, describing her movements and actions and those of others with musical terms. As she learns more about coding, we slowly see her shift to describing things in coding terms as well.

And when the music stops

and our voices fade

we’re left holding each other

like a fermata

over the last note

in the world’s

most beautiful

symphony.

emmy in the key of code

I loved the fact that it really showed the characters’ learning code so it feels like you’re learning it and discovering its wonders with them. You aren’t just told that Emmy is learning how to code, you’re shown how it affects her life. The fact that this book is written in verse makes it even better. If you aren’t familiar with coding and music terms, there’s a glossary for better understanding.

It’s a bit slow-paced and there isn’t any jaw-dropping plot, but that’s okay as this is a book about a girl learning how to code, making friends and slowly realizing that she does indeed belong.

Kids and even adults would enjoy reading this book and come away knowing a bit more about coding and music. Emmy In The Key Of Code reads like a love letter to coding, music, friendship, and teachers who nurture their students and encourage them to be their best.

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Here are some middle-grade books with similar themes to Emmy In The Key Of Code;

Have you read any of these books? I’m on a middle grade reading roll right now, maybe because I need to read easy and uplifting books with all that’s going on right now. Feel free to recommend some of your favorite middle-grade books in the comments below. Stay safe everyone 😉.

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