Review: From Darkness to Night
From Darkness to Night
Michelle D. Jackson
Synopsis: Reneata Morris has not had an easy life. When her brother is found murdered, her life long trauma comes to a boiling point, and a suicide attempt ends with Reneata in a mental health ward. While there, she begins to work through her pain, but upon release decides that the only way to heal is to leave and never look back. But ghosts don’t stay quiet forever, and Reneata must find a way to face them.
This is one complex book. For how short it is, there are SO MANY layers to it! It’s only 229 pages, but this book packs a lot in, in a very short amount of time. I’m going to try and not give anything away, but this book has a very intertwined plot, and it may be hard to do.
Reneata is a complicated character. She has been through so much, and it’s heartbreaking to see someone who clearly has a lot of love to give, desperate to find joy and light in her life.
One of the things I appreciated about this book was the way it showed the different perspectives of things. For example, Reneata’s relationship with her mother and grandfather. Throughout most of the book, Reneata has her grandfather on somewhat of a pedestal, while kind of villainizing her mother. But, towards the end, she starts to see the human side of both of them.
I have one issue with this book. I wanted more of it. I very much appreciate what Ms. Jackson was able to do with the story in a short book, but I felt like there could have been more to the story that would have allowed us to see more growth and possibly connect with the characters a little more. At times the story felt rather rushed.
That said, this is book one of the Family Secrets series, and I am very much looking forward to reading what comes next. It also leaves me wondering if the proverbial meat to my mashed potatoes and gravy will be following in the next installment.
From Darkness to Night would be a great choice for someone looking for a relatively easy, low key read. It’s intriguing, and keeps your interest, and has it’s own twists, but it’s not so complicated that it requires constant focus. It is an emotionally complex look at human struggle. It is definitely worth a read!