Darkness Before Dawn (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

Has Keisha found happiness at last?

In her senior year, things are finally looking a little brighter for Keisha. Still haunted by the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, Andy, she finds comfort in the attentions of the new track coach, twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Hathaway, the principal's son. How can Keisha not be swept off her feet by a tall, dark, handsome "lemon drop wrapped in licorice" who treats her like a woman, not a girl?

But suddenly this intoxicating relationship takes a frightening turn, and Keisha is once again plunged into the darkness she's fought so hard to escape. Will Keisha ever be able to find her way back into the light?

VOYA

The author does not falsely portray teenage life as entirely blissful. Instead, the book captures both the hardships and the joys of teenage life. The charming characters live in a realistic world full of pain, stress, and joy, wonderfully accented with romance. This modern book reads easily, so presumably the story will appeal to teenagers. The thought-provoking story provides life lessons for teens and adults alike. VOYA CODES: 2Q 2P J S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2001, Atheneum/S & S, 240p, $16. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Annabel van Holsbeeck, Teen Reviewer SOURCE: VOYA, August 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 3)

Sharon Draper is a two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author, most recently for Copper Sun, and previously for Forged by Fire. She's also the recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent for Tears of a Tiger and the Coretta Scott King Author Honor for The Battle of Jericho and November Blues. Her other books include Romiette and Julio, Darkness Before Dawn, and Double Dutch. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years.