Somewhere In The Darkness [Mass Market Paperback]

Walter Dean Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

Jimmy's doing all right. He's fourteen, lives in Harlem with Mama Jean, and is managing to hold his own in a tough and brutal world. One day Jimmy's world changes when, in a dark hallway of his apartment building, a tall, thin man appears. The man is his father, Crab, who left nine years ago.Crab wants to be part of Jimmy's life again, but Jimmy's not so sure what he wants.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-- A poignant story of motherless, 14-year-old Jimmy Little, whose convict father takes him on a search for truth, identity, and family. Whisked away from the stability of a homelife with his devoted grandmother, Mama Jean, Jimmy confronts the harsh realities of his father's life on the run. Jailed for his involvement in an armed robbery and falsely accused of killing a man, Crab escapes from prison to convince his son of his innocence. What Jimmy discovers is a man desperate to establish a relationship with his son but unable to break free of a lifestyle of stealing and moving on that leaves little room for security. On their highway odyssey, Crab becomes increasingly sick with a kidney ailment. Following a climactic encounter with the man who accused him, Crab is again arrested and hospitalized. For Jimmy, the flicker of hope that he and his father might work things out becomes a realization that love is built on trust, concern, and honesty. Through terse dialogue and characterization, Myers conveys a powerful message about the need for parent and child to believe in and respect one another. By story's end, the boy understands that to fully appreciate someone else's life you must first give meaning to your own. Whether from urban or rural backgrounds, single or double parent families, readers will find this universal journey of self-discovery gratifying. --Gerry Larson, Chewning Junior High School, Durham, NC
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

An eminent author who's excelled with both tragedy (Scorpions, 1988, Newbery Honor) and funny, lighthearted novels writes in a serious vein but offers a realistic gleam of hope. Jimmy, 14, has been raised by his beloved, dependable ``Mama Jean,'' a friend of parents he doesn't remember; his mother is dead, and his dad, ``Crab,'' is in prison for killing a man in an armed robbery. Suddenly Crab shows up, claiming that he's on parole and has a job in Chicago. Jimmy agrees to go with him, but Crab's lies begin to unravel even before they leave New York: he has kidney failure, and has escaped from a prison hospital (``When they start operating on an inmate, I don't know what they'd be thinking''); the job is an illusion. The two go on to Arkansas, where Crab hopes old friend Rydell will vouch for his innocence: Crab was convicted of murder as the result of another associate's plea-bargaining. Rydell, who once betrayed Crab with his silence, betrays him again by calling the police; Crab surrenders, then dies soon after in the hospital. Myers builds a poignant picture here of a failed man whose clumsy reaching out to his son comes too late to make a real bond. Yet Crab does leave a legacy: going home to Mama Jean, Jimmy--a bright, honest, loving boy who has recently been floundering in his inner-city school and exhibiting signs of real depression--resolves that the next generation will be different: ``He would know just how he was like his son...and where their souls touched and where they didn't.'' Sober, thought-provoking, rich in insight and detail: another splendid achievement. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1St Edition edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590341863
• ISBN-13: 978-0590341868
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #947,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhere in the darkness, March 19, 2006

By 

Jennifer C. (Bronx, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Somewhere In The Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

Somewhere in the Darkness is a great book. It's about a teenage boy named Jimmy Little, who is suddenly faced to his father he never met. His father, Crab, escaped from jail and decided to continue his life with his son. The setting of this book starts off in Harlem, New York and changes to Arkansas.
This book made me feel so many emotions while reading it. I almost cried when Jimmy and Mama Jean were saying goodbye. When Crab came to take Jimmy away, I felt angry because after so many years has gone by now he's taking Jimmy from someone he loves.
The author shows imagery in this book. While reading, I had a mental picture of them driving in Arkansas. What I like the most about this book is how you can actually picture the characters' emotions. The author gives great details about this. I admire Jimmy a little because if it was my father trying to come back to my life, I wouldn't allow it to happen.
I think the most powerful quote to me is when Jimmy asked, "Who you?" and Crab responded, "I'm your father." Jimmy's world must had stop for a minute while trying to stay calm. I recommend this book especially to teenagers. It's amazing how a person trying to come back into your life, can change your life how it is now. This book would also be good for adults to read. Every mother or father is not that lucky to have their son or daughter accept them in their lives. I've enjoyed Walter Dean Myers' book and I hope others would read it too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhere in the Darkness, September 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Somewhere in the Darkness (Point) (Mass Market Paperback)

Does someone's life being ultimately altered sound interesting? Then if you read Somewhere in the Darkness your interests will be fulfilled. It all begins with a boy named Jimmy Little. He lives with a relative, "Mama Jean", in New York. School is one of his low points because he tends to skip a day or two. Then one life changing day his father has broken out of jail and wants to take Jimmy away. They go on a thrilling adventure across the United States, escaping the law but meeting new friends. His father, Crab Little wants to prove his innocence, so his son doesn't think ill of him.

Crab has an interesting attitude that adds curiosity to the story. Jimmy never does know if going with him was a good idea or an accident waiting to happen. Trying to connect with a father that you haven't seen since infancy is a hard task for Jimmy. This would be a difficult feat for anyone to overcome. Can Jimmy manage with his alien father or will Crab's effort be worthless? The story will have its signs of hope and depression, making it a twisting tale.

Jimmy seems to cooperate with Crab even though he is still shaky about even being with him. Also can he feel safe with someone who escapes from jail? He hopes Crab has no plot under his sleeves that could possibly leave him in prison once again. Trust is the key in this epic thriller by Myers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Somewhere In The Darkness, November 6, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Somewhere in the Darkness Pb (Adlib) (Paperback)

Somewhere In The Darkness
Walter Dean Myers

This book is about a boy named Jimmy Little. His mom died and his father was in jail so he lived with his moms friend. Jimmy called her Mama Jean. One day Jimmys father comes to their house looking for Jimmy. Jimmys fathers name was Crab. Crab was telling Jimmy and Mama Jean how he got out of jail and got a job in Chicago. He also said that he wanted to take Jimmy with him. Mama Jean and Jimmy were very upset about this, Jimmy didnt want to go and Mama Jean didnt want him to go either. Mama Jean decided it was best for Jimmy if he went with Crab so he could spend time with him. They went on a long car ride from New York to Chicago, but Jimmy soon found out that they were not going to Chicago. It turned out that Crab escaped from jail when he was sick in the hospital with a kidney disease and that they were really going to Arkansas to straighten something out. Crab was in jail because he was accused of murder, he did not kill any body it was his friend Rydell. The police went to Rydells house to arrest him but Rydell told the police that it was Crab. The police believed Rydell because he was white and Crab was black. When they got to Arkansas Jimmy got really close to Crab and they were both having a good time. They went to Rydells house so that he could tell the police that Crab was innocent but he refused. Crab was really upset that he got him in trouble and left. That night Crab died from his kidney disease. Jimmy was very upset and he went to live with Mama Jean again.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It was one of those books that you thought something was going to happen and something else did. This book kept you aware of what was going on and you were looking forward to see what would happen next. In the first chapter I thought that this book was really boring and I would not get into it. By the third chapter I did not want to stop reading it. The author in this book is very descriptive and it made me feel like I was right there watching what was going on. My favorite part of the book was when Crab decided to take Jimmy to Chicago with him. This was my favorite part because the author described how Jimmy and Mama Jean were feeling so well that I almost cried too. The only part of this book that I did not like was that it took too long for the book to get exciting.
If you like books from the early 1900s then I would recommend this book to you. This book was when there was discrimination and segregation of whites and blacks. I would also recommend this book to someone who enjoys social studies. In this book you learn a lot about what happened in the past and the geography of different states. I would not recommend this book for younger kids because it would be harder for them to understand it as clearly as some one older would.