Beneath the Darkening Sky

by Majok Tulba

WINNER OF THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD YOUNG NOVELIST'S AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE, THE COMMONWEALTH WRITERS' PRIZE AND NEW SOUTH WALES' PREMIER LITERARY AWARDS

On the day that Obinna's village is savagely attacked by the rebel army and his father murdered, he witnesses violence beyond his imagination. Along with his older brother he finds himself thrown into a truck when the soldiers leave, to be shaped into an agent of horror - a child soldier. Marched through minefields and forced into battle, enduring a brutal daily existence, Obinna slowly works out which parts of himself to save and which to sacrifice in this world turned upside down.

• ISBN13: 9781926428420
• Publish Date: 2 July 2012
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 18 June 2016
• Publish Country: AU
• Imprint: Hamish Hamilton
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

Beneath the Darkening Sky tells the horrifying story of the life of Obinna. One night the rebels come to Obinna's village to wreak havoc; burning huts, randomly beheading the men and lining up the children, taking anyone higher than the size of an AK-47. Obinna and his brother Akot find themselves taken to join the revolution. Akot seems to take to training but Obinna refuses to really join the rebels, while he has been taken he never really accepts their ideals. It was a soldier called Priest that ultimately helps Obinna.

Beneath the Darkening Sky is a gripping story of a child taking a stand and not letting anything or anyone stifle his principles. Obinna has to go through a lot of horrible events but through it all he stands strong. He is uncompromising in a world that is twisted and corrupt, for a young boy he really is brave and determined to an almost unbelievable state. I don’t know how I would be if I had to live like Obinna but it’s clear to me that he was never going to change his mind and this almost lead to the books downfall.

I like a story of a man taking a stand against all odds, but this was clear from the get go and this made the book a little predictable and nothing really ended up surprising me. There are horrible things within this world and Obinna has to suffer more than any boy should have to suffer. I respect the protagonist but I find it hard to enjoy a novel so conventional. There are elements of this book that are raw and overly violent but this is only to portray just how much Obinna has to overcome. This is an interesting novel as long as you never let the predictability get in the way of an amazing story of an uncompromising young man stuck in a world that would break most people.