Review of Wander in the Dark
My Review of Wander in the Dark, a 2024 YA Mystery that brought the thrills while also tackling family issues and social justice themes.
Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill
To be published on January 30, 2024 by Delacorte Press
Jen’s Quick Take on Wander in the Dark
- A genuinely gripping mystery
- Class and social justice issues
- A touching brother story
- A fun 1990s throwback to the Carlton Banks/Will Smith vibe
Plot Summary for Wander in the Dark
Amir Trudeau is the son of a successful Black chef in New Orleans. But his dad has moved on with a big house and a new family that includes his half brother, Marcel.
It’s Marcel’s birthday, and Amir reluctantly attends his party in the hope of seeing Chloe, a classmate who sent him a flirty text. In the final hours of Mardi Gras, Chloe asks Amir to take her home and stay—her parents are away and she doesn’t want to be alone.
When Amir wakes up, Chloe is dead and Amir becomes the only suspect. Amir has a lawyer, but unless someone finds the real killer, he feels like he’s headed to prison.
Despite the tension between their parents, Marcel steps up. He knows that Amir isn’t a murderer. So he and Amir team up to crack the case, and what they find is darker than either could have guessed.
Review of Wander in the Dark
I really loved Jumata Emill’s first book, The Black Queen. It had an odd couple detective dynamic, a high stakes mystery, and a well-developed setting and characters.
Jumata Emill has outdone himself with Wander in the Dark. I read mysteries about 80% of the time, and I had no complaints about this book.
Part of the backstory of Wander in the Dark is of a family divided by a divorce and remarriage. Amir’s mom stuck with her husband as he built his career, then he ditched her for another woman. So Amir and Marcel have always existed on two sides of this unfortunate spilt.
The book also tackles issues of race and class. In addition to the different socioeconomic levels of Amir’s and Marcel’s family, the characters also attend an exclusive private school where the students of color are barely tolerated.
The New Orleans setting was vivid and atmospheric. The family dynamics were heartbreakingly realistic. The mystery had plenty of twists and turns.
I really look forward to whatever Jumata Emill writes next!
