Author: Joshua Graham
Publisher: Howard Books (a division of Simon and Schuster)Date of publication: May 2012
When Xandra Carrick experiences supernatural visions that reveal atrocities perpetrated by American soldiers during the Vietnam War, she finds herself entangled in a forty-year-old conspiracy that could bring the nation into political turmoil. Launching headlong into a quest to learn the truth from her father, Peter Carrick, a Pulitzer Prize Laureate who served as an embedded photographer during the war, Xandra confronts him about a dark secret he has kept--one that has devastated their family.
Darkroom is an intriguing and fast paced book. It was pretty straight forward but had a couple of twists in the end. After finishing the book I walked away with mixed feelings. The thing I liked about this book was the way it was written. The story is told through the points of view of several characters in the book. This was a nice way to get a well rounded view of what was happening. The reader gets to look into the minds of each character. They tell us their own thoughts instead of the writer telling us what they are feeling. I also liked the idea for the story. Government cover-ups and conspiracies always make for a great book. The parts of Grace's journal concerning the Vietnam war and the fall of Saigon give the reader an real insight into the time period. I wouldn't really classify this as a Christian book. There are some religious themes running through it and they fit the story nicely.
There were a few things that I didn't like in the book. I felt like for the most part, the book was well written. But, there were a few times when I thought the book could have used some better editing. Some of the conversations and reactions of the characters felt forced and blown out of proportion. I also thought the "romance" between Xandra and Kyle was an unneeded element in the book. It just felt like an afterthought.
For the most part I did enjoy Darkroom. I think lovers of conspiracy novels will enjoy it. Try it out and let us know what you think!
About the Author:
Joshua Graham grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he lived for the better part of 30 years. He holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree and went on to earn his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. During his time in Maryland, he taught as a professor at Shepherd College (WV), Western Maryland College, and Columbia Union College (MD).
Today he lives with his beautiful wife and children in Southern California. Several of Graham’s short fiction works have been published by Pocket Books and Dawn Treader Press.
Visit him at www.joshua-graham.com.
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