When Morning Comes
Romeo and Juliet across the color lines.
Description
Written from the points of view of four young people living in Johannesburg and its black township, Soweto—Zanele, a black female student organizer; Meena, of South Asian background working at her father’s shop; Jack, an Oxford-bound white student; and Thabo, a teen gang member— this book explores the roots of the Soweto Uprising and apartheid in a South Africa about to explode.
Awards
- Winner, Africana Book Award Best Book for Older Readers 2018
- Short-listed, Crossword Book Award for Young People 2018
- Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year 2018
Reviews
"It's a strong novel—it's political, it's historical, it's gripping, it's well written: clear, well paced, and with high stakes…Raina is definitely an author to watch."
- School Library Journal blog
"Arushi Raina employs plot, characterization, and narrative style to advance (her) themes with sophistication. In the process of crossing boundaries, (her characters) evolve into strong friends, compassionate human beings, and responsible citizens."
- Africana Book Award Committee
★ "Raina's story powerfully demonstrates the high stakes of the teenagers' choices while maintaining a bracing pace that builds steady tension. Each character's distinct voice contributes to a sense of imminent change...A riveting and accomplished debut."
- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Explosively powerful and agonizingly raw, the novel highlights the harsh realities of life in apartheid South Africa and is a timely reminder of the sacrifices involved in deconstructing an unjust social order…The stakes are high, the four voices powerful and committed, and the power of youth to effect political change is exposed in this tense, and often violent novel…The representations of different cultural groups are nuanced and complex, without resorting to stereotypes…An important story."
- Geoffrey Bilson Award Jury
"A simply riveting read from cover to cover, When Morning Comes is especially recommended for both school and community library YA Fiction collections."
- Midwest Book Review
"The story is easily relatable for today's teens. The narrative is spare and engaging, but it also unloads a wealth of information about the time and a vivid sense of the setting...An eye-opening view of a rarely covered time and place in YA literature, this title offers rich opportunities for discussion and classroom sharing."
- School Library Journal
★ "The presentation of characters with different racial identities beautifully highlights how those identities shape the characters' understandings and experiences...Readers who love the fast pace and high stakes of dystopian teen literature should snag this book. This timely reminder of the power and passion of young people contextualizes current student protests by honoring those of the past."
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"When Morning Comes is a multi-faceted novel that covers many important themes… Arushi Raina employs plot, characterization, and narrative style to advance the themes with sophistication."
- Africana Book Award Jury
"Readers...will recognize parallel themes from youth involvement in the American civil rights movement (and) historical fiction fans will find common ground here with teens who favor dramatic thrillers."
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“(This) riveting story about the Soweto Uprising of 1976 focuses on four young people (whose) lives have become inextricably intertwined...Its characters are engaging, its description of societal differences and injustice is thought-provoking, and its action sequences are at times heart-stopping. (Raina) create(s) believable characters quickly...At its best, historical fiction allows us to feel as if we are living through something we have only read about. That is especially true in the case of When Morning Comes.”
- Montreal Gazette