Book Review: Running Out of Night by Sharon Lovejoy

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Middle Grade Monday is a weekly collection of blog posts assembled by author Shannon Messenger. For a complete list of posts, visit Shannon's blog HERE.
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RUNNING OUT OF NIGHT

Sharon Lovejoy

Random House Children's Books

Ages 9 - 12

Every day is a misery for a nameless, motherless Southern girl who is treated cruelly by her pa and brothers. Her life changes forever when a runaway slave named Zenobia turns to her for help and shelter. Longing for her own freedom, the girl decides to run away, and she and Zenobia set off on a harrowing journey. Along the way, Zenobia names the girl Lark, after the bird, for her ability to mimic its song.

Running by night, hiding by day, the girls are pursued by Lark’s pa and brothers and by ruthless slave catchers. Brightwell, another runaway slave, joins them, and the three follow secret signs to a stop on the Underground Railroad. When the hideout is raided and Zenobia and Brightwell are captured, Lark sets out alone to rescue her friends.

MY REVIEW:

I love this cover. That's what  made me first open the cover. And the story definitely lives up to expectation. The story of these two girls who run away from their respective abusive enslavements in search of the Underground Railroad and freedom grabbed my attention from the first line and kept me turning pages all the way to the end. Running Out of Night is well-researched and does not hold it's punches when it comes to the inhuman abuse endured by slaves and abolitionists alike. This is a story that respects this pivotal era of American history, a story that reveal the pain, the courage, and the hope that eventually changed the world.

CONTENT RATING:

Profanity:  None

Sexuality:  None

Violence:  Moderate