Diamonds in the Shadow | Caroline B. Cooney

Diamonds in the Shadow | Caroline B. Cooney | Thrilling look at families and devastation

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Diamonds in the Sh...

	Diamonds in the Shadow Caroline B. Cooney Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2007 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

THE FINCH FAMILY did not know that five refugees landed from Africa on the day they went to the airport to welcome the family sponsored by their church. The Finch family only knew about the four refugees they were meeting - Andre, Celestine, Mattu, and Alake - mother, father, teenage son and daughter.

Soon Jared realizes that the good guys are not always innocent, and he must make a decision that could change the fate of both families. This story presents many points of view and a fresh perspective on doing the right thing.

A truly wonderful read

Diamonds in the Shadow begins in a church committee meeting that Jared Finch-much to his surprise-is requested to attend. The church has sponsored a refugee African family of four, and their planned accommodation has fallen through. The Finch family has volunteered to house them for several weeks, much to Jared's disgust. As far as he is concerned, he hasn't signed up to anything, and it is his bedroom, as well as that of his sister Mopsy's, that is being volunteered.

The family eventually arrives. A disgruntled Jared does his best to overcome his unwillingness. His mother and sister are filled with boundless and cringe-inducing enthusiasm. His father, already bogged down in the implications of a church financial scandal involving a close friend, is completely detached. And this is one bizarre refugee family.

Independently of each other, both Jared and Mopsy begin to realize that something very strange is going on under the surface. The behaviour of the Amabo family members towards each other does not make sense, and clearly, the entire family is absolutely terrified of something, or someone. This knowledge draws Jared and Mopsy together, and begins to make them both curious and protective towards the children, Mattu and Alake. Surprise after surprise awaits them as the dark secrets of this unusual family begin to be uncovered.

This is a wonderful read, full of sparkling humor, top class teenage `attitude,' and gripping suspense. It is a book that can be enjoyed by both teenage and adult readers alike.

Armchair Interviews says: This book will make you laugh, and you won't want to put it down.

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Thrilling look at families and devastation

Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney is the story of the African refugee Amabo family and their hosts the Finch family. The Finch family agrees to take on the refugees after an apartment rented by the church for them falls through. Jared, the eldest son, is disgusted to have to share his room with a complete stranger, as well as his home. Mopsy, the eleven-year old daughter, can't wait for the Amabos to arrive in hopes that their daughter will be the sister she's longed for. But when the Amabos arrive, things aren't quite what they seem. The parents ignore their teenage "children". Mattu, the boy, is eloquent and immediately falls in love with the opportunities and excess of American culture. Alake, the girl, is oddly silent and unkept. No one notices the girl's distress except for Mopsy who takes the African under her wing and decides to fix her. The Amabos are hiding many secrets that could endanger not only themselves but the Finches as well. This was my first Caroline B. Cooney book; she's one of my daughter's favorite authors, and after reading this book I can see why. Her portrayal of Jared as the typical teen is uncannily accurate: he's selfish and narcissistic one moment and compassionate and generous the next. He's the only one to look beneath the surface of the Amabos and see the lies hiding there. Mopsy is very naive and innocent, and many in her life take that for immaturity, but when she decides to love Alake, she becomes the only link the saves their entire family. Alake is hiding a terrible secret; her "family" knows, and they shun her for it. In America, she attends church and begins to learn about God, but the more she learns, the more she believes that what she's done is unforgivable. The culture shock experienced by both families is realistic and profound. I was impressed at the depth to the plot and issues addressed. When my daughter, Molly, finished reading it, we talked a bit about the choices both families made. It made her consider what she would do had she been in Alake's place. Any book that opens up communication between a parent and child gets my vote as a terrific read! The final scene between Alake and her mother brought tears to my eyes. It, as well as the rest of the book, was powerfully written.

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Loved this book

The Finch Family doesn't have a large house and when his parents agree to host a family of African refugees, Jared knows he'll have to share his room. Not that he's selfish or anything, but did anyone think to ask him? The Amabo family arrive, and they're not exactly what anyone expected. For one thing, Andre, the father has no hands. The rebels chopped them off. Mattu the teenage son has a long machete scar running down his cheek, and the daughter doesn't speak. Not only that, they seem to be afraid. A mysterious fifth refugee from the plane appears to have evil designs on the Amabo family. Teenagers will love this book. So did I. Recommended

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A curious mix

Diamonds in the Shadow is a curious mix of deep thinking and shallow characters. The American characters all seem to be caricatures of middle class America, Jared is a typical, sullen teen, and Mopsy is a flighty, air-headed sister. The mom is constant movement and ready to solve everyone's problems and of course, the dad is absent and distracted most of the time. The American characters were boring but the book was worth reading however, presenting some heavy questions.

The Finch family houses an African refugee family for a few months and quickly Jared and Mopsy become suspicious of what Mattu has brought in his suitcase and who these Africans really are and whether they are even a family.

Andre has had both hands cut off before leaving Africa, Alake was forced to kill her teachers and watch her family be killed, Mattu was forced to kiss the machete responsible for so much violence to prove his allegiance. Continually the book forces the reader to answer why a good and just God would allow such horrible things to happen.

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Diamons in the shawdows is a real gem

The "Diamonds in the Shawdows" is about a family (the Fitches) that adopts another family (the Algoma) from Africa. There are five refuges that get off a plane but only four refuges make it to the Finche's house. They later relize that the fifth refuge is trying to kill them. Are the families in trouble? This book is fiction and I would recommend it for ages 12 and up!This book is an action-packed thriller that will grab your attention. It has a lot of suspence, many twists and turns, and you will never put it down! If I were to rate " diamonds in the shawdows" then i would give it 5 out of 5 stars because it was a good book that was easy to read yet mind challenge itself to understand it.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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