Dark Waters
By Catherine Macphail
Summary
A young boy named Col lives in a lawless family, and he has always idolized his older Mungo, who is always in troublesome situations, all his life. He wants to be just like Mungo, and their late father who is a criminal. However, all that changes when Col saves a young boy named Dominic Simpson from drowning. Consequently, everyone in the town is calling Col a hero, and this uproar of attention does not sit well with Mungo( since he is constantly committing lawless acts). Now Col is stuck at a crossroads of following in Mungo's footsteps, and doing the right thing by making Mungo answer for what he has done.
Crossroads of Fate
What is your Fate?
Have you ever been in a position where you had to choose between doing the right thing or deciding to do the wrong thing for someone else's benefit? This is precisely what the plot of the book is centered around. Col's conflict is not only with his family's "code of honor", but with his self;HIS moral values. Everyone is put in this situation in their lives, often more than once, and what you do...defines you.
My Personal Rating
In my opinion, I give this book a 5 for all who can read and understand it. This book exudes a valuable life lesson in a ironic way. This book shows the struggle of choosing to do the right thing for you...or doing the wrong thing for someone else. It shows that you can go down a different path, whether it be righteous or malicious. It shows the power one decision has on the right of your life, and how important it is to make the right one. Dark Waters has shades of Freak the Mighty throughout the plot, and I think that's what drew me to it. Truly a 5 star book.
Recommendation
I personally would recommend this to teenagers around 13-19 years old because they can learn the valuable lesson of not only doing the right thing, but creating your own path in life. They can learn to go down a different road that can lead them through a righteous life. This is why I recommend Dark Waters to that particular group of people.