Review Coverage

Publishers Weekly

In a new twist on the growing genre of "thug noir," Jasper tells the poignant story of 19-year-old Thai Williams, whose life is turned upside down when he kills a rival for his girl's affections after walking in on the two in bed together. A resident of the infamous Shaw neighborhood in Washington, D.C., Thai is considered the intellectual in a foursome of young black men. The other three are Enrique, the blessed one; Ray Ray, the loco; and Snowflake, the hoodlum. Leaving behind his government job and plans for college, Thai flees to Charlotte, N.C., to hide out in an apartment provided by one of his friends. In terse, fluid prose, Jasper paints effortless, three-dimensional portraits of all of the key players. Set against the backdrop of the young African-American communities in both D.C. and Charlotte, the book addresses critical issues without preaching.

What sets this novel apart are the high quality of the writing and the carefully developed themes of responsibility and redemption; each person Thai meets during his flight from the law brings him closer to emotional maturity. Jasper's engrossing debut evades stereotype, zeroing in with style and substance on what it takes to not only survive but to thrive as a young black man in the killing streets of the inner city.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR THE US EDITION

'Kenji Jasper has tapped into the voice of his generation with this amazing new book. He understands the fears and aspirations of the young African/American male and is not afraid to expose the darker side of his hero's personality in an attempt to make people sit up and think. Kenji Jasper has written a work of fiction that feels so real, it scares me.' - E. Lynn Harris

'Dark is the hard to face journey towards redemption, illuminated by characters whose mistakes could easily have been made by any one of us. An impressive debut the new images of the urban experience will be carved out by Kenji Jasper.'
Ernesto Quinones, author of Bodega Dreams

'Kenji Jasper is a raw, driven talent ready to claim his space on your bookshelf. A fast-paced novel of a lost boy’s journey from juvenalia to manhood, from oblivious to consciousness, Dark is a lethal 40 oz. of sex, violence and suspense.'
Mat Johnson, author of Drop

'With Dark Kenji Jasper lays waste to the genteel façade of the Washington, D.C., where dignitaries skirt around the lives of those actually born in the city. From the first page Jasper guns the engine, whipping the reader from pole to pole.'
Victor LaValle, author of Slapboxing with Jesus

News

Kenji Jasper's second novel, Dakota Grand, has been acquired by Doubleday Books in the States and will probably come out either next Spring or Summer 2002.