Sam can’t believe it when his father leaves the family to marry another woman–and a white woman, at that. The betrayal cuts deep–Sam had been so close to his dad, he idolized him. Now who can he turn to, who can he trust? Even God seems to have ditched him.

Ishmael is his father’s first son, the heir, his favorite. But when his father is visited by mysterious strangers who claim that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, will finally give birth to a legitimate son, Ishmael is worried. And when baby Isaac arrives, Ishmael becomes more isolated from his father. Could Abraham’s God, who had spoken to Ishmael’s mother, to whom he has made countless sacrifices, now betray him in favor of this new son?

Review/Thoughts:

Dark Son’s is told in two perspectives written in verse. There is the perspective of Ishmael who is having a hard time of having “two mom” after his dad has another child with a new woman. Ishmael doesn’t know how to truly feel about this, he does know that he is hurt because the time spent with his new wife has left him and mom alone.

The second perspective is of Sam who is basically going through the same thing.  His dad remarries and soon after he has a new baby boy. Sam is hurt and confused as to why his dad would leave him for a women and have a new child. He questions God throughout the story asking questions like “if my Dad really loved me why did he leave me?”

Both Ishmael and Sam are trying to figure out ways to cope with this new change yet try to let this new change affect their relationship with God and their family. They both have anger towards their family and a feeling of not being loved or wanted.

In the end they both learn to accept the change and love their new brothers and take acceptance for the new families their fathers have created.

I always enjoyed Nikki Grimes writing. Books written in verse in my favorite type of writing style. I also liked that she used small pieces of the Bible to tell the story of Dark Son’s.

Rating: 4⭐