Darkness Before Dawn (Hazelwood High‪)‬

Hope shines in the face of fear in this conclusion to Sharon M. Draper’s award-winning Hazelwood High trilogy.

In her senior year, things are finally looking a little brighter for Keisha. Still haunted by the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, Andy, she finds comfort in the attentions of the new track coach, twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Hathaway, the principal’s son. How can Keisha not be swept off her feet by a tall, dark, handsome “lemon drop wrapped in licorice” who treats her like a woman, not a girl?

But suddenly this intoxicating relationship takes a frightening turn, and Keisha is once again plunged into the darkness she’s fought so hard to escape. Will Keisha ever be able to find her way back into the light?

ILA/CBC Children's Choices • ALA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers • Buckeye Teen Book Award (OH) • ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award