Darkness Before Dawn [Paperback]

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?Darkness Before Dawn

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I think homeroom isa stupid waste of time. They take attendance, read announcements, then make you sit in a room watching the clock when you could be in a class, maybe even learning something. Dumb! Mr. Whitfield is OK as a teacher—he’s probably too nice, so kids take advantage of him sometimes, like I’m getting ready to do.

“Grimes?”

“Here.”

“Hawkins?”

“Yeah.”

“Henderson?”

“Here.”

“Immerman?”

“Over here.”

“Jackson? . . . Jackson? . . . Is Andy absent again?”Everybody looked at me like I’m supposed to know where Andy is at every single moment. I’m not his mother. I’m not even his girlfriend anymore. I ignored them all and dug in my book bag for a pencil.

“Yeah, Mr. Whitfield. He’s got ‘senioritis,’ a terrible disease.” Leon thinks he’s so funny. Everybody laughed but me.

“Welllãå