Title: Music In Darkness
Author: Exona Moll
Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
ISBN: 978-1684861156
Pages: 70
Genre: Teen & Young Adult / Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
No matter how much our world grows and evolves, one of the things which continues to be a struggle for many people is the concept of vanity. For many, a person’s worth and value is far too often relegated to their appearance. Each society has had a “standard for beauty,” and as such has taken it upon themselves to determine what constitutes an “attractive” person versus an “unattractive” person; commenting on everything from facial structure to body size and everything in between. The battle has come even into the modern era, with people fighting to end the negative lens for which we few all people and learn to accept, love, and even celebrate people with different looks.
In author Exona Moll’s Music In Darkness, the concept of appearances and relationships take center stage. Following a young woman named Lucy, the story shows Lucy’s deep dive into the dark and strange world of an unnamed man. Hiding in the shadows, the man and woman find themselves coming together as two people who have felt like outsiders by those on the outside world, and seek comfort and love in one another’s arms. From friendship to romance, the story shows the evolution of their relationship, and the struggles for the unnamed man as his personality and emotions conflict with his flourishing relationship with Lucy.
The author did a phenomenal job of crafting a narrative that felt both familiar yet new all at once. The story was short, and yet despite what would appear to be an almost shadowy and ambiguous start to the narrative that left both characters and their identities hidden, it was that very ambiguity which made the story feel vibrant and unique in its own little corner of the literary world. The world building and imagery the author utilized to bring this shadowy world and later this loving relationship to life was so unique to read about.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy Teen and YA books, especially those which feature short story elements and an almost historical setting. Although the settings were never explicitly stated, the story felt very much like a vintage setting, and what really struck me in the narrative was the author’s ability to conjure imagery and tone from other stories with similar plot devices such as Phantom of the Opera without sacrificing the truly unique characters the author crafted.
Fast-paced, entertaining, yet emotionally-driven, author Exon Moll’s Music In Darkness is a must-read YA short story/novella. The heart and passion for which the author wrote matched the heated passion and struggles these two characters found in one another. Their shared loneliness and the man’s struggle with duality from his past experiences and those he shared with Lucy make this story so complex and engaging, and readers will be hard pressed to put down this amazing story.
