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Jake Conason, the protagonist of DARKNESS IN HIM, is a senior at (fictional) Jefferson University in St Louis. He's pre-law and the two biggest things in his life are his relationship with Jordan --- whom he wants to marry --- and the results of his law school applications. His three first choices are Stanford, Harvard and Yale, which gives us some idea of the level at which he is working, complete with a grade point average near 4.0 and a pending summer internship at a prestigious New York law firm. Jake's father is a prominent lawyer in Texas.
Jordan is an art student and they don't always see eye to eye on Jake's devotion to studying. Jordan is an appealing character and we understand Jake's attraction; the enigmatic Lindsay is equally appealing.
In spite of his determination to keep his grades up, Jake doesn't let hitting the books distract him from partying. He's a member of a fraternity, a well-respected senior man and drinking is a huge part of everyone's life --- and death, as we come to learn eventually.
DARKNESS IN HIM is a first-person view into what some would call the corruption of innocence while others would call it learning to live as a successful adult in our contemporary society. Granted, though, Jake takes the learning process to extremes. He finds himself in a situation that could ruin his future and he handles it in a way that seems to him the least damaging to his life plans. Jake is intelligent and attractive. Because we are always hearing his inner thoughts through the first person narration, his rationalizing makes sense and, as we read, we are both appalled and torn with sympathy. This tension is what makes the novel work.
Andrew Lyons, the author, is apparently young enough to remember his own college days vividly and he is skilled enough as a writer to make the story move along in a page-turning sort of way. But what is most significant about this book and about Lyons's potential as a novelist is that his background in the television business shows. (The bio blurb says that he has worked in TV, most recently as a producer since he graduated from Washington University in St Louis.) The subject matter of DARKNESS IN HIM, as uncomfortable as it may be, is hugely significant in today's world. Lyons needs more skill and polish to his writing, which may come in time, but he already has the insight to choose a subject that beats close to the pulse of America's competitive, success-driven heart. If he continues to choose his subjects so unerringly and unflinchingly, his future looks bright.
--- Reviewed by Ava Dianne Day
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