(Meanwhile, Dani is experiencing gay jealousy towards Carmen.) But this relationship build… floored me. The arc between Dani and Carmen is the heart of this book, and it is WONDERFUL For the first 30% of the book or so, the tension between Dani and Carmen almost reads as subtext there are moments where Dani’s relationship with La Vos member Sota feels as if in any other ya novel, it would be the main pairing. No matter the intent behind this society, no matter the goals, those in power may always abuse it. Men in power can always abuse that power.

The scene where Mateo harasses Dani is specifically resonant. The dynamics of classism, racism, sexism, and homophobia are all carefully examined, then carefully subverted. It’s hard not to draw parallels with America in this era. The novel serves as a fascinating exploration of immigration politics: despite the desperation of those outside the walls to break through, those on the inside see them as beggars, beneath them in some cosmic framework. All the while, though, she is falling for her home’s segunda, her school enemy Carmen. Dani is an interloper, and when a resistance fighter threatens her with this information, she’s forced to use her primera status to spy. In the inside of the wall, men each have two wives: Primeras run the house, while Segundas are the childbearers. We Set the Dark on Fire follows Dani, a girl being trained in the art of being a wife.

Dark life book 2