Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace

Title: Out of Shadows
Author: Jason Wallace
Genre: Historic Fiction
Page number: 280
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Out of Shadows is set in Zimbabwe during the 1980s. The country has just gained independence and the local whites are anger at the new president for taking their land. The story describes the effects of the restless echoes of national politics in a boys’ boarding school. The main character, Robert Jackin is British. Therefore he is an outsider among the local white boys and the few select blacks who have been admitted to the school. He must choose sides, having to deal with the racism, bullying, and violence.
I enjoyed this book mainly for the historical aspects of the issues in African countries resulting from the European decolonization of Africa. However, I found the story itself to be monotonous as most times and over the top at others. These issues still plague African countries today. The story line itself moves very slowly as Robert cycles through all three roles of bullying: victim, bully, and bystander. I felt that as the story progressed, he became more and more involved in the bullying. It was not until the end of the book that Robert understands his mistakes. I recommend this book to teenaged boys who have an interest in recent African political history.