Jack just turned sixteen. He has no one to turn to. He goes home with a stranger-and his life spirals out of control ... A toxic affair, a cruel father, a mysteriously missing mother-and a brutal London winter. FOUR DARKS sends sixteen-year-old Jack on a perilous journey, exploring obsession, the will to survive, and the desperate wish to belong. On his birthday, in an effort to escape his sadistic father, Jack accepts the invitation of a man who he met just hours before. The much older James feels like the perfect present, a glimmer of hope at just the right time. But as Jack falls for him, a toxic game of courtship and rejection plunges him down a dangerous path. FOUR DARKS uncompromisingly chronicles the last days of a frigid December leading up to New Year's Day, which is symbolic in many ways. Through Jack's unadulterated lens, it examines the tribulations, loneliness and isolation he suffers as he tries to come to grips with newfound emotions, while facing desperation, cruelty and fate. Praise for FOUR DARKSThe prose throughout is always excellent and at times sublime and literary. Heartachingly beautiful and affective. There were a number to times I thought I might be reading Empress Yanagihara (no finer compliment from me). These sections were so earthshatteringly beautiful and sad that I could not contain hot tears from flowing fiercely and sharply.
-Jaidee
An impressive debut novel.
-Neil P.
Absolutely great book. It will stay with me a long time.
-paperman
A well-written and stark look at what can happen to a person who has no one to turn to, and the ways that one move can put you on a quick spiral into the dangerous and unknown.
-Brews.and.Books
Punched me in the stomach and hit me right in the heart. [...] ... heartbreaking and challenging, but Jack's sardonic and sharp wit keeps it from being depressing. The dialogue is sharp and clever, the characters are vivid and credible and the writing is skilled, effortless and beautiful.
-Jay Colson/Goodreads
The writing pulled me in so quickly. I stayed up way past my bedtime to read, and considering that I have a small baby and a job, the fact that I've sacrificed hours of precious sleep to read this story I think tells quite a lot about how GOOD the prose is, and how enthralling the narrative.
-Chiara D'Agosto
Four Darks is bound to be a divisive debut, but I do hope Vogel finds an audience, as he's clearly a skilled writer able to tackle tough subjects.
-Nick/Goodreads
Loved it [...] ... very straightforward on the one hand, on the other hand it has a metaphorical subtext to it, that I found quite intriguing.
-David Indoff
... the writing is very good and it's for sure an intriguing read that pulls you along. I found it hard to put this down because I just wanted to read on and on, you're left at end of chapter cliff hangers at times with no other choice but to turn the page.
-James Cooper
"The story is gripping, disturbing, and heartbreaking and at the same time it leaves the reader inspired by Jack's perseverance. The book evokes a tremendous amount of emotion and deals with some weighty topics but left me with a sense of utter hopefulness. The characters are diverse, compelling, flawed and utterly human. The author leads us on an experience that delves into abuse, longing, desperation, cruelty, identity, and fate. And he does so with humor, a touch of sexiness, and compassion."
-DES "The writing of Four Darks is so captivating that I found myself occasionally pausing to wonder just how Mr. Vogel captured so much meaning in a single sentence."
-D. Sutton
