Ashley Hope Pérez didn’t just write a book. She basically reconstructed a disaster that most history textbooks are too afraid to touch. If you’ve spent any time in the Young Adult (YA) world lately, you’ve probably heard people whispering—or shouting—about the Out of Darkness novel. It’s one of those rare stories that makes you feel like you’re vibrating with a mix of genuine hope and absolute dread.
History is messy. Real life is messier.
Set in New lndia, Texas, during the 1930s, the book centers on a romance that society wanted to bury before it even started. We’re talking about Naomi and Wash. Naomi Vargas is Mexican American, dealing with a home life that is, frankly, terrifying. Wash Mason is Black, brilliant, and kind. Their connection is the soul of the book, but the backdrop is the 1937 New London School explosion. That wasn’t some fictional plot device. It was a real-life catastrophe—the deadliest school disaster in American history. Over 300 people died because of a natural gas leak that nobody smelled until it was too late.
The Horror You Didn't Learn in School
Most people pick up the Out of Darkness novel expecting a standard forbidden romance. They get something much heavier. Pérez doesn't pull punches when it comes to the racial hierarchy of 1930s East Texas. It’s gritty. It’s uncomfortable. Honestly, it’s supposed to be.
The New London School explosion serves as the ticking clock. You know it’s coming. The characters don’t. This creates a tension that is almost unbearable as the pages turn. While the romance between Naomi and Wash is tender, it’s constantly being suffocated by the segregation and predatory behavior of the adults around them. Specifically, Naomi’s stepfather, Henry, is a character that stays with you for all the wrong reasons. His presence in the house creates a domestic horror story that mirrors the systemic horror outside.
Pérez uses a "braided" narrative style. You aren't just stuck in one head. You get different perspectives, even from inanimate objects or the "Gang" of boys at the school. This gives the town a pulse. You see how racism isn't just one big bad guy; it’s a million small choices made by "polite" people.
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Why Everyone is Talking About the Bans
It’s impossible to discuss the Out of Darkness novel without mentioning the massive controversy surrounding it in recent years. This book has been a primary target for school board challenges and "parents' rights" groups across the United States. Why? Because it’s honest about sexual violence and racism.
Critics often point to specific, graphic scenes to justify pulling it from shelves. But if you talk to librarians or educators, they’ll tell you that taking those scenes out of context misses the entire point of the narrative. The book explores how vulnerable people—especially young women of color—were treated as property. To sanitize that history is to lie about it.
The backlash actually had an unintended effect. It made the book a bestseller years after its initial 2015 release. Readers wanted to know what the fuss was about. What they found wasn't "pornography," as some activists claimed, but a deeply researched, empathetic look at how we survive in a world that feels like it’s ending.
The Real History of the 1937 Explosion
If you want to understand the weight of this story, you have to look at the facts of the New London disaster.
- The Cause: The school was using "green" gas—waste gas from oil wells—to save money on heating. It was odorless.
- The Spark: A shop teacher turned on a sanding machine.
- The Aftermath: The explosion was so powerful it literally lifted the roof off the building before it collapsed.
- The Legacy: This event is the reason why natural gas now has that "rotten egg" smell. The government mandated the use of malodorants (like mercaptan) so a tragedy like this would never happen again.
Pérez integrates these facts seamlessly. She spent years researching the archives at the University of Texas at Austin. She didn't just guess what 1937 sounded like; she listened to the ghosts of that era.
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Wash and Naomi: More Than Just Tropes
In many YA books, the "forbidden love" thing feels a bit forced. In the Out of Darkness novel, it feels inevitable. Wash Mason is a standout character because he isn't just a "love interest." He’s a young man with his own dreams, navigating a world that refuses to see his humanity.
Their relationship is built on small moments. Sitting in the woods. Sharing stories. It’s a quiet rebellion. When you realize the literal explosion is coming, these quiet moments become incredibly precious. You start bargaining with the author. Maybe they won’t be at the school. Maybe they’ll run away in time.
But history doesn't care about our feelings.
The prose is lyrical but sharp. One minute you’re reading a beautiful description of the Texas sky, and the next, you’re hit with a sentence that feels like a physical blow. It’s a jagged reading experience.
Tackling the "Difficult" Themes
Let’s get real about the content. This book deals with:
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- Incestuous abuse: The dynamic between Henry and Naomi is harrowing.
- Lynch mob mentality: The way the community turns on Wash after the disaster is a direct reflection of historical racial violence.
- Grief: Not just the "crying at a funeral" kind, but the soul-crushing kind that changes a person's DNA.
Some people argue this is too much for teenagers. But look at the world. Teens are already dealing with these themes in their actual lives. Literature provides a safe container to process that trauma.
How to Approach Reading It
If you’re planning to dive into the Out of Darkness novel, don’t do it right before bed. You’ll need a "palette cleanser" book or a lighthearted show afterward. It’s a heavy lift emotionally.
However, it’s also one of the most rewarding books in modern YA. It challenges the "Texas Myth" of rugged individualism and shows the cracks in the foundation. It forces you to look at who is protected by society and who is sacrificed.
Actionable Takeaways for Readers and Educators
If you're reading this for a book club or a classroom, don't just focus on the ending. The ending is a gut punch, but the "middle" is where the lessons are.
- Research the Malodorant Act: Connect the fictional narrative to the real-world safety laws that exist today. It makes the history feel tangible.
- Map the Narratives: Track how the different "voices" in the book (the Gang, the parents, the victims) converge at the moment of the explosion.
- Discuss the "Darkness": The title isn't just about the explosion. It’s about the darkness in the human heart—racism, obsession, and apathy. Where do we see those same shadows in 2026?
- Support Banned Authors: If you find the themes valuable, check out other works by Ashley Hope Pérez or visit the American Library Association's site to see how you can support intellectual freedom in your local district.
The Out of Darkness novel isn't an easy read. It’s a necessary one. It reminds us that while we can't change the past, we are absolutely responsible for how we remember it. The victims of New London deserve to be remembered as more than just a statistic, and Wash and Naomi, though fictional, represent thousands of real people whose stories were snuffed out by the "darkness" of their time.
Pick it up. Read it. Then, talk about it with someone who isn't afraid of the truth. That's the only way we keep the light on.
To get the most out of your reading experience, compare the fictionalized accounts in the book with the primary source interviews found in the New London Museum archives. Seeing the real faces of the survivors adds a layer of gravity to Pérez's work that you can't get from the text alone. Then, look into current legislative efforts regarding book accessibility in your state to understand why this specific story remains at the center of a national firestorm.