Title: Pitch Black Author First Name: Melody Author Last Name: Carlson Co-Author First Name:   Co-Author Last Name:   Series: TrueColors Series #: 4 Publisher: Think Books ISBN: 1576835324 Genre: Realistic Sub Genre: None Target Gender: Both Target Age: 16+ Issue: Death: Suicide Issue: Lifestyle: None Issue: Physical: None Issue: Relationships: Parents Issue: Religion: None Issue: Self Image: None Issue: Spiritual:   Summary: Morgan's best friend is dead. It sure seemed like Jason had it altogether. His family was well off financially, he attended youth group, he did good in school, he was kind to everyone. If he of all people found no hope for life, why should Morgan or anyone else? Pretty soon, suicide pacts are spreading around the school. Life is just hopeless it seems. If Jason checked out, maybe they should just follow his example and join him. Some try to say stuff about God or faith, but life is just so messed up... Extra Notes: This book is depressing. It's supposed to be that way. It's real, very real. And it has good points. When someone who seems like they've got good stuff going for them commits suicide, it seems to say to others "there's no hope" and "if they couldn't get it together, you certainly can't". Morgan, Seth, Grace, Micah and the others are desperately searching for hope. They think they'll find it in death. It is only after alot of pain and struggling that any of them can come to the point of choosing to make a pact to live instead of pact to die. But they do! By the end of the book, all but Seth have made a choice to live and the others have gotten Seth's parents to take them seriously and get him some help. Jason's parents reveal that before he died he apologized and confessed that he only wanted to get his dad's attention, he didn't really want to die. I recommend this book for any who have come to a point of questioning whether or not there's any hope, whether or not there's anything to live for or if death would be better. It's so brutal however, I don't recommend it to younger readers unless they need it. In other words, I recommend it for helping struggles only, not for entertainment. Also, I don't feel that the adults in the story were good role models. Very few of them took the teens seriously and did not address the hurt and pain and depression the teens were feeling. They just tried to make the teen promise not to commit suicide, leaving the teen with no solution to the depression they felt. Reviewer:   Recommendation Scale: 4