Raised in Darkness

Raised in Darkness

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WpMetadataNoticeLast published Tue, Jul 8, 2025
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Fiction
Mystery
"Raised in Darkness" follows the harrowing and emotional journey of Jason Suarez, a boy born into chaos on the streets of 1980s-90s Puerto Rico. With a mother lost to addiction and a father who disappears before his seventh birthday, Jason grows up navigating abuse, abandonment, poverty, and violence. As he learns to survive in a world that forgot him, Jason becomes quiet, observant, and emotionally armored - a ghost-boy with fire in his chest. From sleeping in closets to stealing food, from bonding with a stray dog to dodging street predators, Jason's childhood is a storm no child should have to weather. But within the darkness, there are sparks: loyalty, silent love, moments of hope. As the story moves through his teenage years - into gang territory, brushes with the law, and eventually a life-altering decision to join the military - Jason begins to claw his way toward meaning. Toward purpose. Toward becoming the kind of man his own father never was. But the road home is paved with ghosts. Raised in Darkness is a brutally honest, emotionally raw, and deeply human story about resilience, trauma, identity, and the fight to become more than what the world told you you'd be
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Jason King is perfect. Whether it's the British accent, his flawless fashion sense or having been able to pick up life again after having been through trauma as a result from his kidnapping, everyone agrees that this man is immaculate. However, things are never the way they appear to the eye. While hiding his inner battles, Jason struggles to get through his daily life that's full of triggers to his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As the ghost from the past is haunting him, he tries to move on and continue life as if he'd never been gone--all the while keeping up a perfect persona. Because all he's ever been is perfect, after all. * ✩ Featured by WattPad as a Fresh Read (July 27th, 2021) ✩ #freementalillness Be aware this book deals with post-traumatic stress disorder and might be triggering. This story is part of #ProjectManDown, #BoysDontCry and #FreeTheBoy to show you men can feel pain too. * Featured on WattPad's @generalfiction Featured on WattPad's @NA Featured on WattPad's @ComeSitWithUs Featured on WattPad's @bullyingprevention Second place in WattPad's Psychological Novel Contest What others said: "It was refreshing to come across a book that not only provides insight on mental illness but also does so in a realistic way. I appreciated the fact that you not only focused on what it is like to have a mental illness, but also how mental illness can have a ripple effect on friends and family; and how the journey isn't always one of smooth sailing." - @CreativeBibliophile "Wow, this was written so exceptionally well. All of my senses were completely engaged and I love how realistic your writing is." - GhostsInsideOfMyBed "Never have [I] felt so connected to a character, honestly. His struggles feel so real, it's astonishing." - @BeZorro * This story is a spin-off to All The Things We Lost but can be read as a standalone. Cover by @dysanic

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