A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

My name is Pong, and my greatest fear is being sent back to prison. It wasn't fair that I lived in one only because of my mother's crime, so I escaped when I had the chance. These past few years, I've enjoyed living with the monks at the temple, and Father Cham has taught me so much. He even braided strings to cover the prison tattoo on my wrist. He makes wishes to go with every braid, and they always come true. He told me I notice things others miss, and that I seem to be searching for something. His last wish was that I'd find what I'm looking for. That will be nice and all, but right now I hope I can stay out of prison. The warden and his family have come to visit the temple, and I'm afraid one of them will recognize me. Their daughter Nok is especially intense and observant, and it seems only a matter of time before I'm discovered. 

This book was a finalist for the 2020 Cybils Award in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Pong believed in doing what was right even if it happened to be illegal. His best friend Somkit didn't understand how Pong couldn't ignore victims of unfairness even though it usually got him in trouble. I didn't fully understand the governor's motiviations when he seemed to spout positive messages about society. He had saved the city after the Great Fire, but that seemed to give him the right to do whatever he wanted. The concept of fire itself symbolized the old way of life, and everyone believed fire was bad. The focus on light colors was unusual and symbolized the different status levels of citizens. The poor could only afford the dim violet ones, while the wealthy were the only people who could afford gold. The different societal levels were at the core of the conflict, and the story shared the message that all people have value.