Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour
by Scott Westerfeld
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Book Summary Information
Author: Scott WesterfeldEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-03-01
ISBN: 0060519533
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Book Reviews of Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour
Book Review: Good Enough for an "Old" Adult
Summary: 5 Stars
I am the father of four teen readers. I read a fair amount, mostly Sci-Fi and Fantasy when I'm reading "for fun." I've read and shared hundreds of great childrens books with my kids, and have an excellent collection for my grand kids. But I've always been leery of the "Young Adult" genre. I would rather turn my kids on to an excellent book, just written at a level they can handle. "The Halloween Tree" by Ray Bradbury comes to mind.
Then there is my most heinous of mid-kid nemeses, Harry Potter. I'm sorry, but Harry is dull as dishwater to me. The personalities are flat, the tension is tensionless, and the rest is banal at best, cliche at worst. There's nothing creepier than conversing with an "adult," only to be squeemed-out when you learn they are a Potter fan, and (groan) consider it "literature." Yes, Harry and Co. have scared me away from tween kids books for a long time...
Enter one evening with "nothing" to read. I picked up "Midnighters: The Secret Hour." It took me a little while to adjust to the constraints of the genre: No "real" violence, gore, etc, no cursing, no "adult" romance, -- in other words, almost none of the elements that can add an "edge" to an already good Sci-Fi/Fantasy yarn. From this perspective, it makes the Young Adult genre a LOT harder to entertain in!
Midnighters is entertaining: The teen characters feel modern and believable. Their dialog is snappy, even mildly funny at times. The supernatural setting is quite good, and full of interesting details and quirks. The author does a great job of drawing mysterious elements out of the setting, and keeping you eager for more. The tension is there; when a character is endangered, you want them to survive. Lastly, the ending is very well done.
Bottom Line: This story is far more entertaining than Harry Potter. Okay, maybe not "Ray Bradbury" quality, but certainly top-shelf teen entertainment!
Summary of Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour
A few nights after Jessica Day arrives in Bixby, Oklahoma, she wakes up at midnight to find the entire world frozen, except for her and a few others who call themselves 'midnighters'. Dark things haunt this midnight hour ? dark things with a mysterious interest in Jessica. The question is ?hy;
The Secret Hour is a compelling tale of dark secrets, midnight romance, eerie creatures, courage, destiny, and unexpected peril.
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