Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour - Scott Westerfeld Book Review

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Review Summaries

" Eos, Mar 2004, 15.99, 304 pp. ISBN: 0060519517 Fifteen year old Jessica Day moves with her mom from Chicago to Bixby, Oklahoma where she attends the local high school. She looks like she belongs with the in-crowd, but the most isolated outsiders, the midnighters (Rex, Dess, Melissa, and Jonathan) are also fascinated by the newcomer as they sense she shares the Focus that only occurs for those born at midnight. Jessica awakens at midnight noticing that her family seems frozen in time and so does everyone else. She explores this magical twenty-fifth hour in the day only to learn that ancient creatures roam the town and the midnight quartet also travel in this eerie otherworldly zone. As the cretins of the night try to kill the newcomer, the quartet try to keep Jessica safe while struggling to learn why she is a target. The first tale of the Midnighters is a great horror story that is aimed at young adults, but will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The story line is fast-paced and somehow Scott Westerfield makes his blue-lighted midnight realm seem real and the talents of his heroes genuine. This is a winner worth reading especially by the Potter crowd who will find a new genre in which to appreciate the written word. If this is any indication, the next two novels in this trilogy will be awesome. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scott Westerfield Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - a powerful magician
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - exploring the dreamscape
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Earth setting: - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

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Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey
The Prophecy: Daughters of the Moon 11 by Lynne Ewing

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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