THE MIDNIGHTERS, by Hana Tooke and Ayesha L. Rubio, Viking Books for Young Readers, June 28, 2022, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
Two unusual girls find friendship and mystery in Hanna Tooke’s ghostly new middle-grade novel, The Midnighters.
Ema Vašková has always felt different. In a family of famous scientists, there’s not much room for superstition or omens — but they seem to follow Ema wherever she goes. It doesn’t help that she appears to predict events before they happen, and has a peculiar fear of shadows…
When Ema is sent to stay with her eccentric uncle in Prague, she fears she’ll lose the chance to ever fit in. But then she meets Silvie — a girl who finally sees Ema for the extraordinary girl that she is. Soon the girls are meeting for secret midnight adventures and facing Ema’s fears together.
But then disaster strikes. Silvie goes missing — and it’s up to Ema to find her. Now she must gather the courage to hunt the city, find her friend, and uncover the secrets of the one clue Silvie left as to where she might be — inside the mysterious Midnight Guild… —Synopsis provided by Viking Books for Young Readers
Twelve.
Unlike say seven or thirteen, twelve doesn’t get much attention. But most people don’t know Ema Vašková — yet.
Ema is the twelfth child in her family. Born at midnight during the twelfth month, her life centers around the number. And so it’s not surprising that her family ships her off to her uncle’s house on her twelfth birthday or that she finds a friend who insists on midnight encounters.
And just as the description implies, The Midnighters is a bit quirky. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s just the sort of quirkiness that middle grades are drawn to.
Author Hana Tooke has a good pulse on her readers, balancing light and dark while maintaining an off-center tilt.
At 400 pages The Midnighters is probably a bit long for most 8-year-olds — it does take some time to get to the meat of the story — but should hold interest for older middle-readers, ages 9 and up.
Copyright © 2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
