chrissireads's review
3.0
The Midnights centres around Susannah who lives at home with her mum and dad. She’s living a fairly normal life, working, going to school and jamming with her dad who used to be in a band. Susannah is a songwriter and wants to write an amazing song to impress her dad who she absolutely idolises. However, Susannah’s dad dies unexpectedly and Susannah finds her life being completely turned upside down. She has to move to Orange, to live with a grandmother she didn’t know she had. Susannah’s mum seems to be acting differently as well. Susannah feels pretty lost until she meets a girl who seems far too cool to be friends with her. Her new friend introduces Susannah to a band and life begins to change for her once more. Susannah realises she can reinvent herself, but soon secrets from the past start to unravel…
Susannah is an interesting character. I wanted to root for her and found her voice to be incredibly well written. I loved that she had such a strong connection to music and the ties it had with her father. Her relationship with her mother was complex. They were so up and down. I wasn’t overly convinced by some of the decisions Susannah made. I felt like there was a lot of resentment there because Susannah didn’t always understand her mother’s decisions. It was really interesting to see the relationship develop over time. It felt like a realistic relationship especially as they were both experiencing grief. Relationships are hard sometimes and I loved how that was portrayed in The Midnights. I adored Susannah’s grandmother and thought she helped Susannah to grow over the course of the story.
I did really enjoy how this story was full of music references, it was clear that it was a massive passion in Susannah and her father’s lives and I loved how that was the thing that bound them together.
Whilst this story did drag in places for me, for the main part I was super impressed with this book. It’s certainly a promising debut!
Susannah is an interesting character. I wanted to root for her and found her voice to be incredibly well written. I loved that she had such a strong connection to music and the ties it had with her father. Her relationship with her mother was complex. They were so up and down. I wasn’t overly convinced by some of the decisions Susannah made. I felt like there was a lot of resentment there because Susannah didn’t always understand her mother’s decisions. It was really interesting to see the relationship develop over time. It felt like a realistic relationship especially as they were both experiencing grief. Relationships are hard sometimes and I loved how that was portrayed in The Midnights. I adored Susannah’s grandmother and thought she helped Susannah to grow over the course of the story.
I did really enjoy how this story was full of music references, it was clear that it was a massive passion in Susannah and her father’s lives and I loved how that was the thing that bound them together.
Whilst this story did drag in places for me, for the main part I was super impressed with this book. It’s certainly a promising debut!
queenterribletimy's review against another edition
3.0
This review was originall posted on RockStarlit BookAsylum with my choice of song!
Actual rating: 3.5*
Back in the spring, I pore over lists of books featuring music, because I wanted to read something like that. There were a few that picked my interest which didn’t seem to be the typical YA book where the people fall instantly in love with each other and the plot is goddamn predictable. The Midnights was one of those books that seemed interesting and not at all clichéd. So I went for it. And while my hunch was somewhat right, I ended up having conflicting feelings about it. It didn’t quite meet my expectations.
Let’s start with what I liked. The writing was pretty good, very easy to read and the descriptions were spot on. I also liked that there was no insta love here and that the story had more to it than which guy Susannah will fall in love with. I liked how the music played an important role aside from the fact Susannah gets involved with a band. Music is the bridge between the characters, it adds an extra layer to relationships – especially to Susannah’s relationship to her parents. I also liked Susannah up to about the 50% mark where things started to go in a way I didn’t like as much.
That being said, let’s talk about the not so good. Once Susannah gets ripped out of her everyday life and placed in a completely new environment without a warning and is forced to deal with it, things start to get weird. Her emotions – grief, anger – are completely valid and normal. Going through a chance because of it is also something one would expect. As well as making stupid decisions. The problem is that Susannah just makes one too many of those – from a hard working person who doesn’t like attending parties and who is generally reserved and cautious, becomes someone completely different. She makes new friends which means getting involved with a band she seems to be falling in love with about 3 different guys. But not loving either of them really. Susannah somehow had become this selfish person who doesn’t really care about the feelings of others – or at least that’s what I thought. And when things get out of her control – not that they were ever in her control in the first place – her way of dealing with stuff is not really dealing with them. The Midnights was supposed to be about friendships, love, music, family and on the surface it is. But if we look a bit deeper, friendships shouldn’t work like they work in this book. Which doesn’t mean there aren’t friendships like this out there, because there are. We all know how it feels like drifting apart from someone who used to be a good friend. Or what it feels like being hurt by a friend. But the real test of any friendship is how we deal with these hardships – do we fight and make an effort to right things or do we walk away without ever talking about the problems? Consequently, if we don’t say to the people we considere as friends we have a problem, then they will never know about it. Which makes it hard to solve anything.
Thankfully Susannah kind of redeems herself by the end, but I’m not sure if that’s enough for me to give The Midnights a higher rating. It definitely had its good points and I overall enjoyed reading it – I mean, come on, I was intrigued enough that I hardly put it down until I finished with it. But I also think it had a couple of missed opportunities and I think the plot could have been stronger overall. And the side characters less one dimensional.
The Midnights is about music, family, friendship and finding one’s way in life after loss. That road is sometimes has more bumps than one would like, but everything depends on how we blunts the hits. California is the perfect setting for this book, though I wish it was more part of the story than a mere background blurred as we speed through the story. If one looks for a light, music filled summer read, then The Midnights might be a good choice for that.
Actual rating: 3.5*
"But I suppose that was the difference between them. While my father proudly built his mysteries into an aura, put them on display and let them define him, my mother buried hers like evidence of a crime.”
Back in the spring, I pore over lists of books featuring music, because I wanted to read something like that. There were a few that picked my interest which didn’t seem to be the typical YA book where the people fall instantly in love with each other and the plot is goddamn predictable. The Midnights was one of those books that seemed interesting and not at all clichéd. So I went for it. And while my hunch was somewhat right, I ended up having conflicting feelings about it. It didn’t quite meet my expectations.
Let’s start with what I liked. The writing was pretty good, very easy to read and the descriptions were spot on. I also liked that there was no insta love here and that the story had more to it than which guy Susannah will fall in love with. I liked how the music played an important role aside from the fact Susannah gets involved with a band. Music is the bridge between the characters, it adds an extra layer to relationships – especially to Susannah’s relationship to her parents. I also liked Susannah up to about the 50% mark where things started to go in a way I didn’t like as much.
That being said, let’s talk about the not so good. Once Susannah gets ripped out of her everyday life and placed in a completely new environment without a warning and is forced to deal with it, things start to get weird. Her emotions – grief, anger – are completely valid and normal. Going through a chance because of it is also something one would expect. As well as making stupid decisions. The problem is that Susannah just makes one too many of those – from a hard working person who doesn’t like attending parties and who is generally reserved and cautious, becomes someone completely different. She makes new friends which means getting involved with a band she seems to be falling in love with about 3 different guys. But not loving either of them really. Susannah somehow had become this selfish person who doesn’t really care about the feelings of others – or at least that’s what I thought. And when things get out of her control – not that they were ever in her control in the first place – her way of dealing with stuff is not really dealing with them. The Midnights was supposed to be about friendships, love, music, family and on the surface it is. But if we look a bit deeper, friendships shouldn’t work like they work in this book. Which doesn’t mean there aren’t friendships like this out there, because there are. We all know how it feels like drifting apart from someone who used to be a good friend. Or what it feels like being hurt by a friend. But the real test of any friendship is how we deal with these hardships – do we fight and make an effort to right things or do we walk away without ever talking about the problems? Consequently, if we don’t say to the people we considere as friends we have a problem, then they will never know about it. Which makes it hard to solve anything.
Thankfully Susannah kind of redeems herself by the end, but I’m not sure if that’s enough for me to give The Midnights a higher rating. It definitely had its good points and I overall enjoyed reading it – I mean, come on, I was intrigued enough that I hardly put it down until I finished with it. But I also think it had a couple of missed opportunities and I think the plot could have been stronger overall. And the side characters less one dimensional.
The Midnights is about music, family, friendship and finding one’s way in life after loss. That road is sometimes has more bumps than one would like, but everything depends on how we blunts the hits. California is the perfect setting for this book, though I wish it was more part of the story than a mere background blurred as we speed through the story. If one looks for a light, music filled summer read, then The Midnights might be a good choice for that.
ninatest's review
1.0
Ugh. Definitely falling into a slump.
Break down of story: Talented musician/father dies leaving his daughter to try an deal with the loss and figure out what happened that night. On top of having to cope with the tragic death of her father, she also has to move, make new friends, and deal with possible love-ish feelings.
This story deals a lot with music and the passion behind it, so if that resonates with you, try this out. Unfortunately, I don't have a musical talent or passion and got bored with the detail of it throughout the story.
I felt like this story went no where and wasted my time tbh. I love the cover but that's about it. I felt like the friendships were off. The interest of several boys was annoying especially when we didn't get much personal information for any of the males. I felt very detached from all the characters.
Break down of story: Talented musician/father dies leaving his daughter to try an deal with the loss and figure out what happened that night. On top of having to cope with the tragic death of her father, she also has to move, make new friends, and deal with possible love-ish feelings.
This story deals a lot with music and the passion behind it, so if that resonates with you, try this out. Unfortunately, I don't have a musical talent or passion and got bored with the detail of it throughout the story.
I felt like this story went no where and wasted my time tbh. I love the cover but that's about it. I felt like the friendships were off. The interest of several boys was annoying especially when we didn't get much personal information for any of the males. I felt very detached from all the characters.
pia_jennifer's review
3.0
This book has fantastic imagery that really makes California feel alive, but it’s characters lack a feeling of real was, like you can’t really relate to any of them because you never get to know them well enough. Music people would like this book a lot.
vickycbooks's review
It's been two months and honestly I've already forgotten the majority of this book.
I definitely wanted to read because Sarah is cool and support debuts!!! but this didn't really hit the mark for me. I definitely think I have specific tastes in contemporary, and a big part of why I didn't like this as much as I wanted to was because it wasn't really my style? But I like trying new things, hence why I read it.
I didn't connect with Savannah a lot, and one of my biggest criticisms would be how I wanted a lot more on her family relationship from this book. If it was a family book, I would have been all over this.
But it wasn't and it ended up being a little more slice of life and a little more low-key, which is great for some people, but didn't end up clicking with me. It dragged a little in the middle and I wasn't super invested, but I see the potential in the story. But it didn't move me half as much as I wanted to, hence the very mediocre 3 star rating.
I wouldn't rule Smetana off my list though, and I'd like to see what other books she brings our way!
I definitely wanted to read because Sarah is cool and support debuts!!! but this didn't really hit the mark for me. I definitely think I have specific tastes in contemporary, and a big part of why I didn't like this as much as I wanted to was because it wasn't really my style? But I like trying new things, hence why I read it.
I didn't connect with Savannah a lot, and one of my biggest criticisms would be how I wanted a lot more on her family relationship from this book. If it was a family book, I would have been all over this.
But it wasn't and it ended up being a little more slice of life and a little more low-key, which is great for some people, but didn't end up clicking with me. It dragged a little in the middle and I wasn't super invested, but I see the potential in the story. But it didn't move me half as much as I wanted to, hence the very mediocre 3 star rating.
I wouldn't rule Smetana off my list though, and I'd like to see what other books she brings our way!
islandgeekgirl's review against another edition
4.0
I was definitely expecting to lose myself in this book when I first started it and there were many times I did find myself getting completely absorbed into the story. There were also times where I was taken out of it and it took a while to lose myself again. There were a lot of different themes and different bonds, and I really liked seeing how the author explored each one and how she used them within each other. There was the family bond, the bonds of friendship, but there was also the bond Susannah and her father both had with music. Any time Susannah was talking, playing, writing music, I was completely hooked.
Susannah was an interesting character. All she wanted was to make music, to write that great song that would show her father she was worth his attention. It was definitely understandable that she would want answers after his death, and that she would be curious about his old band mates that she never met. Her plot explored her grief for her father, learning more about her parents' past, and discovering who she wanted to be as a person. Who she was musically and who she was offstage.
The supporting cast we got to see was great. I really liked her mother and her grandmother, along with the new friends she made at her new school. I do wish we'd gotten to see more from the band members of the group she joined. Most of them had a bit of a "only there because they need band members" feel to them and I can barely remember the names. I know Susannah interacted with all of them but not all of them were memorable. From what there was, I would definitely read a spin-off focused on the band's exploits.
Overall, I thought it was a very good read, easy to finish off in a night but also just as easy to want to take your time and savour it. I can't wait to see what the author comes out with next.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Susannah was an interesting character. All she wanted was to make music, to write that great song that would show her father she was worth his attention. It was definitely understandable that she would want answers after his death, and that she would be curious about his old band mates that she never met. Her plot explored her grief for her father, learning more about her parents' past, and discovering who she wanted to be as a person. Who she was musically and who she was offstage.
The supporting cast we got to see was great. I really liked her mother and her grandmother, along with the new friends she made at her new school. I do wish we'd gotten to see more from the band members of the group she joined. Most of them had a bit of a "only there because they need band members" feel to them and I can barely remember the names. I know Susannah interacted with all of them but not all of them were memorable. From what there was, I would definitely read a spin-off focused on the band's exploits.
Overall, I thought it was a very good read, easy to finish off in a night but also just as easy to want to take your time and savour it. I can't wait to see what the author comes out with next.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
mandgoggs's review
5.0
Loved this story. It’s a kind of ‘nthing Really happens’ story but the writing alone will have you hooked. She is just the most beautiful writer and her characters are wonderful. I fell in love with Susannah and found myself wanting to continue on with her at the very last page.
jenabrownwrites's review against another edition
4.0
“Even as time passed, as my fingertips hardened into calluses, as I slipped into those awkward early teenage years, my father’s studio remained the sole place where I felt the most extraordinary, and most alive.”
Susannah Hayes wants to follow in her musician father’s footsteps more than anything. She writes song lyrics in her spare time and spends countless late night hours with her father in his studio. They live and breathe music the way other people breathe air. When the unthinkable happens, and her father dies in a sudden car crash, her world is torn from beneath her.
In a tidal wave of grief, her mother uproots them both and moves to a new city. Leaving behind the house that holds the ghost of her father, Susannah is determined to hold on to him by diving into his past. She follows the stories and memories told to her a thousand times, desperate to find a glimpse of him one more time.
“While my father proudly built his mysteries into an aura, put them on display and let them define him, my mother buried hers like evidence of a crime.”
The one upside to moving is finding Lynn. Susannah quickly realizes that in this new school, she can be anyone she wants, including someone who is best friends with cool-girl Lynn and her friends. Who also happen to be in a band. She clings to the idea that holding onto her father means chasing the dream that would make him proud of her. Music. But the more Susannah tries to be the musician her father would cheer for, and the harder she chases down his past, the more she uncovers secrets meant to stay buried.
Like any good coming of age tale, The Midnights is a profound look at how to find your own voice before you know who you are. Smetana writes teenagers that feel very real. Susannah is lost in her grief. She doesn’t know who she is without her father guiding her. Even harder is when her mother uproots them, making the ground feel as if it’s continually shifting beneath her feet.
“We had really shared something special here, my father and I. But no one else would ever know about it.”
The hardest part for Susannah isn’t that her father is dead. It’s the thing we all face as we grow up. Learning that there are things about our parents that we don’t understand. Complicated facets of their marriage, pieces of their personality hidden from us. Susannah has to face all of that in addition to her grief, and her reaction is to rebel against it all. Which feels very raw and very real.
In addition to discovering things about her parents that are difficult to face, Susannah also has to find herself. She wants to be the musician that would make her father proud. But in chasing his dream, she loses her own. And being far away from her childhood home pulls her farther from the people who ground her. She wants to redefine herself, become a new person shrouded in the same mystery her father built. Except, in doing that, she changes and hides the person she was. The person her father knew.
“No one tells you how to keep living.”
Smetana uses music to weave the world Susannah lives in, where the wind creates melodies and harmony can be found everywhere. The way Smetana chose to illustrate finding her voice in terms of music gives this book an extra dimension that I loved. We all struggle at various points in our lives to figure out how to say what we need, to be who we are. Showing that externally, through music, highlighted that struggle in a clear and beautiful way.
Smetana doesn’t give us an apologetic teenager. There is vivid pain as we read this book. Susannah makes bad choices, and she does and says things she regrets. While she frequently texts her childhood crush, Nick, song lyrics telling him how much she misses him; she blatantly pursues Cameron, among others.
“I knew that I had made horrible accusations; my behavior sickened me, and I was guilt-ridden and sorry, but I didn’t know how to say this to my mother. So instead, I hid from her, tried not to engage in any conversation, and moved forward in the only way I knew how: through distraction.”
This is a book on the more mature spectrum of YA, and has more mature content as a result. There isn’t anything graphic, but there is underage drinking and sex, among other rebellious acts like ditching school, smoking pot, and sneaking out. All of these make sense in the world Susannah lives. Smetana doesn’t exploit these topics, using them cheaply for an edgy character. Instead, because it feels so real, your heart breaks as Susannah goes through these difficult life lessons.
What I really liked about this journey with Susannah, is how lost she gets before she finds herself. This isn’t a story with a neat ending. It isn’t tidy. It’s messy. Being a grieving teenager is messy. Susannah finds the answers she searches for, but like most things in life, they aren’t what she expected them to be. This book is about the journey of self-discovery and finding who you are. And, like in life, this is a never-ending process.
“Maybe it’s less that you find your true self, and more that you feel okay allowing others to see it.”
The writing in this debut is gorgeous. There are stunning sentences that grab your heart and pierce your soul. As a woman who once struggled through my own painful adolescence, this book struck a chord deep within. Smetana perfectly captures the pain that accompany growing up. The way regret can be bitter, and sometimes the things you need the most, are the things right in front of you the entire time.
The Midnights is a beautiful debut, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys more contemporary, mature Young Adult books. You won’t regret it!
Thank you BookSparks for sending me a copy to read and review for your pop up blog tour!
Susannah Hayes wants to follow in her musician father’s footsteps more than anything. She writes song lyrics in her spare time and spends countless late night hours with her father in his studio. They live and breathe music the way other people breathe air. When the unthinkable happens, and her father dies in a sudden car crash, her world is torn from beneath her.
In a tidal wave of grief, her mother uproots them both and moves to a new city. Leaving behind the house that holds the ghost of her father, Susannah is determined to hold on to him by diving into his past. She follows the stories and memories told to her a thousand times, desperate to find a glimpse of him one more time.
“While my father proudly built his mysteries into an aura, put them on display and let them define him, my mother buried hers like evidence of a crime.”
The one upside to moving is finding Lynn. Susannah quickly realizes that in this new school, she can be anyone she wants, including someone who is best friends with cool-girl Lynn and her friends. Who also happen to be in a band. She clings to the idea that holding onto her father means chasing the dream that would make him proud of her. Music. But the more Susannah tries to be the musician her father would cheer for, and the harder she chases down his past, the more she uncovers secrets meant to stay buried.
Like any good coming of age tale, The Midnights is a profound look at how to find your own voice before you know who you are. Smetana writes teenagers that feel very real. Susannah is lost in her grief. She doesn’t know who she is without her father guiding her. Even harder is when her mother uproots them, making the ground feel as if it’s continually shifting beneath her feet.
“We had really shared something special here, my father and I. But no one else would ever know about it.”
The hardest part for Susannah isn’t that her father is dead. It’s the thing we all face as we grow up. Learning that there are things about our parents that we don’t understand. Complicated facets of their marriage, pieces of their personality hidden from us. Susannah has to face all of that in addition to her grief, and her reaction is to rebel against it all. Which feels very raw and very real.
In addition to discovering things about her parents that are difficult to face, Susannah also has to find herself. She wants to be the musician that would make her father proud. But in chasing his dream, she loses her own. And being far away from her childhood home pulls her farther from the people who ground her. She wants to redefine herself, become a new person shrouded in the same mystery her father built. Except, in doing that, she changes and hides the person she was. The person her father knew.
“No one tells you how to keep living.”
Smetana uses music to weave the world Susannah lives in, where the wind creates melodies and harmony can be found everywhere. The way Smetana chose to illustrate finding her voice in terms of music gives this book an extra dimension that I loved. We all struggle at various points in our lives to figure out how to say what we need, to be who we are. Showing that externally, through music, highlighted that struggle in a clear and beautiful way.
Smetana doesn’t give us an apologetic teenager. There is vivid pain as we read this book. Susannah makes bad choices, and she does and says things she regrets. While she frequently texts her childhood crush, Nick, song lyrics telling him how much she misses him; she blatantly pursues Cameron, among others.
“I knew that I had made horrible accusations; my behavior sickened me, and I was guilt-ridden and sorry, but I didn’t know how to say this to my mother. So instead, I hid from her, tried not to engage in any conversation, and moved forward in the only way I knew how: through distraction.”
This is a book on the more mature spectrum of YA, and has more mature content as a result. There isn’t anything graphic, but there is underage drinking and sex, among other rebellious acts like ditching school, smoking pot, and sneaking out. All of these make sense in the world Susannah lives. Smetana doesn’t exploit these topics, using them cheaply for an edgy character. Instead, because it feels so real, your heart breaks as Susannah goes through these difficult life lessons.
What I really liked about this journey with Susannah, is how lost she gets before she finds herself. This isn’t a story with a neat ending. It isn’t tidy. It’s messy. Being a grieving teenager is messy. Susannah finds the answers she searches for, but like most things in life, they aren’t what she expected them to be. This book is about the journey of self-discovery and finding who you are. And, like in life, this is a never-ending process.
“Maybe it’s less that you find your true self, and more that you feel okay allowing others to see it.”
The writing in this debut is gorgeous. There are stunning sentences that grab your heart and pierce your soul. As a woman who once struggled through my own painful adolescence, this book struck a chord deep within. Smetana perfectly captures the pain that accompany growing up. The way regret can be bitter, and sometimes the things you need the most, are the things right in front of you the entire time.
The Midnights is a beautiful debut, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys more contemporary, mature Young Adult books. You won’t regret it!
Thank you BookSparks for sending me a copy to read and review for your pop up blog tour!
mishale1's review against another edition
3.0
Susannah and her father have a bond through music. Her entire existence is connected to music. Her parents actually met at her dad’s concert, his biggest hit was about her mother and Susannah knows her dad quit the band when her mom got pregnant.
Susannah loves music too. She loves nights spent writing and playing music with her dad. They have a connection that Susannah just doesn’t have with her mom.
Her dad definitely isn’t a perfect person and he’s not always a great father or husband.
And her parents fight a lot. They were even fighting the night Susannah’s dad died.
When she lost him, everything changed practically over night.
When Susannah finds herself at a new school she connects to the music crowd.
Soon the old Susannah is barely recognizable. She starts doing things she probably never would have done before her dad died.
I think the reader is supposed to feel bad for Susannah but also like her.
I can’t help it, I didn’t like her. I really wanted to. I definitely did feel bad for her. I know she was just trying to cope.
But she was often the hardest on the people who loved her the most. She was really not a good friend. She seemed to take out her aggressions on the ones who would listen.
I know I’m in the minority. I know most people gave this book 4 or 5 Stars. Maybe you’ll love it. But I just had a hard time dealing with Susannah’s actions throughout this book.
Susannah loves music too. She loves nights spent writing and playing music with her dad. They have a connection that Susannah just doesn’t have with her mom.
Her dad definitely isn’t a perfect person and he’s not always a great father or husband.
And her parents fight a lot. They were even fighting the night Susannah’s dad died.
When she lost him, everything changed practically over night.
When Susannah finds herself at a new school she connects to the music crowd.
Soon the old Susannah is barely recognizable. She starts doing things she probably never would have done before her dad died.
I think the reader is supposed to feel bad for Susannah but also like her.
I can’t help it, I didn’t like her. I really wanted to. I definitely did feel bad for her. I know she was just trying to cope.
But she was often the hardest on the people who loved her the most. She was really not a good friend. She seemed to take out her aggressions on the ones who would listen.
I know I’m in the minority. I know most people gave this book 4 or 5 Stars. Maybe you’ll love it. But I just had a hard time dealing with Susannah’s actions throughout this book.
gothamgal's review
3.0
Susannah lives with her family. After her dad's death, she and her mom move to her mom's house. Outside of the home she once knew and loved, she is forced to find new friends.
Looking for a connection for her late dad, she starts researching his band, the Midnights.
Will she find her place when she finds more about her dad, or is she just trying to fill a hole that will never be filled?
Looking for a connection for her late dad, she starts researching his band, the Midnights.
Will she find her place when she finds more about her dad, or is she just trying to fill a hole that will never be filled?