A review by ltg584
The Midnight Spell by Rhiannon Frater, Kody Boye
4.0
I’m slowly making my way through every single book Rhiannon Frater has to offer, but this was my first experience with Kody Boye. The book made a great first impression, and I’ll be sure to check out more of his books. Kody writes as Adam, a strong gay character as a main protagonist, instead of the standard gay sidekick. It was so great, and heartbreaking, to be offered an insider’s view on homophobia and bullying. Rhiannon’s character is also a refreshing change from the everyday. Christy isn’t skinny and her wardrobe isn’t flashy. She keeps her head down and hides behind her hoodies, and she’s struggling with more than just your everyday teen angst. She would describe herself as ugly and fat, but I see her as brave and sassy.
The beginning of the book was a little slow, and read more like a contemporary story of teenage life, rather than a paranormal. Other than the initial Midnight Spell, there was very little in the way of magic. Rhiannon and Kody did a great job encapsulating the frustration of high school, but I kept expecting the pace to pick up. I’ll admit, it took longer than I expected. Once it did, however, I couldn’t put it down! It was exciting and original! I fell in love with this rag tag group of characters. <3
Rhiannon and Kody break a few of the Young Adult genre rules. In fact, they may have just taken the rule book and torn out a few pages. One of the more notable of these rules is the language. YA novels usually toe a line as far as swears go, staying on the good side of parents everywhere. I don’t know how it was when you were a teenager, but I swore like a sailor… just not where my mother could hear me. The authors kept it realistic, using swears when the occasion called for it. I loved the dialogue, for the most part. If felt genuine and was often very witty. My only complaint would be the overuse of the word “totally”… granted, teens use this word in every second sentence, so I guess that’s pretty realistic too. ;)
Rhiannon and Kody make a great team, and I can’t help but wonder if there may be a sequel in the near future? I would love to hear more from this dynamic duo, to revisit Christy and Adam and see what kind of trouble they get into next.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of the book was a little slow, and read more like a contemporary story of teenage life, rather than a paranormal. Other than the initial Midnight Spell, there was very little in the way of magic. Rhiannon and Kody did a great job encapsulating the frustration of high school, but I kept expecting the pace to pick up. I’ll admit, it took longer than I expected. Once it did, however, I couldn’t put it down! It was exciting and original! I fell in love with this rag tag group of characters. <3
Rhiannon and Kody break a few of the Young Adult genre rules. In fact, they may have just taken the rule book and torn out a few pages. One of the more notable of these rules is the language. YA novels usually toe a line as far as swears go, staying on the good side of parents everywhere. I don’t know how it was when you were a teenager, but I swore like a sailor… just not where my mother could hear me. The authors kept it realistic, using swears when the occasion called for it. I loved the dialogue, for the most part. If felt genuine and was often very witty. My only complaint would be the overuse of the word “totally”… granted, teens use this word in every second sentence, so I guess that’s pretty realistic too. ;)
Rhiannon and Kody make a great team, and I can’t help but wonder if there may be a sequel in the near future? I would love to hear more from this dynamic duo, to revisit Christy and Adam and see what kind of trouble they get into next.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.