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mias08's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
taliareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rhiannon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mollyj099's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
littleveganbookworm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As a fanof JW,I found his very different to her other books and maybe my least favourite....So the begining slightly confused me and the end was a bit predictable.
There was two character plot twist I remember ,could of been more,but thats good 'cause i think it kept me hooked.
There was two character plot twist I remember ,could of been more,but thats good 'cause i think it kept me hooked.
backpackingbookworm's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My last JW read was a disappointment, so it was refreshing to follow it up with Midnight which was more of a 'mature' read with much darker themes (no pun intended).
I know some people are saying this book shouldn't be categorised for children and I'm inclined to agree; even though most of JW's books deal with uncomfortable issues, this one was particularly triggering and not dealt with as sensitively as it should have been. Resolutions felt sparse and I can imagine some children would see Will's behaviour as normal when it was actually abusive. I applaud authors for tackling subjects like this, especially in the children/middle-grade genres but there needs to be a firm understanding that the behaviour is not acceptable and JW just didn't make that clear. Many of the toxic relationships were glossed over and yes, as an adult I can read between the lines and know the difference between right and wrong but I can't say the same for the actual target audience. Same with shady events, like a 13-year-old willingly getting in a taxi in a dodgy area - this is not something I'd want an impressionable child reading and thinking was okay...
There were a few more diverse themes this book could have explored, namely sexuality and identity, even the family abuse but instead, it touched on each thing then quickly dropped it which was a shame to see. Though I liked some of the darker elements, I was disappointed with the way the book was executed and expected more from the author.
Rating breakdown
I know some people are saying this book shouldn't be categorised for children and I'm inclined to agree; even though most of JW's books deal with uncomfortable issues, this one was particularly triggering and not dealt with as sensitively as it should have been. Resolutions felt sparse and I can imagine some children would see Will's behaviour as normal when it was actually abusive. I applaud authors for tackling subjects like this, especially in the children/middle-grade genres but there needs to be a firm understanding that the behaviour is not acceptable and JW just didn't make that clear. Many of the toxic relationships were glossed over and yes, as an adult I can read between the lines and know the difference between right and wrong but I can't say the same for the actual target audience. Same with shady events, like a 13-year-old willingly getting in a taxi in a dodgy area - this is not something I'd want an impressionable child reading and thinking was okay...
There were a few more diverse themes this book could have explored, namely sexuality and identity, even the family abuse but instead, it touched on each thing then quickly dropped it which was a shame to see. Though I liked some of the darker elements, I was disappointed with the way the book was executed and expected more from the author.
Rating breakdown
- Plot/narrative - 3.5
- Writing style/readability - 3.9
- Characters - 3.5
- Diverse themes - 2.5
- Ending - 2.5
Overall - 3.2
tardycreative's review against another edition
2.0
For children's book I actually found some scenes quite disturbing. I am shocked by Jacqueline Wilson I really am, sorry, but I just found it a bit too grown up and well, weird for a children's book.
zarasaleem's review against another edition
I relate to violet bc I too am obsessed with someone who doesnt even know I exist