Reviews

The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart

samkerley's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.0

booklover81's review

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

3.0

bickie's review

Bully is very cruel, both to Ravani and, presumably, to animals.
Hunter is super scary due to his clinical precision and utter lack of humanity.
Slaughterhouse scenes are graphic and disturbing; as intended, I'm guessing.
The presence of the slaughterhouse casts a pall over the town, providing its name, Slaughterville, even, and seeming to make the citizens sign and wait for "Someday," when things will be different. Things start being different when the midnight children arrive.
Some very sweet scenes, with both blood family and found family.
Satisfying ending.
Favorite character=Lucky
I'm looking forward to seeing how this one will go over with students. Could be good as a class book though the slaughterhouse parts could be difficult for some. Main character is 12, though the kids - and town - are kind of timeless.

haley09's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

twstdtink's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Gemeinhart's writing style is reminiscent of a classic fairy tale. Slightly dark and sinister, with innocent children as main characters, left to fend for themselves by a lineup of adults who fail them. That's not to say there aren't redeeming elements to the arc. But, the emotions are heavy on this one. Ultimately a tale of friendship. Ravani and Virginia will last with you for awhile. 

*Triggers for animal death (it IS Slaughterville), bullying and abandonment. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, and Bullying

brent_y's review against another edition

4.0

Good writing, nice story, a little rushed at the end.

jjacobi's review

2.0

I really wanted to love this, but sadly it was a struggle to get through. The descriptions of the slaughterhouse were gross and over the top, and added nothing to the story. The bully was boring and one dimensional. It felt like it was trying too hard to be “middle grades dark” and it came off as lazy.

lenalooo's review

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is definitely a children’s book, but still a great read. This would make a great movie. I got some “Home Alone” vibes near the end, and several parts throughout the book made me laugh aloud. It’s a cute story and the little details really made it come together. 

librandian's review

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

larinda_booksandanxiety's review

5.0

This book was so sweet and cute. Definitely got some Boxcar Children vibes, but more to it than that. If you have young ones who like stories, I highly recommend