You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.94 AVERAGE
2.94 AVERAGE
This book was not what I was expecting and getting to the end left me disappointed. I really really expected something spooky and the book starts off going in that direction with talk of a ghost, slasher movies, and moving refrigerator magnets but let me tell you, WHAT A LET DOWN. If I hadn’t been so attached to the idea of spooky I may have let myself like the story more but I just kept waiting for spooky and when the full reveal is made at the end I really stopped caring so much. The plot twist was unexpected for me but it seemed like a very easy way to spin the story. This is a short read so it won’t take you long to get through and it was a fun little book to read if you are stuck in the heat of summer and want to pretend you are in a small town in October. Otherwise, pass. I’m sure there are people out there who loved it and thought it was great but that just wasn’t me, sadly.
I have to give the author props for where this book was meant to lead, but, unfortunately, it didn’t make it.
The majority of this book is just the main characters pensively examining their innermost selves in their minds. The thoughts are not particularly groundbreaking either, I felt myself thinking “get on with it” on numerous occasions. No one goes through their day like that, especially children.
There was no thrill, and by the time something actually happened I was ready to call it quits. But I was already 3/4th through, so I pushed through. Dan showing up was a blip, and the actual confrontation between Amy and Sadie was so uninteresting. There was no foreshadowing that Sadie was a bad person in all of Amy’s flashbacks, it felts so unearned to have her suddenly be a thief. And then she dies. That’s the big moment, an unsatisfying death. Especially after the opening scene builds up the suspense over Ben being alone in a house with a body.
It would’ve been way more interesting and fun to throw Amy into an actual horror movie situation and have her use her movie knowledge to survive. Instead, I spent most of this book asking “Who cares??”
The jumping timeline also wasn’t executed very well, the jumps were nonsensical and did not add anything to the main story.
I cannot recommend this one- it’s marketed as a nostalgic thriller, but it’s really not. The writing isn’t horrible in a technical sense, but the story is bland and doesn’t offer much at all.
The majority of this book is just the main characters pensively examining their innermost selves in their minds. The thoughts are not particularly groundbreaking either, I felt myself thinking “get on with it” on numerous occasions. No one goes through their day like that, especially children.
There was no thrill, and by the time something actually happened I was ready to call it quits. But I was already 3/4th through, so I pushed through. Dan showing up was a blip, and the actual confrontation between Amy and Sadie was so uninteresting. There was no foreshadowing that Sadie was a bad person in all of Amy’s flashbacks, it felts so unearned to have her suddenly be a thief. And then she dies. That’s the big moment, an unsatisfying death. Especially after the opening scene builds up the suspense over Ben being alone in a house with a body.
It would’ve been way more interesting and fun to throw Amy into an actual horror movie situation and have her use her movie knowledge to survive. Instead, I spent most of this book asking “Who cares??”
The jumping timeline also wasn’t executed very well, the jumps were nonsensical and did not add anything to the main story.
I cannot recommend this one- it’s marketed as a nostalgic thriller, but it’s really not. The writing isn’t horrible in a technical sense, but the story is bland and doesn’t offer much at all.
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit
Reading Midnight on Beacon Street transported me back to the early nineties when I would devour YA horror paperbacks in between babysitting jobs. I'm not sure how to describe it, except it's like reading one of those 90s-era horror paperbacks written with a modern sensibility and the nostalgic adult reader in mind.
This was definitely a book tailor-made for me, but I'm not sure if it will have broad appeal.
Thank you, Harper Perennial and Netgalley, for an advance copy.
This was definitely a book tailor-made for me, but I'm not sure if it will have broad appeal.
Thank you, Harper Perennial and Netgalley, for an advance copy.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Murder
I debated on 2 or 3 stars, the ending did surprise me so that pushed it to 3 stars. I thought the flashbacks didn’t add as much value as they could have and the whole the main characters of Amy, B and M we’re well enough defined for a short novel the jump to the end climax was a little out of the blue character wise. I liked the horror movie references and it had a good foundation for a thriller novel.