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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
I thought I'd give this a go - it's in the bookshop. We sold a couple over a year ago but none since, and I decided to read it (a library copy, not the shop copy) so I'd be able to talk about it to customers. Well, I can now do that. I can even "sell" it to a customer, but I didn't really like it much myself.
An ordinary 16-year-old suddenly finds out his estranged father, a ghost hunter, has died. He's called into the lawyer's office and is persuaded to sign something accepting all his father's belongings. If he doesn't, then he won't get the 6 million (or however much it was, I don't remember). So the reader, having read the blurb, immediately knows this is not a good thing. And everything else is pretty obvious in the plot. The hero is threatened, the hero keeps making dumb mistakes (the sort that the rest of us do all the time, yes), the ghosts get more powerful because the hero doesn't know what he's doing, etc. Will all end well?
An ordinary 16-year-old suddenly finds out his estranged father, a ghost hunter, has died. He's called into the lawyer's office and is persuaded to sign something accepting all his father's belongings. If he doesn't, then he won't get the 6 million (or however much it was, I don't remember). So the reader, having read the blurb, immediately knows this is not a good thing. And everything else is pretty obvious in the plot. The hero is threatened, the hero keeps making dumb mistakes (the sort that the rest of us do all the time, yes), the ghosts get more powerful because the hero doesn't know what he's doing, etc. Will all end well?
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an interesting book, although I do not agree with reading this book after Skulduggery because it would take away the charm of this story. The main character is a caring but dimwitted jock at the start of the book with daddy issues but does mature with the add of other characters. I enjoyed the diversity in characters and ghosts. The main villain of this story is well thought out and cruel. This story is best suited for the age group of 12 and above but like I stated before not if you have read Skulduggery but that might just be my own personal opinion.
A library patron put a bug in my mind to read this one, and I am so glad I did. Very nice paranormal horror story about a kid whose estranged TV celebrity/paranormal investigator dad dies, leaving him with a fortune, and a burden: a host of spirits who are bound to him, want to kill him, and want to go after his family.
Luke is just 16 when this mess drops into his lap. He struggles with what to make of it and how to protect himself, his family, his town, and his new friend, Elza, who is surprisingly skilled at all of this spirit world stuff. I loved their relationship. I loved his deep concern for his mother, who suffers from horrible migraines and gets caught up in the mayhem.
First of a series, a quick read, and highly entertaining.
Luke is just 16 when this mess drops into his lap. He struggles with what to make of it and how to protect himself, his family, his town, and his new friend, Elza, who is surprisingly skilled at all of this spirit world stuff. I loved their relationship. I loved his deep concern for his mother, who suffers from horrible migraines and gets caught up in the mayhem.
First of a series, a quick read, and highly entertaining.
This review was originally published on:
http://wordsofwonders.com/2015/06/15/13-days-of-midnight/
A fantastic debut from Leo Hunt filled with mystery, madness and the macabre!
Luke Manchett is your average teenager, well, as average as you can be with a non-existent father who dabbles in things he shouldn’t i.e the dead. Upon his father’s death, Luke discovers just how far his eager hands had delved into the macabre world of deadside and its inhabitants through his father’s lawyer – Mr Berkley.
A few inheritance papers – included one made of skin – later and Luke finds himself the new owner of an old book and his father’s collection of rings and his metaphorical pockets a few million dollars heavier… or so he’d hoped. Instead, he ends up with eight, very real and very haunting, ghosts known as The Manchett Host. Ghosts that his father had collected over years of ghost hunting, seances, exorcisms, oh and practicing necromancy.
This obviously doesn’t end well for Luke who clearly isn’t adept in dark magic. The Host take the opportunity to use their new owner’s lack of knowledge against him, in order to achieve their freedom. Elza, local goth and witch however, knows her fair share and is certainly in tune with Deadside. She can see ghosts and spirits so naturally once she sees the horrors of the Manchett Host lumbering around town, she is more than a little curious.
Luke and Elza team up to unravel the secrets of his Luke’s Father’s rings and decipher the Book of Eight so that they might stand a chance of standing up against the collected powers of The Host. And with Halloween looming, it’s only a matter of time before they grow stronger than anything Luke and Elza can throw at them.
I enjoyed this book immensely, not only because it was based in the Midlands, my home turf, but because Luke and his predicament is just so intriguing and exciting! Living in the suburbs, Luke is your typical teenager who tries to hide his unusual family life from the public eye. His Mother suffers from severe headaches which put her out of commission for days at a time and his Father, when alive, had his own TV show in the same vein as Most Haunted. Understandably he doesn’t brag it, reveling in mocking the show with his friends at his Father’s expense. Even though the circumstances following his Father’s death are far-fetched, the teenage lifestyle that Leo sets up perfectly captures that expected of teens today.
The ghosts are fantastic. Each of their personalities and differences constantly create conflicts and humour and help to guide the plot along hundreds of different pathways. I’m interesting in learning more about each ghost’s history, especially the full story behind The Shepherd! In fact, it could make for a fantastic series of Novellas!
Elza is a great supporting character adding her own layer of quirk with her protection spells and wards, I’m hoping that we see a lot more of this side of magic in the sequel because I think there’s a lot of potential there!
Ham, Luke’s dog is adorable and is inspired by a very real version owned by the author himself! To say I loved the scenes where Luke and Ham became intertwined is an understatement. Its both hilarious and extremely well done.
My only slight qualm with this book was the lack of responsibility where Luke’s mom was concerned. I understand most teenagers are selfish nowadays and would be like “Hey, Mom’s sick, oh well I’m still going out.” But when there’s estranged ghosts wandering around I feel like that line would be blurred somewhat, in hindsight, much of what happens could have been resolved before it happened had he not been so careless. That being said, if he was boring and behaved appropriately, we wouldn’t have such an exciting book!
A brilliantly British book that is perfect for fans of Skulduggery Pleasant, Goosebumps or Supernatural, who are looking for something that little bit different! I for one cannot wait for the sequel which will hopefully give us more of an insight into Deadside!
http://wordsofwonders.com/2015/06/15/13-days-of-midnight/
A fantastic debut from Leo Hunt filled with mystery, madness and the macabre!
Luke Manchett is your average teenager, well, as average as you can be with a non-existent father who dabbles in things he shouldn’t i.e the dead. Upon his father’s death, Luke discovers just how far his eager hands had delved into the macabre world of deadside and its inhabitants through his father’s lawyer – Mr Berkley.
A few inheritance papers – included one made of skin – later and Luke finds himself the new owner of an old book and his father’s collection of rings and his metaphorical pockets a few million dollars heavier… or so he’d hoped. Instead, he ends up with eight, very real and very haunting, ghosts known as The Manchett Host. Ghosts that his father had collected over years of ghost hunting, seances, exorcisms, oh and practicing necromancy.
This obviously doesn’t end well for Luke who clearly isn’t adept in dark magic. The Host take the opportunity to use their new owner’s lack of knowledge against him, in order to achieve their freedom. Elza, local goth and witch however, knows her fair share and is certainly in tune with Deadside. She can see ghosts and spirits so naturally once she sees the horrors of the Manchett Host lumbering around town, she is more than a little curious.
Luke and Elza team up to unravel the secrets of his Luke’s Father’s rings and decipher the Book of Eight so that they might stand a chance of standing up against the collected powers of The Host. And with Halloween looming, it’s only a matter of time before they grow stronger than anything Luke and Elza can throw at them.
I enjoyed this book immensely, not only because it was based in the Midlands, my home turf, but because Luke and his predicament is just so intriguing and exciting! Living in the suburbs, Luke is your typical teenager who tries to hide his unusual family life from the public eye. His Mother suffers from severe headaches which put her out of commission for days at a time and his Father, when alive, had his own TV show in the same vein as Most Haunted. Understandably he doesn’t brag it, reveling in mocking the show with his friends at his Father’s expense. Even though the circumstances following his Father’s death are far-fetched, the teenage lifestyle that Leo sets up perfectly captures that expected of teens today.
The ghosts are fantastic. Each of their personalities and differences constantly create conflicts and humour and help to guide the plot along hundreds of different pathways. I’m interesting in learning more about each ghost’s history, especially the full story behind The Shepherd! In fact, it could make for a fantastic series of Novellas!
Elza is a great supporting character adding her own layer of quirk with her protection spells and wards, I’m hoping that we see a lot more of this side of magic in the sequel because I think there’s a lot of potential there!
Ham, Luke’s dog is adorable and is inspired by a very real version owned by the author himself! To say I loved the scenes where Luke and Ham became intertwined is an understatement. Its both hilarious and extremely well done.
My only slight qualm with this book was the lack of responsibility where Luke’s mom was concerned. I understand most teenagers are selfish nowadays and would be like “Hey, Mom’s sick, oh well I’m still going out.” But when there’s estranged ghosts wandering around I feel like that line would be blurred somewhat, in hindsight, much of what happens could have been resolved before it happened had he not been so careless. That being said, if he was boring and behaved appropriately, we wouldn’t have such an exciting book!
A brilliantly British book that is perfect for fans of Skulduggery Pleasant, Goosebumps or Supernatural, who are looking for something that little bit different! I for one cannot wait for the sequel which will hopefully give us more of an insight into Deadside!
Thirteen Days of Midnight by Leo Hunt is a young adult paranormal novel. Luke Manchett lives with his mother in Dunbarrow, England o Wormwood Drive. Luke’s father just passed away which he found out about through a letter from his father’s solicitor, Mr. Berkley. His parents had been separated for years. Luke is sixteen years old and has not seen his father in years. Luke goes to the solicitor’s officer and found that he has inherited over 6 million pounds. But there are some conditions. First Luke must sign some documents. All are normal except the last one. It is on vellum with Gothic letting in old brown ink and written in Latin. Luke looks at the document strangely, but then signs it (I would have asked for a translation or a Latin dictionary). Mr. Berkley seemed very eager for Luke to sign the strange document. Luke then receives some items that his father wanted him to have. One is an old, green book with an eight pointed star on the cover. There are also some documents and rings that his father always wore.
That night Luke hears strange noises in his house (his mother has taken medication for her cluster headaches and is out for the count). After checking the house, Luke retires to his room with his dog, Ham. He leaves the green book downstairs. The next morning the book is on his nightstand. He also finds a full English breakfast laid out on the kitchen table. His mother is still out of it and Luke knows the dog cannot cook. That night he sees these two strange men following men, but no one else can see them. The next morning the two men are in his home. They are his host. There are eight of them (each has a name and function). They are spirits that his father bound to him. Turns out that Horatio Manchett was a necromancer. His power comes from his host. Luke has no idea how to control them, and he cannot get open the book his father gave him. The book is the key. Luke gets some help from Elza Moss. She has witch blood and has second sight. She can also see the spirits. Luke finds out that he has to get his host under control by Halloween or they will break free (and he will die). The host is taking no chances and they kidnap Luke’s mother, Persephone. Luke with Elza’s help has to figure out how to control or get rid of the host before it is too late.
Thirteen Days of Midnight sounds like a good book, but it really is not. It seems to lack a good flow and some editing. The basic idea is interesting, but I was not pleased with this book. Thirteen Days of Midnight gets 2.5 out of 5 stars. It was just an okay book. I think with a little rewriting and some editing it could be a great story. I also did not think they would ever explain the details of Luke’s power, the host, or how his father obtained his power (it explains everything at the end of the book). There is, of course, the requisite teenage romance in the book. One thing I did like about the book was Ham, the dog. He was cute and ended up being a critical element.
I received a complimentary copy of Thirteen Days of Midnight from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/08/thirteen-days-of-midnight.html
That night Luke hears strange noises in his house (his mother has taken medication for her cluster headaches and is out for the count). After checking the house, Luke retires to his room with his dog, Ham. He leaves the green book downstairs. The next morning the book is on his nightstand. He also finds a full English breakfast laid out on the kitchen table. His mother is still out of it and Luke knows the dog cannot cook. That night he sees these two strange men following men, but no one else can see them. The next morning the two men are in his home. They are his host. There are eight of them (each has a name and function). They are spirits that his father bound to him. Turns out that Horatio Manchett was a necromancer. His power comes from his host. Luke has no idea how to control them, and he cannot get open the book his father gave him. The book is the key. Luke gets some help from Elza Moss. She has witch blood and has second sight. She can also see the spirits. Luke finds out that he has to get his host under control by Halloween or they will break free (and he will die). The host is taking no chances and they kidnap Luke’s mother, Persephone. Luke with Elza’s help has to figure out how to control or get rid of the host before it is too late.
Thirteen Days of Midnight sounds like a good book, but it really is not. It seems to lack a good flow and some editing. The basic idea is interesting, but I was not pleased with this book. Thirteen Days of Midnight gets 2.5 out of 5 stars. It was just an okay book. I think with a little rewriting and some editing it could be a great story. I also did not think they would ever explain the details of Luke’s power, the host, or how his father obtained his power (it explains everything at the end of the book). There is, of course, the requisite teenage romance in the book. One thing I did like about the book was Ham, the dog. He was cute and ended up being a critical element.
I received a complimentary copy of Thirteen Days of Midnight from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/08/thirteen-days-of-midnight.html
I found this book again and couldn't resist reading it for a second time. Definitely one of my favourites. Just found out there are sequels, I hope the sequels are as good as this one.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes