Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Bring Me Your Midnight

I did enjoy this better than the other book I read by this author, but I just think in general her storytelling isn't really for me. There are some beautiful passages and quotes, but I think the underlying plot wasn't anything super special or unique. I also am really not an insta-love person.

🌶️2.5/5 (closed door)

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

The premise, the atmosphere, and the overall world-building were honestly great in this. It makes for a good witchy fall read, if you're into that! I always enjoy how Griffin connects her witches to nature in some way, and that's on full display in this book. Also, I would love to go to magical tea shop like they had in this book. It sounds so lovely!

I think my main qualm with this book is that I wanted more development of the romance. Sure, Tana and Wolfe got to spend a decent amount of time together, but I still didn't quite believe the romance by the end. I wanted it to be developed a little bit more. Not the worst I've read, but I wish there was just a little more spark and chemistry there.

There was good character development, though, and the overall stakes were pretty high by the end of the book. Not a bad standalone fantasy overall, if you're looking for that!

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venusfawn's review

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

0.25

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bookishmillennial's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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? Yes

disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Premise:
-contemporary young adult witchy fantasy
-singular first-person POV
-set on a small island next to a coastal town
-19-year-old Mortana "Tana" Fairchild's future is laid out for her, including her future husband and what path she will take on her Covenant Ball night
-Tana has come to terms with this, because she feels immense gratitude, love and duty towards her parents, who lead their coven, and have decided that this will help the future of their coven
-Their coven has only used low/weak magic ever since dark magic was banished years ago
-Allegedly, dark magic will kill a witch from the inside out and so will a specific flower, moonflower
-Tana's best friend Ivy also supports her and reassures her that this is all for the good of the coven and is much bigger than her; history in the making!
-Tana is all about familial obligation and civic duty
-Tana is to marry a "mainlander" Landon (LOL I love the name choice here), as his father is the governor on the mainland, and can protect the witches from anti-witchy sentiments and attacks
-One night, Tana sees a moonflower, and shortly after, meets Wolfe, a mysterious boy who claims Tana doesn't know all there is to know about the island's magic
-cw: animal death, gaslighting, manipulation, toxic relationships, classism, cursing, extremely light sexual content (Closed door), emotional abuse, blood

Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised by this witchy fantasy! Though Griffin used common tropes in fantasy, I didn't see them coming in this atmospheric, angsty star-crossed romance and coming-of-age. I appreciated Tana's arc, and could deeply relate to it. It's almost as if this transported me back to the first time I realized (as a young adult, not a child) that my parents and the institutions I was taught to respect/admire weren't entirely honorable or so black-and-white.

It's rough to get your world(view) rocked! It is painful to realize that something you believed in so fully, so deeply, so existentially to your core, is not true. Tana's arc was an agonizing but tender example of how people feel when they are presented with information that makes them question their belief systems. To stand so strong in a conviction, and then to watch it unravel as you learn or experience something new? Sheesh.

I also felt for Tana's struggle between the life she had come to terms with and the life she couldn't let go. It's cliche, sure, but it's real; once you have a taste of what "could be," how could you ever go back? For some reason, it was giving A Walk to Remember's Jamie telling Landon (WAIT OMFG A NAME CROSSOVER IN MY REFERENCE, HOW FUN FOR MEEEE), "I was getting along with everything fine. I accepted it, and then *you* happened! I do not need a reason to be angry with God." Tana was fine with a bland, magicless life until she felt the alternative in her bones!

I think it lulled a bit in the middle because I was left wondering where the plot was taking us. I don't mind a chunk of the book being dedicated to character development; that's fine, but I just wish that more time would've been spent on the romance because once the romance started to hit, it was so lovely!

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