Scan barcode
rereader33's review
1.0
Dropped at 35 pages.
Wow, I just keep striking out on YA books lately, all thanks to the FUCKING OBNOXIOUS CHARACTERS. Lupe, HOLY FUCK, Lupe is INSUFFERABLE. She's sixteen years old but thinks she can act like a twenty-something because "she's traveling to Puerto Rico alone". Yes, she traveled there alone, but she's not STAYING by herself. And traveling somewhere by yourself doesn't make you an adult, it just makes the grown-ups in her life irresponsible. That last bit is hilarious because Lupe LOVES to take shots at her alcoholic father, but LIES to a police officer so that she can visit a crime scene, then while at the crime scene, LEAVES HER UNCLE AND THE OTHER OFFICERS because "she has a lead" and follows some strange woman IN A CROWDED SLUM FILLED WITH GANGS AND DRUG DEALERS. Yeah, I guess the apple didn't fall very far from the irresponsible tree.
But that's not the worst of it. What made me officially drop this book is that Lupe tries to BARGE INTO A CHURCH AFTER A FUNERAL, back-talks the DEAD KID'S SISTER when the sister refuses her entry, and when her uncle asks what's going on and tries to intervene, SHE PUTS UP A HAND TO STOP HIM AND SAYS, "I'LL HANDLE THIS". Oh, and on top of that, when Javier intervenes to protect her from Marisol, she tells him TWICE "I don't need you to fight my battles for me". BITCH, YOU ARE SIXTEEN YEARS OLD, SIT THE FUCK DOWN. I am SO FUCKING DONE with "strong female characters" that are effectively assholes. Guess what, guys? Writing a female character that lies to get what she wants, doesn't respect authority, and gets pissed when someone tries to help/save her DOES NOT MAKE THEM STRONG. Yes, "strength" can be fairly subjective, but Lupe is not a "strong female character," she's a spoiled little brat who's bored of her life in Vermont and is looking for excitement in Puerto Rico. Yeah, looking for excitement by disrespecting authority and pushing herself into any situation because she feels like it. A literal quote in the scene at the church:
"Look, this is a public place and I have a right to go into any church I damn well please."
WOW, REALLY?! They just finished a funeral for this poor kid and you feel its your RIGHT to go there?! And don't tell me she doesn't know that's the church where they held the funeral, why else would she have chosen this specific church? I don't care if you're religious or not, this was so fucking disrespectful.
I hate dropping this book because I love horror and this sounded really interesting, but Lupe is a fucking obnoxious piece of shit and I am not willing tolerate her shitty personality for the rest of this book. And no, I don't care if she gets better throughout the book, she's insufferable now and that's all that matters. If anybody else wants to read this, be my guest, but I'm not torturing myself trying to finish this.
Wow, I just keep striking out on YA books lately, all thanks to the FUCKING OBNOXIOUS CHARACTERS. Lupe, HOLY FUCK, Lupe is INSUFFERABLE. She's sixteen years old but thinks she can act like a twenty-something because "she's traveling to Puerto Rico alone". Yes, she traveled there alone, but she's not STAYING by herself. And traveling somewhere by yourself doesn't make you an adult, it just makes the grown-ups in her life irresponsible. That last bit is hilarious because Lupe LOVES to take shots at her alcoholic father, but LIES to a police officer so that she can visit a crime scene, then while at the crime scene, LEAVES HER UNCLE AND THE OTHER OFFICERS because "she has a lead" and follows some strange woman IN A CROWDED SLUM FILLED WITH GANGS AND DRUG DEALERS. Yeah, I guess the apple didn't fall very far from the irresponsible tree.
But that's not the worst of it. What made me officially drop this book is that Lupe tries to BARGE INTO A CHURCH AFTER A FUNERAL, back-talks the DEAD KID'S SISTER when the sister refuses her entry, and when her uncle asks what's going on and tries to intervene, SHE PUTS UP A HAND TO STOP HIM AND SAYS, "I'LL HANDLE THIS". Oh, and on top of that, when Javier intervenes to protect her from Marisol, she tells him TWICE "I don't need you to fight my battles for me". BITCH, YOU ARE SIXTEEN YEARS OLD, SIT THE FUCK DOWN. I am SO FUCKING DONE with "strong female characters" that are effectively assholes. Guess what, guys? Writing a female character that lies to get what she wants, doesn't respect authority, and gets pissed when someone tries to help/save her DOES NOT MAKE THEM STRONG. Yes, "strength" can be fairly subjective, but Lupe is not a "strong female character," she's a spoiled little brat who's bored of her life in Vermont and is looking for excitement in Puerto Rico. Yeah, looking for excitement by disrespecting authority and pushing herself into any situation because she feels like it. A literal quote in the scene at the church:
"Look, this is a public place and I have a right to go into any church I damn well please."
WOW, REALLY?! They just finished a funeral for this poor kid and you feel its your RIGHT to go there?! And don't tell me she doesn't know that's the church where they held the funeral, why else would she have chosen this specific church? I don't care if you're religious or not, this was so fucking disrespectful.
I hate dropping this book because I love horror and this sounded really interesting, but Lupe is a fucking obnoxious piece of shit and I am not willing tolerate her shitty personality for the rest of this book. And no, I don't care if she gets better throughout the book, she's insufferable now and that's all that matters. If anybody else wants to read this, be my guest, but I'm not torturing myself trying to finish this.
letamcwilliams's review
3.0
Very fun and fast read. There were some glaring issues with audience (can’t swear because it’s YA but a major plot is heroin? Sure) and really towing the line of reinforcing stereotypes, but overall pretty good.
buymeathriller1215's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
vikhughes's review
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
vtlism's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn't much enjoy the weird message about drugs, nor was the plot or characters super compelling. I liked the sensory writing (she uses lots of scents relative to other writers) and the sassiness of the (pretty flat) main character
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
3.5
Summary:
People have been dying suddenly and horribly in Puerto Rico. Worse – all the deaths seem to have something in common. The people. Lupe and Javier are both personally invested in getting to the bottom of these deaths. The problem? They'll have to survive each other – and the danger at hand.
As they dig into the mystery, a question keeps rising to the surface. Is this a murderer? Or a monster?
Review:
So, Five Midnights has been on my TBR list for...checks notes...four years. Ouch! Sorry about that one. I hate it when time gets between me and my books! Tell me I'm not the only one this happens to.
Anyway, I'm here now, and overall, I have to say that I enjoyed this read. I wish the paranormal elements appeared a bit sooner, though, as the first chunk of the book reader is more of a YA thriller (which is fine, but not what I had anticipated).
The author did a brilliant job describing the world – I almost said it felt real, which tells you how much fantasy I've been reading lately. Instead, I'll say that her writing made it feel like we were really there. That was the biggest highlight for me.
Overall, Five Midnights is an interesting read. It's odd and creative in equal measure and is probably worth checking out for anybody curious.
Highlights:
Murder Mystery
Paranormal Elements
Thriller
Curses & Friendships
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
People have been dying suddenly and horribly in Puerto Rico. Worse – all the deaths seem to have something in common. The people. Lupe and Javier are both personally invested in getting to the bottom of these deaths. The problem? They'll have to survive each other – and the danger at hand.
As they dig into the mystery, a question keeps rising to the surface. Is this a murderer? Or a monster?
Review:
So, Five Midnights has been on my TBR list for...checks notes...four years. Ouch! Sorry about that one. I hate it when time gets between me and my books! Tell me I'm not the only one this happens to.
Anyway, I'm here now, and overall, I have to say that I enjoyed this read. I wish the paranormal elements appeared a bit sooner, though, as the first chunk of the book reader is more of a YA thriller (which is fine, but not what I had anticipated).
The author did a brilliant job describing the world – I almost said it felt real, which tells you how much fantasy I've been reading lately. Instead, I'll say that her writing made it feel like we were really there. That was the biggest highlight for me.
Overall, Five Midnights is an interesting read. It's odd and creative in equal measure and is probably worth checking out for anybody curious.
Highlights:
Murder Mystery
Paranormal Elements
Thriller
Curses & Friendships
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
emilyforrer's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
This was pretty solid! I liked the discussion of the colonization of Puerto Rico and why people get involved in gangs and drugs. But the pacing wasn't for me, and I feel like it wrapped up a little too quick. Definitely kept me reading though.
ernestoneto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
adequate_squatch's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, but by the time I got to the halfway mark, I just wanted it to be over. The characters were pretty flat and on rails, which made it hard for me to root for them. The ending in particular felt forced, like the characters and bystanders were just marionettes dancing to the author's tune.
I did appreciate that Five Midnights examined themes of gentrification, gangs, and interracial families, even if it was in a kind of surface level way (which, yeah, it's a YA novel). I also enjoyed the descriptions of Puerto Rico and its different areas, and the food in particular.
I did appreciate that Five Midnights examined themes of gentrification, gangs, and interracial families, even if it was in a kind of surface level way (which, yeah, it's a YA novel). I also enjoyed the descriptions of Puerto Rico and its different areas, and the food in particular.
thejosiemarie's review against another edition
4.0
Great and steady pace with convincing characters and a motivating narrative. It's wonderful to see more diverse reads out there. Can't wait to see more of these characters in the future.