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A review by libraryofclaire
The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
In her follow-up novel to "The Dark Tide," Alicia Jasinska once again stars angry girls in an enemies-to-lovers arc, but fails to capture the same magic and thrilling atmosphere as before.
While "The Midnight Girls" gets its points for having a gorgeous setting and magic dripping from every scene, it feels too rushed, too heavy-handed, and too simplistic.
One thing that truly did bother me about this book was the way trauma and abuse were handled. Both of our main characters are abused, and while one recognizes it, the other always makes excuses. Personally, I think this would have made an interesting dynamic if the abuser hadn't been made to seem so sympathetic and "did something good" at the end. It felt gross and sloppy, and we never see our main character realize that the abuse she suffered was wrong. This plot point should have been extremely nuanced, but Jasinska sacrifices the exploration of abuse for the romance instead.
I also feel as though Jasinka falls into the problem of having diverse side characters for the sake of having diverse side characters instead of letting them actually contribute to the plot. Which is heavily disappointing and a huge problem.
As with other Jasinska books, the romance felt very perfunctory and simplistic, which I don't always mind, but there is little-to-no character development here other than "angry girl gets less angry." Their romance almost feels forced and less romance than lust. Don't get me wrong, I love the "monsters loving monsters" trope, but I honestly wasn't in love with either character because they felt very two-dimensional.
My biggest complaint with this book is that there is so much going on — revolution, betrayal, abuse, romance — and it is all so incredibly complicated, and the reader never gets to see that explored. Decisions made by characters feel rushed or don't make sense. Also, there is some HEAVY plot magic going on to ensure these girls don't get caught after their first attempt on the prince.
After the Dark Tide, which felt more fairy tale than story and thus avoided many of the criticisms above, "The Midnight Girls" was a disappointment that could have held so much more potential.
While "The Midnight Girls" gets its points for having a gorgeous setting and magic dripping from every scene, it feels too rushed, too heavy-handed, and too simplistic.
One thing that truly did bother me about this book was the way trauma and abuse were handled. Both of our main characters are abused, and while one recognizes it, the other always makes excuses. Personally, I think this would have made an interesting dynamic if the abuser hadn't been made to seem so sympathetic and "did something good" at the end. It felt gross and sloppy, and we never see our main character realize that the abuse she suffered was wrong. This plot point should have been extremely nuanced, but Jasinska sacrifices the exploration of abuse for the romance instead.
I also feel as though Jasinka falls into the problem of having diverse side characters for the sake of having diverse side characters instead of letting them actually contribute to the plot. Which is heavily disappointing and a huge problem.
As with other Jasinska books, the romance felt very perfunctory and simplistic, which I don't always mind, but there is little-to-no character development here other than "angry girl gets less angry." Their romance almost feels forced and less romance than lust. Don't get me wrong, I love the "monsters loving monsters" trope, but I honestly wasn't in love with either character because they felt very two-dimensional.
My biggest complaint with this book is that there is so much going on — revolution, betrayal, abuse, romance — and it is all so incredibly complicated, and the reader never gets to see that explored. Decisions made by characters feel rushed or don't make sense. Also, there is some HEAVY plot magic going on to ensure these girls don't get caught after their first attempt on the prince.
After the Dark Tide, which felt more fairy tale than story and thus avoided many of the criticisms above, "The Midnight Girls" was a disappointment that could have held so much more potential.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: War