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A review by meemzter
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
4.0
The Midnight Lie is a (medieval European ish?) fantasy novel about history, inequality, and of course, love. I believe this is technically YA, and it does have a few of the core components (first love, coming of age, self-discovery) but in terms of tone and plotting, it didn't always *feel* like YA to me. It was perhaps darker? More contemplative? Something? I don't exactly have my finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest books, but this one felt fresh and interesting to me, even though a few of the major plot twists were easy to guess before the narrator got around to discovering them.
The book started out pretty slow for me, but after the first few chapters picked up considerably. When I first started reading, I felt like there was a fog hanging over the story, and that I needed more detail and more background to get sucked in. Having finished the book, I now think that this was absolutely intentional, and it's to the author's credit that I, as a reader, underwent the same kind of awakening as the protagonist.
There's a lot of darkness and pain in this book - driven both by an unjust society and by the every day complexities of like... interacting with other humans. I found the exploration of Nirrim's struggle with loving someone who manipulated and abused her to be particularly well done. The romance in this story was also particularly memorable for me, in that it felt boldly, unapologetically real and complicated. This wasn't a fluffy ship to be shipped, this was the kind of love that is hard, that scares you.
The plot definitely had enough intrigue to keep me engaged, and wanting to know more. At times this book almost reads like a mystery novel, complete with a series of big reveals in the last few chapters. The ending of this book definitely surprised me. I honestly cannot imagine where the sequel is going to go, but I am excited to find out!
The book started out pretty slow for me, but after the first few chapters picked up considerably. When I first started reading, I felt like there was a fog hanging over the story, and that I needed more detail and more background to get sucked in. Having finished the book, I now think that this was absolutely intentional, and it's to the author's credit that I, as a reader, underwent the same kind of awakening as the protagonist.
There's a lot of darkness and pain in this book - driven both by an unjust society and by the every day complexities of like... interacting with other humans. I found the exploration of Nirrim's struggle with loving someone who manipulated and abused her to be particularly well done. The romance in this story was also particularly memorable for me, in that it felt boldly, unapologetically real and complicated. This wasn't a fluffy ship to be shipped, this was the kind of love that is hard, that scares you.
The plot definitely had enough intrigue to keep me engaged, and wanting to know more. At times this book almost reads like a mystery novel, complete with a series of big reveals in the last few chapters. The ending of this book definitely surprised me. I honestly cannot imagine where the sequel is going to go, but I am excited to find out!