A review by silberfederling
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Noah Stoffers

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This book will leave an impact on me.
It started a bit slow. I had a hard time getting into it, because the setting felt flat, the focus was very much on the protagonist Ari and the promised magic was missing.
But when stuff starts going downhill the mystery of the island Hilma unfolds and does not leave without changing everything forever. I like the subtle style of the magic. The magic, the other-world is not loud. It is a soft but strong otherness seeping into reality.

I like how queerness (specifically Ari being non-binary) is implemented in this setting. There is a bit of transphobia, but it is a plot-string, not everything the book is about. It is a detail of the protagonists life, something that describes their character and their experiences within this world.

It was a fun read.
But I would recommend to read the content warnings and remember them. Some detailes surprised me in the end.