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A review by jessicabeckett
The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz
5.0
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I was one of the tour stops for the BLOG TOUR of this book, through Xpresso Book Tours. You can see my review on my blog, as well, here. I received an electronic copy of this novel for review purposes. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
There's something deliriously beautiful about the world portrayed in The Midnight Dance. It is both utterly compelling and deliciously dark, leaving readers on the edge of their seat for the duration of the novel. Perhaps one of the most stunning debuts in YA fiction this year, fans of [a:Cassandra Clare|150038|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1270502031p2/150038.jpg];s The Infernal Devices trilogy and [a:Jacqueline Garlick|7192419|Jacqueline Garlick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1501685832p2/7192419.jpg]'s The Illumination Paradox, will flock to the way in which The Midnight Dance is crafted.
One of the most striking things about the novel is the chill you are often faced whilst reading it. You cannot escape it--not even at the beginning. That feeling of wrongness about the central mystery of the book. This fact makes The Midnight Dance standout in terms of other releases this year. Well, that, and the cover (seriously--I need to get my hands on a copy to photograph it and reread ASAP).
As a whole, there's this uniqueness about it that really pulls you into the story--there's that thrilling aspect to it that toys with your nerves. The Midnight Dance, always, has a romance that does not make the story suffer for. I found that the tangles of genre and suspense really make the novel a fast pace read. I devoured it in one sitting because I simply could not put it down.
I didn't want it. I've been nursing a wicked book hangover ever since.
Everything is well plot and entwined with the central story. Nearly every tick, every intricate detail pulls at a thread until all is unraveled and we are faced with the truth about Master and his school for girls. Katz does a wonderful job to write compelling characters that balance out the darkness that the story holds--you can certainly see how much work went into tying these moments into the bigger picture.
Honestly, my skin crawled at so much in this. From Penny's inability to remember times in her life, to her determination in knowing that something was wrong, there isn't a single moment that goes by in The Midnight Dance where the suspense of it all sends your heart into a frenzy and the goosebumps begin to appear. While the story develops, and the reader puts pieces together, there are a few lighter moments in the thick of it; like the bond the girls share with one another at the school and the romance between Penny and Cricket.
I loved the way the timeline was split in two--the Master before creating the school, his motives for doing so, and then after--and found it to be really satisfying. It helped with the general flow of things (even though it didn't need that boost--that's how good it is) and put us in the minds of two very but no less captivating characters: Penny and Cirillo.
If you're looking for a novel that is suspenseful, chilling and twinged with just a bit of romance, The Midnight Dance is for you. I can't stress how much fun I had with this book. I straight up loved it and can feel it in my bones that it's not only one of my favourite releases this year, but now one of my favourites of all-time.
I can't recommend it enough.
Can I give it more than five stars?
I was one of the tour stops for the BLOG TOUR of this book, through Xpresso Book Tours. You can see my review on my blog, as well, here. I received an electronic copy of this novel for review purposes. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
There's something deliriously beautiful about the world portrayed in The Midnight Dance. It is both utterly compelling and deliciously dark, leaving readers on the edge of their seat for the duration of the novel. Perhaps one of the most stunning debuts in YA fiction this year, fans of [a:Cassandra Clare|150038|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1270502031p2/150038.jpg];s The Infernal Devices trilogy and [a:Jacqueline Garlick|7192419|Jacqueline Garlick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1501685832p2/7192419.jpg]'s The Illumination Paradox, will flock to the way in which The Midnight Dance is crafted.
One of the most striking things about the novel is the chill you are often faced whilst reading it. You cannot escape it--not even at the beginning. That feeling of wrongness about the central mystery of the book. This fact makes The Midnight Dance standout in terms of other releases this year. Well, that, and the cover (seriously--I need to get my hands on a copy to photograph it and reread ASAP).
As a whole, there's this uniqueness about it that really pulls you into the story--there's that thrilling aspect to it that toys with your nerves. The Midnight Dance, always, has a romance that does not make the story suffer for. I found that the tangles of genre and suspense really make the novel a fast pace read. I devoured it in one sitting because I simply could not put it down.
I didn't want it. I've been nursing a wicked book hangover ever since.
Everything is well plot and entwined with the central story. Nearly every tick, every intricate detail pulls at a thread until all is unraveled and we are faced with the truth about Master and his school for girls. Katz does a wonderful job to write compelling characters that balance out the darkness that the story holds--you can certainly see how much work went into tying these moments into the bigger picture.
Honestly, my skin crawled at so much in this. From Penny's inability to remember times in her life, to her determination in knowing that something was wrong, there isn't a single moment that goes by in The Midnight Dance where the suspense of it all sends your heart into a frenzy and the goosebumps begin to appear. While the story develops, and the reader puts pieces together, there are a few lighter moments in the thick of it; like the bond the girls share with one another at the school and the romance between Penny and Cricket.
I loved the way the timeline was split in two--the Master before creating the school, his motives for doing so, and then after--and found it to be really satisfying. It helped with the general flow of things (even though it didn't need that boost--that's how good it is) and put us in the minds of two very but no less captivating characters: Penny and Cirillo.
If you're looking for a novel that is suspenseful, chilling and twinged with just a bit of romance, The Midnight Dance is for you. I can't stress how much fun I had with this book. I straight up loved it and can feel it in my bones that it's not only one of my favourite releases this year, but now one of my favourites of all-time.
I can't recommend it enough.
Can I give it more than five stars?