A review by teacupsandfirereads
The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

adventurous emotional hopeful
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I usually try to read a few of the book from the Canada Reads Longlist each year. The Midnight Bargain wasn't necessarily on my list for this year, but my book club picked it, so I picked it up. The first thing that comes to be is that Polk is a very talented writer and storyteller. The writing was easy and smooth and help the pages turn easily. The storyline and characters were a mix of a lot of things for me. I liked parted and others not so much. Fantasy/magic books are not really my thing. I wish Polk had built the backstory to this up a bit more. But I enjoyed the spirits, especially Nadi, she made me laugh a few times. Beatrice was lovely as a main character, though I did feel she lacked depth. She was headstrong and determined and I appreciated that for the times this story was set in. The inequality between men and women was a central theme of the book that I appreciated some aspects of and felt it spoke truth to reality, but at times it also felt a bit too drawn out. The romance aspect was interesting and I felt it went back and forth between being centre stages and a sideline. The friendship aspect was one I enjoyed more, and wanted more of at the end. This book did take a bit to get into, but I found myself enjoying it the more I got into it. Overall, I'm happy I was encouraged to pick it up and would recommend it, but not a priority.
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