Book Review: The Midnighters by Hana Tooke

The Midnighters
by Hana Tooke (j Tooke)

The Midnighters by Hana Tooke was recommended to me by a fourth-grade reading fanatic, and I was not disappointed. The book tells a peculiar story of an odd young girl who doesn’t fit in. But in order to save a friend, she finds the courage to embrace her oddities and discover the exceptional person that she is. (The Midnighters juvenile fiction book is not to be confused with the young adult Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld.)

 

Ema Vaskov is the 12th born of her siblings, born at the 12th hour on the 12th day of the 12th month in 1877 in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia. Her grandmother forebodes that all these twelves are hellish and will result in dark shadows—and a single eyeball.

 

The odds are stacked against Ema. Each of her siblings are extraordinary in the study of whatever sparks their interest—philosophy, anthropology, zoology, archeology, and physics. Even her parents are renowned for their work in meteorology and climatology. But Ema doesn’t have any scientific passions that others find worthwhile. Instead of passions, she has fears. She fears birthdays and the number 12. She senses dark emotions as shadows, studies bones, investigates facial “twitchology,” and is often forgotten and walks unseen. As each of Ema’s siblings leaves home, she fears that the things that she thinks are remarkable, aren’t really worth remark at all. Her only accomplishments are disappointing her parents and herself.

 

On her 12th birthday, Ema temporarily moves in with a quirky uncle and meets another girl named Silvie hanging like a bat in her window, right at midnight. Mysterious Silvie shows up around the same time every month at midnight to challenge Ema to face her fears and explore the city. Just when Ema is starting to gain confidence, Silvie disappears. Can fearful Ema be the only person who can save her?

 

The Midnighters is filled with secret societies, bats, cats, eyeballs, séances, flying whale skeletons, cemeteries, kolaches, and a murder mystery. Of course only someone with Ema’s exceptional abilities can uncover the truth. And perhaps she can finally earn the notice and respect of her parents, friends, and family as she discovers her own potential.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Winterhouse by Ben Guterson or City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab.)

 

( official The Midnighters book trailer ) | ( official Hana Tooke web site )

 

Recommended by Cindy K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

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