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Midnight Meanders
William Spencer is troubled not only by stereotypical teen angst, but by an invisible disease that seems to be picking his mind apart day by day, leaving him with an unyielding hollow emptiness. His strange, yet somewhat effective method of coping involves many light-night walks, armed with a pen in his hand and a poem in his mind.
199 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2014
8 people want to read
About the author
Annika Jensen
3 books6 followersGettysburg College student, author of Midnight Meanders, casual crime fighter
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 2, 2015
Memorable – Beautiful Prose – Reflective – One of this year’s favorites
Annika reached out to me at the beginning of the year with an offer to read and review Midnight Meanders. It took me a while, and I finally got around to reading it in July.
What a beautiful novel, full of friendship, faith, spirituality, the search for purpose, love, and connection. This book reached inside of me, and took me back to my own adolescence struggling with mental illness myself; to now where at 25. I could relate to the main character Williams struggles.
William is an interesting character. Angsty, and sometimes numb, with reasons he explores throughout his midnight walks, we see him searching outwards in the beginning and finding solace inside him. When he picks up a pen and follows his intuition he is carried away to other places, and yet it is his way to connect to the world, to makes sense of it. While this embarrasses him at times, I love the journey I took with him to finding what he enjoys doing and how it ties things together.
There were times when he made me angry and smile, his struggle was one that was relatable, and Annika got to the heart of what it feels like to have depression and anxiety and to have to walk in the world not knowing, wandering, lost, until finally the light is switched back on and those realizations hit you, and fill you up.
Annika captured the honest rawness of adolescence in each of the characters whose voices were authentic to the times and culture of today. The exploration of identity and autonomy, of finding yourself in the life you live, instead of running from it, and seeing that stagnation of your history as your dreams start chasing you, was a powerful and emotionally provoking rabbit hole at times. Thankfully Annika wrote with humor and heart, pulling together a range of experiences that are prevalent in coming of age and bringing them together in a simple and engaging way.
There were a few scenes where I was tearing up, one in particular when the character explored his own faith. While I do not follow that particular religion or path it reminded me, and reconnected me with my own path, the one that we sometimes let go of, or think has disappeared when we need only to reach out and pick up that book, that pen and say a prayer or connect with Divine just to know that there is no separation.
I felt that throughout the entire book, that everything meant something and that the story was about the faith of connection, and people, and reaching out and allowing people in. That scene changed my life, it altered my perspective. It brought me back to my own passions throughout the whole book, and it made me care deeply about William and Leila – who found each other through their art and honesty. I know how it feels to find someone who gets you, who listens, who is willing to admit their truths. It is freeing.
I wanted to share two out of many of my favorite quotes from the book [I post it noted this like crazy] that I feel anchored me to this story. One is from the beginning and the other near the ending. These made me ache with understanding, tear up and scream inside – YES- oh my god yes…I feel this..I know this.
“He looked ragged in his old grey hoodie and sweatpants, big headphones taped up at the sides from overuse and excess of love”
&
“I was born on the wrong planet’ he thought. “I was never meant to wait around in school for twelve years and then sit at a desk for the rest of my life. I’m not equipped to change this world.”
I loved this book. I will read anything else by Annika a hundred times over and I will be re-reading this one again.
I recommend it for all you outcasts, the ones who feel like loners, the ones struggling inside to find their purpose or passions in the world. This is for all of those young adults or adults who feel that creative tug, the life inside of them in there, but can’t reach it and want someone to relate to, to connect to, to know that you are not alone, because you aren’t.
This is for lovers of friendship, and the power of books and words, and finding your truth. If there is one thing I took from this book is that we all have a path that we choose, and yet that chooses us. We can find beauty in everything in life if we are willing to change our perception and when we reach out, we can understand we are not separated at all from humanity or from ourselves. And never were.
Read it.
Thank you Annika for trusting me with your book.
Annika reached out to me at the beginning of the year with an offer to read and review Midnight Meanders. It took me a while, and I finally got around to reading it in July.
What a beautiful novel, full of friendship, faith, spirituality, the search for purpose, love, and connection. This book reached inside of me, and took me back to my own adolescence struggling with mental illness myself; to now where at 25. I could relate to the main character Williams struggles.
William is an interesting character. Angsty, and sometimes numb, with reasons he explores throughout his midnight walks, we see him searching outwards in the beginning and finding solace inside him. When he picks up a pen and follows his intuition he is carried away to other places, and yet it is his way to connect to the world, to makes sense of it. While this embarrasses him at times, I love the journey I took with him to finding what he enjoys doing and how it ties things together.
There were times when he made me angry and smile, his struggle was one that was relatable, and Annika got to the heart of what it feels like to have depression and anxiety and to have to walk in the world not knowing, wandering, lost, until finally the light is switched back on and those realizations hit you, and fill you up.
Annika captured the honest rawness of adolescence in each of the characters whose voices were authentic to the times and culture of today. The exploration of identity and autonomy, of finding yourself in the life you live, instead of running from it, and seeing that stagnation of your history as your dreams start chasing you, was a powerful and emotionally provoking rabbit hole at times. Thankfully Annika wrote with humor and heart, pulling together a range of experiences that are prevalent in coming of age and bringing them together in a simple and engaging way.
There were a few scenes where I was tearing up, one in particular when the character explored his own faith. While I do not follow that particular religion or path it reminded me, and reconnected me with my own path, the one that we sometimes let go of, or think has disappeared when we need only to reach out and pick up that book, that pen and say a prayer or connect with Divine just to know that there is no separation.
I felt that throughout the entire book, that everything meant something and that the story was about the faith of connection, and people, and reaching out and allowing people in. That scene changed my life, it altered my perspective. It brought me back to my own passions throughout the whole book, and it made me care deeply about William and Leila – who found each other through their art and honesty. I know how it feels to find someone who gets you, who listens, who is willing to admit their truths. It is freeing.
I wanted to share two out of many of my favorite quotes from the book [I post it noted this like crazy] that I feel anchored me to this story. One is from the beginning and the other near the ending. These made me ache with understanding, tear up and scream inside – YES- oh my god yes…I feel this..I know this.
“He looked ragged in his old grey hoodie and sweatpants, big headphones taped up at the sides from overuse and excess of love”
&
“I was born on the wrong planet’ he thought. “I was never meant to wait around in school for twelve years and then sit at a desk for the rest of my life. I’m not equipped to change this world.”
I loved this book. I will read anything else by Annika a hundred times over and I will be re-reading this one again.
I recommend it for all you outcasts, the ones who feel like loners, the ones struggling inside to find their purpose or passions in the world. This is for all of those young adults or adults who feel that creative tug, the life inside of them in there, but can’t reach it and want someone to relate to, to connect to, to know that you are not alone, because you aren’t.
This is for lovers of friendship, and the power of books and words, and finding your truth. If there is one thing I took from this book is that we all have a path that we choose, and yet that chooses us. We can find beauty in everything in life if we are willing to change our perception and when we reach out, we can understand we are not separated at all from humanity or from ourselves. And never were.
Read it.
Thank you Annika for trusting me with your book.
July 24, 2014
Not many teenagers have their books published before they begin college. Annika Jensen, however, is an exception to this pattern. It is very possible that I actually would not have found this book as relatable had it been written by an adult because the book is told from a teenager's point of view.
That being said the protagonist of Midnight Meanders, William Spencer, is one of the most relatable characters I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. I feel like every teenager would find William relatable, whether or not they suffer from the same kind of depression and teen angst that William clearly has.
Leila and Sam are refreshing female leads, more realistic and less ditzy than how the majority of female characters are being portrayed in today's literature.
The language which the author uses is beautiful and captivating, creating a clear picture for the reader.
All in all I loved this book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and/or It's Kind of a Funny Story will love Midnight Meanders!
That being said the protagonist of Midnight Meanders, William Spencer, is one of the most relatable characters I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. I feel like every teenager would find William relatable, whether or not they suffer from the same kind of depression and teen angst that William clearly has.
Leila and Sam are refreshing female leads, more realistic and less ditzy than how the majority of female characters are being portrayed in today's literature.
The language which the author uses is beautiful and captivating, creating a clear picture for the reader.
All in all I loved this book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and/or It's Kind of a Funny Story will love Midnight Meanders!
June 4, 2015
Will meanders round his neighbourhood when he should be getting a good night's sleep. He is in love with the night, and his turning point comes when he meets someone else with the same foible. This is a story featuring two creative young people who are each troubled by their backgrounds. The strategies they use to overcome their fears and anxieties are all the more valuable coming as they do from the skilful pen of one who is herself still a high school student.
June 12, 2015
As a teen myself, the first thing I noticed about this book was how accurate it is. The way the characters speak, the thoughts and conflicts going through their minds...the author does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of being a teenager. William is a complex and believable character, and I loved the balance between humor and true humanity in this very touching story. Another one, please?
August 24, 2014
This is an enjoyable, thought-provoking book dealing with teenage pressures and angst as the main character struggles to establish his identity. A solid coming-of-age novel demonstrating that on the journey through the teenage years, mistakes will be made but the obstacles will be overcome with the help[ of supportive friends.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews