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The Midnight Club
Four friends. A campus reunion. A dark new way to relive the past.
“How could you leave the past undisturbed when it was hiding parts of you from yourself?”
It’s been twenty-five years since The Midnight Club last convened. A tight-knit group of college friends bonded by late nights at the campus literary magazine, they’re also bonded by something the death of their brilliant friend Jennet junior year. But now, decades later, a mysterious invitation has pulled them back to the pine-shrouded Vermont town where it all began.
As the estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion, they soon learn that their host has an ulterior she wants them to uncover the truth about the night Jennet died, and she’s provided them with an extraordinary method—a secret substance that helps them not only remember but relive the past.
But each one of the friends has something to hide. And the more they question each other, the deeper they dive into their own memories, the more they understand that nothing they thought they knew about their college years, and that fateful night, is true.
Twisty, nostalgic, and emotionally thrilling, The Midnight Club explores that innate desire to revisit our first loves, our biggest mistakes, and the gulf between who we are and who we hoped we’d be.
“How could you leave the past undisturbed when it was hiding parts of you from yourself?”
It’s been twenty-five years since The Midnight Club last convened. A tight-knit group of college friends bonded by late nights at the campus literary magazine, they’re also bonded by something the death of their brilliant friend Jennet junior year. But now, decades later, a mysterious invitation has pulled them back to the pine-shrouded Vermont town where it all began.
As the estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion, they soon learn that their host has an ulterior she wants them to uncover the truth about the night Jennet died, and she’s provided them with an extraordinary method—a secret substance that helps them not only remember but relive the past.
But each one of the friends has something to hide. And the more they question each other, the deeper they dive into their own memories, the more they understand that nothing they thought they knew about their college years, and that fateful night, is true.
Twisty, nostalgic, and emotionally thrilling, The Midnight Club explores that innate desire to revisit our first loves, our biggest mistakes, and the gulf between who we are and who we hoped we’d be.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2024
169 people are currently reading
13410 people want to read
About the author
Margot Harrison
7 books274 followersMargot Harrison was raised in the wilds of New York by lovely, nonviolent parents who somehow never managed to prevent her from staying up late to read scary books. She now works at an alt-weekly newspaper in Vermont, where her favorite part of the job is, of course, reviewing scary books and movies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
June 4, 2024
I devoured THE MIDNIGHT CLUB. It's a smart, surprising, and gripping mystery about the reality that we can't change who we were back in college, but we'd all be a lot better off if we could. And, for the characters in this fine novel, one of them might even still be alive.
September 6, 2024
This book wormed (sogged?) its way into my dreams. No, really! Over the course of the days I read it, I kept dreaming that I was asleep but I was also standing next to my sleeping body, watching it.
Partly fantastical, partly mysterious, wholly suspenseful, I had a blast with this novel. Naturally, I loved that it takes place in Vermont.
The story is straightforward, in a circuitous kind of way. Back and forth-ing in time. What was? What is? So many questions. So many gaps in information. She's a skilled puppet master, Harrison is.
And a skilled verbologist as well (yeah: I made up a new word).
This passage, in particular, reverberated inside me like a cannonball:
"Being young is like being on drugs. The sky is bigger and the sunsets are redder and every new outfit you buy is gonna change your life. Every new friend you make is going to be your friend forever. Time is so deep you could drown in an afternoon."
Lots to think about in this story. Lots to love about the setting, the characters, and the big mystery at the center of it all.
A darn good read.
Partly fantastical, partly mysterious, wholly suspenseful, I had a blast with this novel. Naturally, I loved that it takes place in Vermont.
The story is straightforward, in a circuitous kind of way. Back and forth-ing in time. What was? What is? So many questions. So many gaps in information. She's a skilled puppet master, Harrison is.
And a skilled verbologist as well (yeah: I made up a new word).
This passage, in particular, reverberated inside me like a cannonball:
"Being young is like being on drugs. The sky is bigger and the sunsets are redder and every new outfit you buy is gonna change your life. Every new friend you make is going to be your friend forever. Time is so deep you could drown in an afternoon."
Lots to think about in this story. Lots to love about the setting, the characters, and the big mystery at the center of it all.
A darn good read.
January 12, 2025
“The midnight club” was not at all what I expected! I went into this book relatively blind, except for briefly scanning the synopsis and being captured by the beautiful book cover.
This story was created by the author over multiple decades, the perspective from her youth and the wisdom of going through the experiences and a motions from youth to adult, and how that shapes our mindset and thought patterns.. which is very apt for the plot of the book as it leaves the reader with an open mind and questions about their own lives and choices they may never have thought of before.
The plot follows a group of friends from college who experience a new type of drug that allows you to time travel in a sense, and catch glimpses of the future. Although your physical body stays in the present, your mind is opened to memories and flashes of experiences in the future.
The premise is that our bodies have already lived through our whole lives and our brains already store the knowledge and experience of our future, and the drug just unlocks parts of the brain that allow us to access those memories.
Although things go wrong and one member of the group winds up dead, leaving the rest to go their separate ways. Flash forward to many years later, one member of the group invites them all to return to their pasts and gather together once more to honour their dead. Although there is an ulterior motive and they are looking to find out the truth as to who and how their friend came to pass.
As an adult the same drug now allows to you relieve the memories of the past, they agree to partake to attempt to piece together the events of that dreadful night and finally reveal some truths.
This book was definitely unique with an interesting premise that engages the reader to open their mind. It also makes me question as to whether we only exist in the present moment, or whether our lives have already played out in full and we are long gone, yet our conscious is still catching up and going through the motions of our existence..
Would recommend this book if you are open to deep thinking, alternate reality possibilities, and mystery / suspense with magical / sci fi feels to it
This story was created by the author over multiple decades, the perspective from her youth and the wisdom of going through the experiences and a motions from youth to adult, and how that shapes our mindset and thought patterns.. which is very apt for the plot of the book as it leaves the reader with an open mind and questions about their own lives and choices they may never have thought of before.
The plot follows a group of friends from college who experience a new type of drug that allows you to time travel in a sense, and catch glimpses of the future. Although your physical body stays in the present, your mind is opened to memories and flashes of experiences in the future.
The premise is that our bodies have already lived through our whole lives and our brains already store the knowledge and experience of our future, and the drug just unlocks parts of the brain that allow us to access those memories.
Although things go wrong and one member of the group winds up dead, leaving the rest to go their separate ways. Flash forward to many years later, one member of the group invites them all to return to their pasts and gather together once more to honour their dead. Although there is an ulterior motive and they are looking to find out the truth as to who and how their friend came to pass.
As an adult the same drug now allows to you relieve the memories of the past, they agree to partake to attempt to piece together the events of that dreadful night and finally reveal some truths.
This book was definitely unique with an interesting premise that engages the reader to open their mind. It also makes me question as to whether we only exist in the present moment, or whether our lives have already played out in full and we are long gone, yet our conscious is still catching up and going through the motions of our existence..
Would recommend this book if you are open to deep thinking, alternate reality possibilities, and mystery / suspense with magical / sci fi feels to it
Read
June 10, 2024Unfortunately a DNF. The writing isn’t bad by any means but couldn’t make my way through to its entirety.
September 8, 2025
Book cover is beautiful, ending made me scream wth how dare you!
September 24, 2024
𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘨 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴....𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵? 👀
THIS BOOK‼️‼️ Gosh! WOW! 😱😱 Ngl I was confused half the time (the good kind) with all the "sogging" (the verb they use when experiencing the drug), because I was basically on the edge of my seat begging for the book to reveal what really happened on May 1989
I loved the characters, the plot, and the dual 3rd person POVs. Don’t mistake the two POVs as a romantic angle because once you see how they clash, I WAS LIKE, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 🤯
This book centers around a mystery that everyone knows happened, and what better way to see if something was missed than to do a friends reunion and use the same drugs that 'sogs' you backwards (to your past) once you hit a certain adult age.
The concept is so freaking cool! The obsession with memories and how the brain handles voluntary vs. involuntary memories was a perspective I’d never considered before.
If you love solving mysteries with a touch of magical realism, this book is definitely for you!
Thank you, NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing, for the eARC and my physical copy! 📚💖
THIS BOOK‼️‼️ Gosh! WOW! 😱😱 Ngl I was confused half the time (the good kind) with all the "sogging" (the verb they use when experiencing the drug), because I was basically on the edge of my seat begging for the book to reveal what really happened on May 1989
I loved the characters, the plot, and the dual 3rd person POVs. Don’t mistake the two POVs as a romantic angle because once you see how they clash, I WAS LIKE, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 🤯
This book centers around a mystery that everyone knows happened, and what better way to see if something was missed than to do a friends reunion and use the same drugs that 'sogs' you backwards (to your past) once you hit a certain adult age.
The concept is so freaking cool! The obsession with memories and how the brain handles voluntary vs. involuntary memories was a perspective I’d never considered before.
If you love solving mysteries with a touch of magical realism, this book is definitely for you!
Thank you, NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing, for the eARC and my physical copy! 📚💖
September 18, 2024
The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison is a mystery story about four college friends who get together to pay tribute to a missing member.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
It's been 25 years since four college students got together in a group they called The Midnight Club. They were close friends, but the death of their friend Jennet bonded them, so when Auraleigh invited Sonia, Paul and Byron to a reunion, they agreed to stay in her new B&B.
The four have become estranged, and the trust they had for each other in college, no longer exists. They all have secrets, and memories of Jennet that they probably shouldn't explore together. But that is exactly what Auraleigh wants. She wants to uncover the truth as to what truly happened the night Jennet died.
Auraleigh is providing them with a drug called "sog" that will let them relive their past. Sonia has already used this drug, back in college, but hadn't told anyone. She fell hard for the guy that gave it to her, and still holds those feelings. Not surprisingly, he, too, is in town. But now he is against the use of the drug.
But the group takes the drug every night, diving deep into their memories, and discovering that they may not have remembered the past correctly.
My Opinions:
First, the book is about a drug that allows you to travel in time. When you are young and take it, you travel forward. When you are older, you travel backward. Or it's all in your imagination. You decide. It raises the question...if you could go back in time and change something, would you? The book is about friendship, love, regret, and letting go. It is also about depression and suicide. In some ways, it is a very sad book.
The story is told by both Sonia and Byron, so you get two perspectives, and it is told in two time-lines - then and now. It was actually fairly straight-forward.
I loved the premise, but felt it really dragged at the beginning, so I had a hard time getting into it. As well, I couldn't stand Auraleigh or Paul. They were both obnoxious in their own ways.
As interesting as the characters were, I couldn't connect with them, and there was no true excitement. It dragged on, and by the end I still didn't really care what had happened to Jennet. Overall, it was a good book, but I felt it just lacked something - for me.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
January 25, 2025
“Who could grasp the present without understanding the past?” What an incredible concept for a book! Imagine taking a drug as a young person to see your future or as an older person to revisit your past. It sounds so intriguing—then add a mystery involving the death of a long-lost friend, and using this drug to uncover the truth? The potential is immense. Unfortunately, it felt like a misuse of really great material.
The main problem is the lack of connection between the characters. At no point does the story establish enough depth for me to care about where it was heading. I kept reading, hanging on to discover how this girl died, but by the time we reach the reveal, it’s underwhelming. The conclusion isn’t shocking or particularly revealing, and the explanation is poorly executed.
It feels like the book wants to be both philosophical and an exploration of time—how it shapes us, how the past and present interact, and how time might not follow a linear path but instead exist in a cyclical or layered form. And while there are moments where it does this decently, the main premise of solving the murder gets lost. You don’t get a clear understanding of how this group of friends came together or why they’re reconnecting now. The stakes never feel high, and the urgency to solve the mystery just isn’t there.
What really could have elevated the story is a deeper exploration of the drug itself and the characters’ addiction to it. These kids are taking the drug to see their futures, but it’s so extreme that they’re caught in this disorienting loop, constantly questioning whether they’re in the past or the present. The whole time I was reading, I couldn’t help but think, “This is just a group of addicts.” If the author had leaned into this aspect—showing the effects of the drug, the compulsion to use it, and how it influences their decisions—the story could have been far more compelling.
As it stands, nothing about this book came together in a way that I found enjoyable. It’s wild to me that such a cool idea ended up being this boring. I really only gave it 2 stars because I loved the foundation, but sadly, nothing strong was built on top of it.
The main problem is the lack of connection between the characters. At no point does the story establish enough depth for me to care about where it was heading. I kept reading, hanging on to discover how this girl died, but by the time we reach the reveal, it’s underwhelming. The conclusion isn’t shocking or particularly revealing, and the explanation is poorly executed.
It feels like the book wants to be both philosophical and an exploration of time—how it shapes us, how the past and present interact, and how time might not follow a linear path but instead exist in a cyclical or layered form. And while there are moments where it does this decently, the main premise of solving the murder gets lost. You don’t get a clear understanding of how this group of friends came together or why they’re reconnecting now. The stakes never feel high, and the urgency to solve the mystery just isn’t there.
What really could have elevated the story is a deeper exploration of the drug itself and the characters’ addiction to it. These kids are taking the drug to see their futures, but it’s so extreme that they’re caught in this disorienting loop, constantly questioning whether they’re in the past or the present. The whole time I was reading, I couldn’t help but think, “This is just a group of addicts.” If the author had leaned into this aspect—showing the effects of the drug, the compulsion to use it, and how it influences their decisions—the story could have been far more compelling.
As it stands, nothing about this book came together in a way that I found enjoyable. It’s wild to me that such a cool idea ended up being this boring. I really only gave it 2 stars because I loved the foundation, but sadly, nothing strong was built on top of it.
March 13, 2024
[received arc from netgalley and harlequin trade publishing, thank you!]
ideally an emotional, claustrophobic thriller about past lives and hope for second chances, this book struggles to nail the elements that it needs to succeed where it wants to. for a character-based narrative, the characters that we spend the majority of the narrative with aren't given the proper time to stretch out and establish themselves, and the stakes of the book are hand-wavey and vague. in particular, i was never really convinced that any of these people are friends, much less why any of them are so committed to unearthing their past. i thought that certain aspects of the plot's main 'device' were intriguing, and would've loved to see a bigger payoff of those elements towards the end. sort of a letdown for me!
ideally an emotional, claustrophobic thriller about past lives and hope for second chances, this book struggles to nail the elements that it needs to succeed where it wants to. for a character-based narrative, the characters that we spend the majority of the narrative with aren't given the proper time to stretch out and establish themselves, and the stakes of the book are hand-wavey and vague. in particular, i was never really convinced that any of these people are friends, much less why any of them are so committed to unearthing their past. i thought that certain aspects of the plot's main 'device' were intriguing, and would've loved to see a bigger payoff of those elements towards the end. sort of a letdown for me!
April 17, 2024
I found the Midnight Club to be highly entertaining, original and a fun read! This unique time travel novel is about a group of college friends who meet as adults and try to figure out how a friend died by ingesting a substance that takes their mind back in time to relive those moments before their friend’s death.
I really enjoyed this book. I found the story to be engaging, the characters were well fleshed out, and the time travel elements quite imaginative. It was a quick read because it was so engrossing, and I was fully invested in finding out who was responsible for their friends death.
Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I found the story to be engaging, the characters were well fleshed out, and the time travel elements quite imaginative. It was a quick read because it was so engrossing, and I was fully invested in finding out who was responsible for their friends death.
Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2024
Thank you to Graydon House for the digital copy to review.
I went into this one blind and therefore was not expecting the sci fi element, but I thought it worked well. It is a fascinating premise that was executed well, and sometimes I can easily get lost in and/or confused in time travel books but I did not in this one, in fact it was very easy to follow. I enjoyed this very much and think that most who pick this one up will really enjoy it overall.
I went into this one blind and therefore was not expecting the sci fi element, but I thought it worked well. It is a fascinating premise that was executed well, and sometimes I can easily get lost in and/or confused in time travel books but I did not in this one, in fact it was very easy to follow. I enjoyed this very much and think that most who pick this one up will really enjoy it overall.
March 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC copy of The Midnight Club.
Oof. I LOVED the idea of this story, but I did not love the execution.
The idea of "sogging" either into the future or the past was really intriguing and definitely my favorite part of the book. I liked the concept of a time travel you couldn't precisely control. Unfortunately, there was so much constant switching between discussing the past, sogging to the past, being in the present, sogging to the future that I found myself having to go back multiple times to re-read when there was a time change with absolutely no warning.
The ending was also very frustrating. I was really invested in the mystery of Jennet's death being solved but there was no clear resolution.
2.5 stars. If I could sog back in time, I would skip reading this book 😬😅
Oof. I LOVED the idea of this story, but I did not love the execution.
The idea of "sogging" either into the future or the past was really intriguing and definitely my favorite part of the book. I liked the concept of a time travel you couldn't precisely control. Unfortunately, there was so much constant switching between discussing the past, sogging to the past, being in the present, sogging to the future that I found myself having to go back multiple times to re-read when there was a time change with absolutely no warning.
The ending was also very frustrating. I was really invested in the mystery of Jennet's death being solved but there was no clear resolution.
2.5 stars. If I could sog back in time, I would skip reading this book 😬😅
January 31, 2025
Read this one for book club. I will say that it kept me interested until the very end and then everything just went haywire for me. I think the idea for the book was good, but the relationship between the characters was so weird and sporadic that it was hard for me to get invested in them. I did like the explanation between voluntary and involuntary memories. I think the description of different types of memories and how we push back certain types of memories was accurate. All in all it was a decent read, I just didn’t like the ending.
March 14, 2024
If you could go back in time and change the past, would you?
That's the premise of Margot Harrison's novel The Midnight Club, which reunites four college friends—Sonia, Byron, Auraleigh, and Paul—25 years after the death of their friend Jennet.
While her death was labeled a suicide, Auraleigh is convinced that someone else was responsible for it. She was there the night Jennet died, but she blacked out and has no memory of what happened. She invites her friends back to their Vermont college town to relive their memories leading up to the night of Jennet’s death to uncover the truth.
By taking a drug called sog, they travel through their memories. Sog lets the young glimpse the future. For the older, it offers the chance to relive past memories. Bridging the gap between memory and reality — between what was and what might have been — is as captivating as it is haunting. But each of the four friends has secrets they don't want to be revealed.
Their shared grief and nostalgia coalesce into an examination of how choices reverberate through a life, both intentionally and unexpectedly. Harrison skillfully captures a universal yearning to comprehend the threads of our actions.
In the Behind the Book excerpt at the end of the novel (something I wish more books had), Harrison confesses that The Midnight Club was decades in the making. A project born from a college idea that required the vantage of a life more lived before she could tell the story in its current form. This maturity infuses the work with philosophical weight, urging us to consider what it means to be, as Harrison phrases it in the story, unstuck in time — looping between past regrets/nostalgia or endlessly seeking the future.
The Midnight Club is a page-turner that also invites thoughtful introspection. I wondered if, given the chance, I would dare alter my past. Like the characters in the book, I found that the answer to that question isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
This story, which I hope will be adapted for the screen, is one of my most memorable reads of the year.
The Midnight Club is a thrilling mystery and a contemplation on life, memory, and the inexorable march of time.
This is a SHARE.
The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison will be released on September 24, 2024.
That's the premise of Margot Harrison's novel The Midnight Club, which reunites four college friends—Sonia, Byron, Auraleigh, and Paul—25 years after the death of their friend Jennet.
While her death was labeled a suicide, Auraleigh is convinced that someone else was responsible for it. She was there the night Jennet died, but she blacked out and has no memory of what happened. She invites her friends back to their Vermont college town to relive their memories leading up to the night of Jennet’s death to uncover the truth.
By taking a drug called sog, they travel through their memories. Sog lets the young glimpse the future. For the older, it offers the chance to relive past memories. Bridging the gap between memory and reality — between what was and what might have been — is as captivating as it is haunting. But each of the four friends has secrets they don't want to be revealed.
Their shared grief and nostalgia coalesce into an examination of how choices reverberate through a life, both intentionally and unexpectedly. Harrison skillfully captures a universal yearning to comprehend the threads of our actions.
In the Behind the Book excerpt at the end of the novel (something I wish more books had), Harrison confesses that The Midnight Club was decades in the making. A project born from a college idea that required the vantage of a life more lived before she could tell the story in its current form. This maturity infuses the work with philosophical weight, urging us to consider what it means to be, as Harrison phrases it in the story, unstuck in time — looping between past regrets/nostalgia or endlessly seeking the future.
The Midnight Club is a page-turner that also invites thoughtful introspection. I wondered if, given the chance, I would dare alter my past. Like the characters in the book, I found that the answer to that question isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
This story, which I hope will be adapted for the screen, is one of my most memorable reads of the year.
The Midnight Club is a thrilling mystery and a contemplation on life, memory, and the inexorable march of time.
This is a SHARE.
The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison will be released on September 24, 2024.
February 13, 2025
Very cool concept, definitely kept me on the edge of my seat as the reunion progressed
April 14, 2024
I tried, but I just really couldn’t get into this.
The premise was interesting and that’s what initially pulled me in, however, there was nothing to latch onto. The characters weren’t relatable and the mystery was lacking for me. I loved the idea of a drug that could show you the past or the future, but something about this couldn’t hold my attention.
I would say out of everyone’s story, I was most interested in Sonia’s. I liked her best personally. I also liked how it was told from multiple povs.
I think I would be interested in reading other works by this author, but this one just fell flat for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!
The premise was interesting and that’s what initially pulled me in, however, there was nothing to latch onto. The characters weren’t relatable and the mystery was lacking for me. I loved the idea of a drug that could show you the past or the future, but something about this couldn’t hold my attention.
I would say out of everyone’s story, I was most interested in Sonia’s. I liked her best personally. I also liked how it was told from multiple povs.
I think I would be interested in reading other works by this author, but this one just fell flat for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!
October 16, 2024
3.5⭐️ A mystery that poses the question ‘If you could go back in time and change something, would you?’ An interesting premise, but it dragged a lot in the middle.
November 1, 2024
Four friends from college reunite 25 years later. These four were brought together in college while working on a literary magazine when they discover a drug that allows them to memory travel. Their junior year, one of them is murdered. As they come back together, they revisit the past in more way than one and one of them has the goal of uncovering the mystery of their friend’s death.
I enjoyed the story, but parts of it felt a little too like other books I have read lately. The characters were a little unlikeable and I struggled with that.
Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House Publishing for this ARC.
I enjoyed the story, but parts of it felt a little too like other books I have read lately. The characters were a little unlikeable and I struggled with that.
Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House Publishing for this ARC.
November 7, 2024
Four college friends experience the death of a close friend in their final years. 25 years later they come together to figure out once and for all - was it suicide or murder. Going back to relive memories turns into a confusion of the truth and the final push for acceptance.
Kinda of wanted to know what really happened, but along with the characters I had to sadly accept to be ok with not knowing.
Kinda of wanted to know what really happened, but along with the characters I had to sadly accept to be ok with not knowing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2025
This book had so much potential, but it sadly fell very, very short of my expectations. The plot was poorly executed, and lacked depth. The relationships between characters were extremely underdeveloped, and the element of mystery was minimal.
April 1, 2025
Why did this take me 1000 years to finish? I do not know. It was good, I could never get into a block of time to really become invested. But I finished and liked it overall.
May 6, 2025
I did speed read this on a plane trip and I think maybe if I had read it slower it would have been more interesting/philosophically intriguing but I did still enjoy it!
January 20, 2025
2.5 Meh. Esse tipo de história depende muito da construção dos personagens… e eu achei todo mundo muito patético. Tipo… não estava nem aí pra ninguém…todo mundo meio meh, irritante, chato, sei lá. O Hayworth, talvez, me fez sentir algumas coisas positivas em certos momentos, mas não o suficiente. E a definição empolgada de dark academia é misguided. Faltou academia e faltou um Richard. And that’s all I have to say about that
P.S.: mentira, acabei de lembrar que a história teve zero interesse em convencer a gente que as crianças devia existir com o sacrifício de Jen??? Quem se importa com as crianças???? Podre.
P.S.: mentira, acabei de lembrar que a história teve zero interesse em convencer a gente que as crianças devia existir com o sacrifício de Jen??? Quem se importa com as crianças???? Podre.
April 27, 2024
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. I loved the concept, it's a bit different from what I usually read but also familiar. I enjoyed reading the book, the prose was pretty and the mystery intriguing.
April 13, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.
There were a lot of things about The Midnight Club that were interesting but, unfortunately, it’s definitely lacking.
The premise is promising but I don’t know if it delivers. A group of friends, loss, the opportunity to see your future and relive your past. Would you do it if it meant finding out the truth about something horrible?
Told from multiple perspectives The Midnight Club is about a group of friends coming together for a reunion to hopefully relive a bit of their past and find out what happened one terrible night in May of 1989.
The time travel drug element of this book should work really well. It’s an enticing idea that anyone would consider. The problem is that the rules are never really outlined. Beyond when you’re young you see you’re future and when you’re older you see your past the pieces of what make this work and how it operates are never explained. Why is the past more vivid than the future? How does this exist? You can get unstuck in time (whatever that means) but what makes that happen? It almost seems to change depending on what needs to happen next and it seems to cheapen it.
This weird concoction is not the most unbelievable part of the book, however. No. I struggled to connect with any of these characters. They all come off as pretentious and selfish - which I suppose is just being human - but they also never really feel like they’re friends. Even when they’re young and supposedly close they don’t seem to know much about each other or care what’s going on and it really made me dislike all of them. It’s really hard to believe that after twenty five years four people would return for a multiple day reunion, staying in the same B & B when they never seemed to like each other in the first place.
I think that was why I struggled to enjoy this book. I do believe it has an audience and there is something to be said about nostalgia being unreliable which is a big part of this book. I guess I just am not the target for this one.
There were a lot of things about The Midnight Club that were interesting but, unfortunately, it’s definitely lacking.
The premise is promising but I don’t know if it delivers. A group of friends, loss, the opportunity to see your future and relive your past. Would you do it if it meant finding out the truth about something horrible?
Told from multiple perspectives The Midnight Club is about a group of friends coming together for a reunion to hopefully relive a bit of their past and find out what happened one terrible night in May of 1989.
The time travel drug element of this book should work really well. It’s an enticing idea that anyone would consider. The problem is that the rules are never really outlined. Beyond when you’re young you see you’re future and when you’re older you see your past the pieces of what make this work and how it operates are never explained. Why is the past more vivid than the future? How does this exist? You can get unstuck in time (whatever that means) but what makes that happen? It almost seems to change depending on what needs to happen next and it seems to cheapen it.
This weird concoction is not the most unbelievable part of the book, however. No. I struggled to connect with any of these characters. They all come off as pretentious and selfish - which I suppose is just being human - but they also never really feel like they’re friends. Even when they’re young and supposedly close they don’t seem to know much about each other or care what’s going on and it really made me dislike all of them. It’s really hard to believe that after twenty five years four people would return for a multiple day reunion, staying in the same B & B when they never seemed to like each other in the first place.
I think that was why I struggled to enjoy this book. I do believe it has an audience and there is something to be said about nostalgia being unreliable which is a big part of this book. I guess I just am not the target for this one.
January 29, 2025
I read this book for a new book club starting in my town, but I was actually excited for it because it seemed like the plot would be somewhat similar to the thriller/mystery books I usually prefer.
I thought the concept of a time traveling drug was neat, and was really interested in seeing how that aspect played out in helping them solve the murder of their friend Jenette.
The book fell flat for me in that there seemed to really be no real resolution. I'm fine with an ending that leaves me sad, uncomfortable, or a little mad at the author but as the reader I felt like answers were being withheld from me and all of the characters at the same time and the book never provides any kind of relief from the constant questioning. While the main point is to discover a killer that we aren't sure even exists, there are also lots of other holes in each of the character's stories that don't ever really get flushed out.
There were parts of this that were well written and I did enjoy how certain points of the book made me stop and think about the passing of time, how untrustworthy our own memories can be sometimes, and even how our memories of the exact same events can be so different from someone else's solely based on our thoughts and feelings and perceptions at the time. There were lots of paragraphs that I highlighted that really struck me as relatable to myself but also to human beings in general, and I enjoyed the book more so for those little quips interspersed throughout than I did the plot.
Overall, I think the book was okay and could be a sweet/entertaining palette cleanser for those of you who read more fast paced thrillers like I do. It definitely wasn't terrible, it just left me wanting more — not in the "I hope there's a second book" way, but in the "This could use 3-4 more chapters to actually tie everything together."
I did read that this author has previously written mostly/only YA and I recognized that in the writing style/choices in this novel.
I thought the concept of a time traveling drug was neat, and was really interested in seeing how that aspect played out in helping them solve the murder of their friend Jenette.
The book fell flat for me in that there seemed to really be no real resolution. I'm fine with an ending that leaves me sad, uncomfortable, or a little mad at the author but as the reader I felt like answers were being withheld from me and all of the characters at the same time and the book never provides any kind of relief from the constant questioning. While the main point is to discover a killer that we aren't sure even exists, there are also lots of other holes in each of the character's stories that don't ever really get flushed out.
There were parts of this that were well written and I did enjoy how certain points of the book made me stop and think about the passing of time, how untrustworthy our own memories can be sometimes, and even how our memories of the exact same events can be so different from someone else's solely based on our thoughts and feelings and perceptions at the time. There were lots of paragraphs that I highlighted that really struck me as relatable to myself but also to human beings in general, and I enjoyed the book more so for those little quips interspersed throughout than I did the plot.
Overall, I think the book was okay and could be a sweet/entertaining palette cleanser for those of you who read more fast paced thrillers like I do. It definitely wasn't terrible, it just left me wanting more — not in the "I hope there's a second book" way, but in the "This could use 3-4 more chapters to actually tie everything together."
I did read that this author has previously written mostly/only YA and I recognized that in the writing style/choices in this novel.
March 13, 2024
It took Margot Harrison 35 years to publish The Midnight Club and it was worth it because it is perfection! She began the first draft as a college student fixated on the idea of reliving childhood memories. She wrote the final draft as a middle-aged person drawing on memories of being a confused, alienated young adult. Putting that all together through many different iterations came a story that is so compelling, so enthralling, so very captivating that you literally don't want to put it down to do absolutely anything else.
Four estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion of "The Midnight Club", but soon learn that their host has more than just a reunion planned. She wants them to uncover the truth about the night their friend, Jennet, died in 1989. With the help of a powerful memory drug called Sog, they can not only remember the past, but RELIVE it.
Between both voluntary and involuntary memories, the truth behind the death of Jennet, becomes clearer but also opens the way for so many more questions within their circle. Can secrets and friendship coexist? How well do you really know your friends? If you could go back and change one thing in your past, would you do it? Even if it meant your future would be forever altered?
This was a 5 star read for me, hands down. This book will stay with me for a long, long time. Please, do yourself a favor, and get your hands on a copy when it comes out on September 24th, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for giving me the pleasure of reading this arc.
Four estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion of "The Midnight Club", but soon learn that their host has more than just a reunion planned. She wants them to uncover the truth about the night their friend, Jennet, died in 1989. With the help of a powerful memory drug called Sog, they can not only remember the past, but RELIVE it.
Between both voluntary and involuntary memories, the truth behind the death of Jennet, becomes clearer but also opens the way for so many more questions within their circle. Can secrets and friendship coexist? How well do you really know your friends? If you could go back and change one thing in your past, would you do it? Even if it meant your future would be forever altered?
This was a 5 star read for me, hands down. This book will stay with me for a long, long time. Please, do yourself a favor, and get your hands on a copy when it comes out on September 24th, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for giving me the pleasure of reading this arc.
September 22, 2024
Locked room mystery horror, yes please.
I read a lot of this type of book, it's my favorite scenario.
Lots of moving parts on this one, people, timelines, ND as always is there a unreliable narrator, in a book where perspective is everything?
This is a build and burn book pacing wise, Harrison let's the tension creep up as this story continues, and I slowly felt myself leaning into the book, literally!
Then let's add in that special substance that let's this group relive the past, the one where everyone is hiding a secret, but how dark are they?
Loved this book, it was a interesting twist on my usual locked room type scenario, and I'm looking forward to more.
I read a lot of this type of book, it's my favorite scenario.
Lots of moving parts on this one, people, timelines, ND as always is there a unreliable narrator, in a book where perspective is everything?
This is a build and burn book pacing wise, Harrison let's the tension creep up as this story continues, and I slowly felt myself leaning into the book, literally!
Then let's add in that special substance that let's this group relive the past, the one where everyone is hiding a secret, but how dark are they?
Loved this book, it was a interesting twist on my usual locked room type scenario, and I'm looking forward to more.
November 8, 2024
The description of The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison sounds like a great setup for mysterious drama of emotions and memories while addressing broader philosophical questions. Unfortunately, I struggled with the book. The jumping timelines make it a challenge at times to follow the story and to invest in the characters. Sadly, much as I was intrigued by the concept, I find myself not the reader for this book.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024...
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024...
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
dnf
May 14, 2024*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own*
Unfortunately this book isn’t for me. The premise sounded very interesting - going back in time to change the fate of a friend.
I just don’t think this was quite for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and didn’t really care what they were doing and why. The setup seemed like it took a while to get going and while I usually like duel timelines, I don’t know if it worked here.
Unfortunately this book isn’t for me. The premise sounded very interesting - going back in time to change the fate of a friend.
I just don’t think this was quite for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and didn’t really care what they were doing and why. The setup seemed like it took a while to get going and while I usually like duel timelines, I don’t know if it worked here.
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