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The Midnighters
Find the courage to be extraordinary . . .
Ema Vašková has always felt different. In a family of famous scientists, there's not much room for superstition or omens -- but they seem to follow Ema wherever she goes. It doesn't help that she appears to predict events before they happen, and has a peculiar fear of shadows . . .
When Ema is sent to stay with her eccentric uncle in Prague, she fears she'll lose the chance to ever fit in. But then she meets Silvie -- a girl who finally sees Ema for the extraordinary person that she is. Soon the girls are meeting for secret midnight adventures, and facing Ema's fears together.
But then disaster strikes. Silvie goes missing -- and it's up to Ema to find her. Now she must gather the courage to hunt the city, find her friend, and uncover the secrets of the one clue Silvie left as to where she might be -- inside the mysterious Midnight Guild . . .
Ema Vašková has always felt different. In a family of famous scientists, there's not much room for superstition or omens -- but they seem to follow Ema wherever she goes. It doesn't help that she appears to predict events before they happen, and has a peculiar fear of shadows . . .
When Ema is sent to stay with her eccentric uncle in Prague, she fears she'll lose the chance to ever fit in. But then she meets Silvie -- a girl who finally sees Ema for the extraordinary person that she is. Soon the girls are meeting for secret midnight adventures, and facing Ema's fears together.
But then disaster strikes. Silvie goes missing -- and it's up to Ema to find her. Now she must gather the courage to hunt the city, find her friend, and uncover the secrets of the one clue Silvie left as to where she might be -- inside the mysterious Midnight Guild . . .
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
41 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
About the author
Hana Tooke
4 books123 followersHalf Dutch/English, Hana Tooke grew up near Amsterdam and moved to the south of England at the age of twelve. After completing a degree in music, and then a PGCE, Hana was a primary school teacher for several years. She also completed the Bath Spa University Writing for Young People MA, and The Unadoptables was shortlisted for The Bath Children's Novel Award 2018. Hana now lives in Bath with two humans and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 17, 2022
I really enjoyed this!! The Midnighters was the perfect blend of mystery, adventure and a pinch of magical realism, which made it a really entertaining story 🥰🥰
The story is about Ema, who is part of a sprawling family of talented scientists. She feels very unseen among all her siblings, and her parents never take much notice of her. But then she's sent to stay with her uncle in Prague, where she meets a peculiar girl called Silvie, who makes her feel seen. She and Silvie go on midnight capers to help get past Ema's fears- but then Silvie disappears. When Ema discovers her link between her disappearance and the mysterious Midnight Guild, she must venture inside it to save her friend.
Firstly, the characters. Our MC was obviously Ema and there was also a wide cast of side characters, including Silvie, people involved in the Midnight Guild and Ema's family. I really liked Ema as a character- she struggled with severe anxiety and I found this very relatable. I also really felt for her as she struggled to get noticed by the rest of her extremely talented family. She was so easy to root for! The side characters were also well-developed and I thought the characters were really great overall :)
Next, the writing. I really enjoyed Hana Tooke's writing style- it was a perfect balance between descriptive and simplistic. It made the story really easy to enjoy and I thought it developed the atmosphere really well!! It had this great atmospheric quality and the creepy vibes made it soo fun :D
Lastly, the plot. The plot was also really great!! It was pretty fast-paced and really interesting throughout, especially as Ema was just discovering the Guild. The Midnight Guild and the terrible things that had happened there were so interesting to learn about as the story progressed. I also LOVED the murder mystery aspect- it was SO well-developed and I found it really fun to try and guess the murderer as we got to the crux of the story. And I guessed right!! MWAHAHA I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF :P
Overall, this was such an entertaining, atmospheric read!! Definitely recommended if you love MG books with mystery, adventure and lovable characters. So good 🥰🥰
~ 4 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yesss I loved this! 🥰🥰 So atmospheric and the mystery was 🤌🤌 RTC!
The story is about Ema, who is part of a sprawling family of talented scientists. She feels very unseen among all her siblings, and her parents never take much notice of her. But then she's sent to stay with her uncle in Prague, where she meets a peculiar girl called Silvie, who makes her feel seen. She and Silvie go on midnight capers to help get past Ema's fears- but then Silvie disappears. When Ema discovers her link between her disappearance and the mysterious Midnight Guild, she must venture inside it to save her friend.
Firstly, the characters. Our MC was obviously Ema and there was also a wide cast of side characters, including Silvie, people involved in the Midnight Guild and Ema's family. I really liked Ema as a character- she struggled with severe anxiety and I found this very relatable. I also really felt for her as she struggled to get noticed by the rest of her extremely talented family. She was so easy to root for! The side characters were also well-developed and I thought the characters were really great overall :)
Next, the writing. I really enjoyed Hana Tooke's writing style- it was a perfect balance between descriptive and simplistic. It made the story really easy to enjoy and I thought it developed the atmosphere really well!! It had this great atmospheric quality and the creepy vibes made it soo fun :D
Lastly, the plot. The plot was also really great!! It was pretty fast-paced and really interesting throughout, especially as Ema was just discovering the Guild. The Midnight Guild and the terrible things that had happened there were so interesting to learn about as the story progressed. I also LOVED the murder mystery aspect- it was SO well-developed and I found it really fun to try and guess the murderer as we got to the crux of the story. And I guessed right!! MWAHAHA I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF :P
Overall, this was such an entertaining, atmospheric read!! Definitely recommended if you love MG books with mystery, adventure and lovable characters. So good 🥰🥰
~ 4 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yesss I loved this! 🥰🥰 So atmospheric and the mystery was 🤌🤌 RTC!
June 24, 2022
Born at midnight on the twelfth day of the twelfth month, Ema is the twelfth born child in her family. Unsurprisingly, twelves tend to follow Ema through her life.
When her parents join one of her sisters on a research expedition, Ema is sent to stay with Josef, an uncle she’s never met, in the home where her “unmentionable grandmother had lived.” It is there that she meets Silvie. Silvie helps Ema confront her fears and introduces her to the wonders of nineteenth century Prague at midnight.
I really liked Ema and her family but the standout character for me was Silvie. Silvie’s unbridled optimism was the perfect compliment to Ema’s “apocalyptic pessimism”. Her enthusiasm was contagious, her sense of adventure inspired me and she stole my heart. She also reintroduced me to ‘splendiferously’, which the people around me are going to ask me to stop saying any day now.
The Midnight Guild intrigued me and I desperately need to visit the Moonlight Garden.
I need a sequel for many reasons, the most pressing of which are to find out what’s next for Ema and Silvie, and to learn more about ‘Polter-granny’.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
‘There is something very troubling about the number twelve’At twelve years old, Ema has yet to find her place in her scientific family. Màma is a meteorologist who can predict the weather with incredible accuracy. Her older siblings are skilled in various fields, including archaeology, anthropology and zoology. Ema absorbs all of the knowledge her siblings teach her but she doesn’t have her own socially acceptable scientific passion.
The great enigma of her life had presented itself: how was she ever supposed to understand a world that didn’t understand her?What she does have is the ability to constantly surprise people with her presence, an acute awareness of shadows and a semi-regular sense of impending doom. And fears. Ema has her fair share of fears.
When her parents join one of her sisters on a research expedition, Ema is sent to stay with Josef, an uncle she’s never met, in the home where her “unmentionable grandmother had lived.” It is there that she meets Silvie. Silvie helps Ema confront her fears and introduces her to the wonders of nineteenth century Prague at midnight.
‘We will banish these fears of yours, but we will also banish the idea that normal is something worth striving for. I will make you proudly peculiar.’Along the way, there’s a murder mystery to solve, secrets to uncover and an adorable bat to fall in love with.
I really liked Ema and her family but the standout character for me was Silvie. Silvie’s unbridled optimism was the perfect compliment to Ema’s “apocalyptic pessimism”. Her enthusiasm was contagious, her sense of adventure inspired me and she stole my heart. She also reintroduced me to ‘splendiferously’, which the people around me are going to ask me to stop saying any day now.
The Midnight Guild intrigued me and I desperately need to visit the Moonlight Garden.
I need a sequel for many reasons, the most pressing of which are to find out what’s next for Ema and Silvie, and to learn more about ‘Polter-granny’.
‘So, let’s go murderer-hunting, shall we?’Thank you so much to NetGalley and Puffin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s UK, for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
September 30, 2023
3,5
Reseña completa en el blog Letras, Libros y Más próximamente
Me ha sorprendido mucho esta novela, es un middle grade muy chulo y perfecto para Halloween por ese toque de misterio, cositas medio paranormales y esa ambientación enigmática (como la protagonista y su don). Ya había leído con anterioridad a la autora y aunque me gustó Los inadoptables me quedo con esta nueva novela porque he llegado a adentrarme con ganas entre sus páginas. Además, la edición es muy bonita y cuidada, con referencias a la historia e ilustraciones en los comienzos de capítulos.
El libro tiene buen ritmo, la evolución de los misterios y de la protagonista están bien llevados y esa buena ambientación te mete de lleno entre sus páginas encima la pluma de la autora es agradable, sencilla pero llena de detalles así que enseguida te enganchas a lo que está sucediendo y le coges cariño a la protagonista.
Un middle grade muy disfrutable
Reseña completa en el blog Letras, Libros y Más próximamente
Me ha sorprendido mucho esta novela, es un middle grade muy chulo y perfecto para Halloween por ese toque de misterio, cositas medio paranormales y esa ambientación enigmática (como la protagonista y su don). Ya había leído con anterioridad a la autora y aunque me gustó Los inadoptables me quedo con esta nueva novela porque he llegado a adentrarme con ganas entre sus páginas. Además, la edición es muy bonita y cuidada, con referencias a la historia e ilustraciones en los comienzos de capítulos.
El libro tiene buen ritmo, la evolución de los misterios y de la protagonista están bien llevados y esa buena ambientación te mete de lleno entre sus páginas encima la pluma de la autora es agradable, sencilla pero llena de detalles así que enseguida te enganchas a lo que está sucediendo y le coges cariño a la protagonista.
Un middle grade muy disfrutable
December 7, 2025
This kind of middle grade books make me feel like the pink tiktok emoji, you know the one
July 31, 2022
The Midnighters is a fantastical Middlegrade fantasy adventure set in Prague. Growing up in a family of geniuses, each with their own special area of scientific study, Ema has always felt the odd one out. She has her own particular talents, a sixth sense and a nose for trouble, but they’re not recognised by her parents as anything special. When they leave her in the care of her uncle and his recalcitrant cat, Ema is befriended by Silvie and is introduced to the Midnight Guild, an underground den of mystery and magic
In the author’s note @hanatooke talks about how Ema’s story reflects her own neurodivergence, something that she’s only become aware of in adulthood. As well as the challenges it has brought, Hana through Ema celebrates the many positives; a passion for justice, curiosity and creativity. This is an absolute joy of a book, like The Unadoptables before it, and made me want to throw on a velvet cloak and race through the medieval streets of Prague
In the author’s note @hanatooke talks about how Ema’s story reflects her own neurodivergence, something that she’s only become aware of in adulthood. As well as the challenges it has brought, Hana through Ema celebrates the many positives; a passion for justice, curiosity and creativity. This is an absolute joy of a book, like The Unadoptables before it, and made me want to throw on a velvet cloak and race through the medieval streets of Prague
March 27, 2023
Wowza!!!! I'm so happy I finally had a new @hanatooke book to read! I LOVEDDDDDD The Unadoptables so much, & was hoping it would become a series. But I'II take ANY new book from her lol. This was just as phenomenal as The Unadoptables! Loved this so so much! This had such an amazing gothic vibe to it, & an almost hauntingly beautiful atmosphere. Ema is such a unique MC-unique character period. I adored her so much. She wants to be seen for who she is & her gifts, but is also terrified of truly being looked at like that. Very relatable. Silvie was also refreshingly unique, but Ema really shined in my eyes. Without Silvie though, Ema might never have seen how brave & amazing she really was, or found her true self. They both helped each other in very different, but just as important ways. This had mystery, murder, suspense, magical realism, danger, intrigue, friendship, & even a mysterious Guild. The writing is so beautiful itself, plus the ways it flows..it's almost magic on the page really. INCREDIBLE characters. Ema is a highly relatable MC, & you root from her from the start. Such an endearing soul, with what appears to be high anxiety, plus a need to be noticed by her family who are all so talented in different ways. She wants to be noticed for POSITIVE reasons, not the reasons she is noticed for which makes her left feeling like a disappointment, burden, & embarrassment. She wants them to be proud of her. But really, her family are the ones who need to be better. They should see from the start the incredible things that make Ema who she is, & nurture that. Love her for who she is, support her, & be proud. You don't have to understand everything about someone to support them & love them. She's is truly an enigma. Like we all are in our own special uniquely different ways. Phenomenal character growth/development in here, with Ema & several of the side characters as well. Such a fascinating, captivating, intriguing, mysterious, magical, beautiful read. Great messages as well-like don't ever feel you have to act how you think you're SUPPOSED to or EXPECTED to act to be accepted. Accept who you are, & love that version of you. "Normal" is a truly horrible word in my opinion. Not only is it a boring word, but it's false because there's no such thing as normal. HIGHLY recommend. Your heart will fall instantly for sweet Ema. Can't wait for more from this author. STUNNING cover by Ayesha L. Rubio as well. Also, a STUNNING naked hardback! 💜
June 10, 2023
YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM
Un middle-grade que he disfrutado mucho, principalmente por 4 razones:
📚Los personajes: tanto la prota, Ema, como el elenco de personajes secundarios que la acompañan, me han parecido unos personajes peculiares con mucho gancho. Me ha parecido muy fácil identificarme con la necesidad de Ema de que la vean por quién es, con su "ansiedad" en ciertos momentos, etc. Y los secundarios también son personajes muy bien desarrollados y en general todos me han gustado mucho.
📚La trama y el aura de misterio general de la historia. Creo que todo está muy bien conseguido. La autora consigue una atmosfera que te sumerge de inmediato en la historia y sabe controlar bien esos toques de misterio de la trama (¡si hasta hay un misterio de asesinato!, entre otros) y cómo los distribuye y los va solucionando a lo largo de la historia. No me ha parecido un misterio particularmente predecible para ser un middle-grade
📚La ambientación en Praga (fui de vacaciones hace años y me encantó, y ha sido como revisitarla un ratito), que además creo que contribuye mucho y muy bien al punto anterior, el aura de misterio. Sin extenderse en exceso en las descripciones (recordemos que es un middle-grade), consigue situarte en los escenarios de la ciudad y hacerte sentir como si de verdad estuvieras paseando por el puente de Carlos a medianoche. Eso en lo que se refiere a los escenarios reales, pero los que se inventa la autora para la historia me han parecido supermágicos y me he quedado con muchas ganas de poder visitar el Gremio de la Medianoche.
📚La narración. ¡Cómo me ha gustado el estilo de la autora! Tiene un toque especial, que aunque no deja de ser accesible para los niños, crea una narración única y envolvente. La traducción también contribuye mucho a conservar ese efecto.
Pero, sobre todo, lo mejor del libro es cómo la autora entrelaza a la perfección todos estos elementos para conseguir una historia que transmite la sensación de ser mágica (incluso diría que tiene unos toques de realismo mágico) y que, mientras lees, tengas la sensación de que estás ante una historia muy especial.
Un middle-grade que he disfrutado mucho, principalmente por 4 razones:
📚Los personajes: tanto la prota, Ema, como el elenco de personajes secundarios que la acompañan, me han parecido unos personajes peculiares con mucho gancho. Me ha parecido muy fácil identificarme con la necesidad de Ema de que la vean por quién es, con su "ansiedad" en ciertos momentos, etc. Y los secundarios también son personajes muy bien desarrollados y en general todos me han gustado mucho.
📚La trama y el aura de misterio general de la historia. Creo que todo está muy bien conseguido. La autora consigue una atmosfera que te sumerge de inmediato en la historia y sabe controlar bien esos toques de misterio de la trama (¡si hasta hay un misterio de asesinato!, entre otros) y cómo los distribuye y los va solucionando a lo largo de la historia. No me ha parecido un misterio particularmente predecible para ser un middle-grade
📚La ambientación en Praga (fui de vacaciones hace años y me encantó, y ha sido como revisitarla un ratito), que además creo que contribuye mucho y muy bien al punto anterior, el aura de misterio. Sin extenderse en exceso en las descripciones (recordemos que es un middle-grade), consigue situarte en los escenarios de la ciudad y hacerte sentir como si de verdad estuvieras paseando por el puente de Carlos a medianoche. Eso en lo que se refiere a los escenarios reales, pero los que se inventa la autora para la historia me han parecido supermágicos y me he quedado con muchas ganas de poder visitar el Gremio de la Medianoche.
📚La narración. ¡Cómo me ha gustado el estilo de la autora! Tiene un toque especial, que aunque no deja de ser accesible para los niños, crea una narración única y envolvente. La traducción también contribuye mucho a conservar ese efecto.
Pero, sobre todo, lo mejor del libro es cómo la autora entrelaza a la perfección todos estos elementos para conseguir una historia que transmite la sensación de ser mágica (incluso diría que tiene unos toques de realismo mágico) y que, mientras lees, tengas la sensación de que estás ante una historia muy especial.
July 9, 2022
I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via Kaleidoscopic book tours as part of the book tour.
The Midnighters is a fun, action packed fantasy read for children. We follow Ema who is trying to find where she fits within her scientific family who all have jobs and skills within science fields (meteorologist, Zoology, archaeology, anthropology). Ema is great at learning from each family members vast knowledge and passion within their field, but doesn't seem to be able to channel the same passions as them or have a preferable or skill set for any area. Ema was born on a unique date - born on the 12 month of the year, at midnight and on the twelfth day of the month and is the twelfth child in her family. Ema ends up going to stay with her uncle Josef who she's never met before. During her stay she meets Silvie who helps her explore Prague at night and helps her in facing up to her fears. Throw in a murder mystery aspect, secrets and intrigue along with an adorable little bat and this becomes an Unputdownable read!
The cover is absolutely stunning and just as gorgeous under the dust cover (of the hardback).
The Midnighters is a fun, action packed fantasy read for children. We follow Ema who is trying to find where she fits within her scientific family who all have jobs and skills within science fields (meteorologist, Zoology, archaeology, anthropology). Ema is great at learning from each family members vast knowledge and passion within their field, but doesn't seem to be able to channel the same passions as them or have a preferable or skill set for any area. Ema was born on a unique date - born on the 12 month of the year, at midnight and on the twelfth day of the month and is the twelfth child in her family. Ema ends up going to stay with her uncle Josef who she's never met before. During her stay she meets Silvie who helps her explore Prague at night and helps her in facing up to her fears. Throw in a murder mystery aspect, secrets and intrigue along with an adorable little bat and this becomes an Unputdownable read!
The cover is absolutely stunning and just as gorgeous under the dust cover (of the hardback).
July 17, 2022
A 12th child is born into a family of scientists. It is 1877 and this extraordinary family live in the beautiful city of Prague. This baby is named Ema and she is raised by her menagerie of siblings. At first the oldest child takes care of Ema and teaches her all she knows about her chosen science.
As the siblings grow old enough for university and leave to continue their studies, they pass the responsibility of teaching Ema down through the five sets of twins who remain. Throughout her first 11 years, Ema has learnt much, including the fact that her particular gift is to read people’s faces, and have an uncanny intuition for events about to happen, and the ability to feel other’s emotions.
Her parents worry about their youngest daughter. These abilities can not be called science, and they try to guide her into something more concrete to enable her to follow her siblings into study. But this is not to be, and soon to be alone in their home as her parents are departing on a scientific research trip, Ema is to stay with her uncle whom she has never met.
Her uncle’s home is nothing like her own. There are no servants, the rooms are sparse and her own is up in the attic. But it is from one of her windows that she sees a girl across the street in another window. This girl’s name is Sylive and they quickly become the very best of friends. Sylvie is Ema’s opposite – brave, courageous, and full of adventures which they share around the city at every full moon.
Then Sylvie is suddenly gone. Sneaking out at night, Ema searches all their favourite places to no avail. Until she discovers a whole new world under the streets of their city. This world is where the Midnight Guild operate. Rooms full of one marvel after another fill these rooms, which fill with patrons who stare in awe.
Sylvie had mentioned something about an underground. Surely this must be where she has gone? In her search, Ema discovers a murder plot, and the truth behind Sylvie’s life in Prague. In order to find her best friend, Ema must put all her intuitive skills to use, no matter the scorn that is thrown at her from every corner of this magical underground society.
So imaginative, with a brilliantly original setting, The Midnighters is something truly special. I enjoy historical novels for any age and this step back in time into the city of Prague is no different. This novel however, for adept young readers, has so many layers making it stand out. Twelve children instantly caught my attention and then the way the main character is raised is charming.
Her realisation that she doesn’t quite fit the norm in her family is another hook. Suddenly left with a quirky uncle with a giant cat, this story takes off as an enigma of a character called Sylvie joins the cast. A stark but welcome contrast to the main character, Sylvie is impetuous, courageous and incredibly interesting to the main character of Ema who has been raised on nothing but scientific fact.
The middle of this novel is a world of illusion, magical theatre and curiosity, so readers must absorb these extravagant spectacles at their own pace. The conclusion brings everything together brilliantly, providing me with a personal favourite in novels – taking me on an adventure with whimsical but vivid characters to a world completely original, but at the same time putting everything in a current context through the novel’s themes.
In this case it is acceptance, celebration at one’s differences and allowing those you love to be their complete selves, no matter how far from ‘normal’ that might be. It is only then that the true gifts of that person shine.
As the siblings grow old enough for university and leave to continue their studies, they pass the responsibility of teaching Ema down through the five sets of twins who remain. Throughout her first 11 years, Ema has learnt much, including the fact that her particular gift is to read people’s faces, and have an uncanny intuition for events about to happen, and the ability to feel other’s emotions.
Her parents worry about their youngest daughter. These abilities can not be called science, and they try to guide her into something more concrete to enable her to follow her siblings into study. But this is not to be, and soon to be alone in their home as her parents are departing on a scientific research trip, Ema is to stay with her uncle whom she has never met.
Her uncle’s home is nothing like her own. There are no servants, the rooms are sparse and her own is up in the attic. But it is from one of her windows that she sees a girl across the street in another window. This girl’s name is Sylive and they quickly become the very best of friends. Sylvie is Ema’s opposite – brave, courageous, and full of adventures which they share around the city at every full moon.
Then Sylvie is suddenly gone. Sneaking out at night, Ema searches all their favourite places to no avail. Until she discovers a whole new world under the streets of their city. This world is where the Midnight Guild operate. Rooms full of one marvel after another fill these rooms, which fill with patrons who stare in awe.
Sylvie had mentioned something about an underground. Surely this must be where she has gone? In her search, Ema discovers a murder plot, and the truth behind Sylvie’s life in Prague. In order to find her best friend, Ema must put all her intuitive skills to use, no matter the scorn that is thrown at her from every corner of this magical underground society.
So imaginative, with a brilliantly original setting, The Midnighters is something truly special. I enjoy historical novels for any age and this step back in time into the city of Prague is no different. This novel however, for adept young readers, has so many layers making it stand out. Twelve children instantly caught my attention and then the way the main character is raised is charming.
Her realisation that she doesn’t quite fit the norm in her family is another hook. Suddenly left with a quirky uncle with a giant cat, this story takes off as an enigma of a character called Sylvie joins the cast. A stark but welcome contrast to the main character, Sylvie is impetuous, courageous and incredibly interesting to the main character of Ema who has been raised on nothing but scientific fact.
The middle of this novel is a world of illusion, magical theatre and curiosity, so readers must absorb these extravagant spectacles at their own pace. The conclusion brings everything together brilliantly, providing me with a personal favourite in novels – taking me on an adventure with whimsical but vivid characters to a world completely original, but at the same time putting everything in a current context through the novel’s themes.
In this case it is acceptance, celebration at one’s differences and allowing those you love to be their complete selves, no matter how far from ‘normal’ that might be. It is only then that the true gifts of that person shine.
July 16, 2022
** Firstly, thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review **
A mysterious and magical read that I very much enjoyed! The illustrations on the dust jacket and on the hardcover are just stunning & caught my eye immediately. I also love the illustrations within the book too that accompany the start of each chapter.
This is a fun and engaging story that constantly keeps you guessing. Ema is a brilliant character with such fascinating abilities. This is my first read by this author & I'm definitely going to looking into their other works. If you enjoy sherlock holmes & divergent, you'll love this.
A mysterious and magical read that I very much enjoyed! The illustrations on the dust jacket and on the hardcover are just stunning & caught my eye immediately. I also love the illustrations within the book too that accompany the start of each chapter.
This is a fun and engaging story that constantly keeps you guessing. Ema is a brilliant character with such fascinating abilities. This is my first read by this author & I'm definitely going to looking into their other works. If you enjoy sherlock holmes & divergent, you'll love this.
abandoned
April 9, 2022My first thought on reading this tweenaged fantasy was that if it is set in Prague, prove that it had to be set in Prague – give us something definitively Czech, that isn't the Charles Bridge and the fancy animated clock the heroine starts out living opposite, and other bits of the architecture. My second thought, a couple of hours later, was that this is far too stuffed and overblown for me to have got my wish. It really is a heavy pudding of a thing.
Our heroine is born at the stroke of midnight, on December the 12th, and yes is the twelfth child in the family. At the same instant her psychic-minded gran passes away. Until they're packed off to school, all Ema's siblings take her under their wing in turn, educating, teaching, turning her mind to this body of science and that discipline. But throughout she is only wanting to learn one thing – what of her grandma is in her, especially when she feels bad news literally in her bones?
Packed off to an uncle who makes bicycles (because..., er, no idea) she finds a friend, who tries to train her each month on the stroke of midnight to get over a fear – heights, water, insects, heights of insects over water, that sort of thing. But the friend has just as much of a mysterious backstory as Ema, and Ema is then determined to find out both, even if it involves her going into the bowels of Generic City and finding out what is going on down there...
What I sought was something much lighter than this, which left me guessing the percentage it could be cropped by and lose nothing – I was not limited to very low numbers, for sure. Instead of the sprightly fantasy this might have been we have this element, that element, a sentient breeze, an annoying cat thing – and that's before anything really engaging is allowed to happen. Instead it just felt unfair that the big reveals were delayed needlessly by the author, both for us and for her characters. It may be that it caught me on the wrong day, but I didn't take to this nearly as much as I expected, and struggled with the idea of wading through all 400pp, before quitting with her return to Generic Subterrania. I don't wish it too much ill, but it is flawed, and needed both an injection of levity and a much greater editorial hand on it.
Our heroine is born at the stroke of midnight, on December the 12th, and yes is the twelfth child in the family. At the same instant her psychic-minded gran passes away. Until they're packed off to school, all Ema's siblings take her under their wing in turn, educating, teaching, turning her mind to this body of science and that discipline. But throughout she is only wanting to learn one thing – what of her grandma is in her, especially when she feels bad news literally in her bones?
Packed off to an uncle who makes bicycles (because..., er, no idea) she finds a friend, who tries to train her each month on the stroke of midnight to get over a fear – heights, water, insects, heights of insects over water, that sort of thing. But the friend has just as much of a mysterious backstory as Ema, and Ema is then determined to find out both, even if it involves her going into the bowels of Generic City and finding out what is going on down there...
What I sought was something much lighter than this, which left me guessing the percentage it could be cropped by and lose nothing – I was not limited to very low numbers, for sure. Instead of the sprightly fantasy this might have been we have this element, that element, a sentient breeze, an annoying cat thing – and that's before anything really engaging is allowed to happen. Instead it just felt unfair that the big reveals were delayed needlessly by the author, both for us and for her characters. It may be that it caught me on the wrong day, but I didn't take to this nearly as much as I expected, and struggled with the idea of wading through all 400pp, before quitting with her return to Generic Subterrania. I don't wish it too much ill, but it is flawed, and needed both an injection of levity and a much greater editorial hand on it.
August 3, 2022
I was expecting something different, so I took a while to get into The Midnighters. Ema is this misunderstood misfit who wants to show her parents how she can be a scientist, but she's just not the same as her eleven older siblings. I liked seeing Ema grow as a character. I found her abilities intriguing. I think I was expecting more fantasy than mystery which threw me off. There was also a long build-up to the main plot which hindered my enjoyment. I wish there was more time spent at the guild and with the other kids not including Sylvie. I also wish her ability to read people based on their shadows would have been explored more. I thought there would be a supernatural event as I got deeper into the story and it wasn't really there. I found the investigation portion the most exciting part of the story but that was towards the end. I would recommend this to young readers as mainly a mystery with friendship and a girl who doesn't quite fit in at the center.
July 16, 2022
A mystery that every child would love to read this Summer.
The writing style, the world building, the beautiful way the author brings you into the story and writes in such a way to keep you there forever. Even as I was reading the last page I was wanting to know more, yet saisfied with how the story ended. A truely gifted writer! The story though it may seem a bit depressing from the the start is; uplifting, enjoyable, intriguing, imaginative and will keep you guessing from start to finish. I personally can not wait to see what worlds and stories Hana Tooke comes up with next!
The writing style, the world building, the beautiful way the author brings you into the story and writes in such a way to keep you there forever. Even as I was reading the last page I was wanting to know more, yet saisfied with how the story ended. A truely gifted writer! The story though it may seem a bit depressing from the the start is; uplifting, enjoyable, intriguing, imaginative and will keep you guessing from start to finish. I personally can not wait to see what worlds and stories Hana Tooke comes up with next!
October 18, 2022
Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:
https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
August 21, 2024
I just finished this book and I just...fell robed
SPOILERS
First of all I want to say there were many times I really enjoyed the book. For example when Ema is talking to Josef, when her siblings were mentioned in the very beginning, all the jokes where good and the characters chemistry. HOWEVER...
When Ema and her new friends try to find Silvie, it's just soo obvious everything will go wrong. An interesting plot for sure, but isn't Emas thing supposed to be that she kinda knows when why and how things will happen?
Another thing that bothered me is the ending. Firstly, the whole book, Ema goes unnoticed, not something she chooses. But I don't remember her saying she doesn't like it. Or at least she says it, BUT DOESNT SHOW IT. It was annoying because in the ending we get a bounce of different complaints from Ema, about how they don't se the real her etc. And what's up with that character change? It was like we weren't talking about the same protagonist for a moment
What was that epilogue?
(I was going to say it was badly written, but it's probably me not understanding English, Έλεος)
There were also so many things I didn't understand, like, how does Emas magic actually work? Is she a detective? Is she a medium? Is she a scientist? Is she studying faces or shadows? Is she talking to ghost or just uses psychology?
And omg why does this mention nothing about some things!!
What exactly did Emas grandma do? Was she a witch? Why do we know SO little about her.
PLEASE PLEASE WHY DIDNT WE LEARN MORE ABOUT HERT FINKELSTAIN???
I bought this book only because I wanted to learn more about Milous past. HER FATHER! Every time he was mentioned I underlined like crazy and actually cried for a few seconds when it was mentioned he was grieving. Like, why didn't Ema help him talk to his Lover?? Or at least mention he has a daughter somewhere?? WHY WHYYYYYYYYYYY
I don't know what went wrong with this story. It felt too rushed, like it the author didn't care about common sense. I absolutely HAtE writing these words bcuz I used to love Hana Tooke's work. But 'the unnadoptables' was a great book! And I'm not saying that because it is a big part of me, I re-read it like once a year and my opinions change as I get older, but they were never bad. It got my hopes soo high for THIS book and I'm very disappointed
SPOILERS
First of all I want to say there were many times I really enjoyed the book. For example when Ema is talking to Josef, when her siblings were mentioned in the very beginning, all the jokes where good and the characters chemistry. HOWEVER...
When Ema and her new friends try to find Silvie, it's just soo obvious everything will go wrong. An interesting plot for sure, but isn't Emas thing supposed to be that she kinda knows when why and how things will happen?
Another thing that bothered me is the ending. Firstly, the whole book, Ema goes unnoticed, not something she chooses. But I don't remember her saying she doesn't like it. Or at least she says it, BUT DOESNT SHOW IT. It was annoying because in the ending we get a bounce of different complaints from Ema, about how they don't se the real her etc. And what's up with that character change? It was like we weren't talking about the same protagonist for a moment
What was that epilogue?
(I was going to say it was badly written, but it's probably me not understanding English, Έλεος)
There were also so many things I didn't understand, like, how does Emas magic actually work? Is she a detective? Is she a medium? Is she a scientist? Is she studying faces or shadows? Is she talking to ghost or just uses psychology?
And omg why does this mention nothing about some things!!
What exactly did Emas grandma do? Was she a witch? Why do we know SO little about her.
PLEASE PLEASE WHY DIDNT WE LEARN MORE ABOUT HERT FINKELSTAIN???
I bought this book only because I wanted to learn more about Milous past. HER FATHER! Every time he was mentioned I underlined like crazy and actually cried for a few seconds when it was mentioned he was grieving. Like, why didn't Ema help him talk to his Lover?? Or at least mention he has a daughter somewhere?? WHY WHYYYYYYYYYYY
I don't know what went wrong with this story. It felt too rushed, like it the author didn't care about common sense. I absolutely HAtE writing these words bcuz I used to love Hana Tooke's work. But 'the unnadoptables' was a great book! And I'm not saying that because it is a big part of me, I re-read it like once a year and my opinions change as I get older, but they were never bad. It got my hopes soo high for THIS book and I'm very disappointed
December 24, 2022
Well, I think this might just be a new favourite. If you are fans of Nevermoor or Demelza and the Spectre Detectors then definitely check this one out too. It has cursed child vibes, animals, adventure and friendship as well as an interesting discussion around science versus intuition.
Ema and Silvie are wonderfully written and form such a fun alliance, and I simply adore Silvie’s support for Ema and how she opens her up to facing her fears, until she is at a point where she has to face them without Silvie - in order to save Silvie. In fact I just love how easily you can conjure up the characters based on how they are introduced and Hana Tooke does this so cleverly.
With a murder to solve and a missing friend to find, can Ema put aside her fear and embrace her identity to save the day?
The book Illustrator is Arusha L. Rubio and the gorgeous artwork adorns the cover, the naked cover, end pages and chapter headings that really add to the atmosphere.
I just really enjoyed everything about this book and have highlighted lots of quotes including:
“Fairy tales breathe truth into the world.”
And so do the best children’s books. They live beyond the page and beyond time. Although I hear Midnight is the best time to be.
Ema and Silvie are wonderfully written and form such a fun alliance, and I simply adore Silvie’s support for Ema and how she opens her up to facing her fears, until she is at a point where she has to face them without Silvie - in order to save Silvie. In fact I just love how easily you can conjure up the characters based on how they are introduced and Hana Tooke does this so cleverly.
With a murder to solve and a missing friend to find, can Ema put aside her fear and embrace her identity to save the day?
The book Illustrator is Arusha L. Rubio and the gorgeous artwork adorns the cover, the naked cover, end pages and chapter headings that really add to the atmosphere.
I just really enjoyed everything about this book and have highlighted lots of quotes including:
“Fairy tales breathe truth into the world.”
And so do the best children’s books. They live beyond the page and beyond time. Although I hear Midnight is the best time to be.
January 17, 2024
Kitabı Sahipsizler’in yazarından olduğu cidden anlaşılıyor. O kitabı da okurken de en çok içindeki gizem ve bilinmezlik hoşuma gitmişti insanda okuma isteğini arttırdığı için.
Bu kitap da çok benzerdi. Kitapta Ema adlı bir kızın başkalarını inandırmadığı bir önsezisi var. Olacak kötü şeyleri önceden hissedebiliyor ve insanların duygularını okumada çok yetenekli. Kitapta da bu yetenekleri kullanarak bir gizemi açığa çıkarıyor. Sahipsizleri okuyup sevdiyseniz kesinlikle okuyun.
Bu kitap da çok benzerdi. Kitapta Ema adlı bir kızın başkalarını inandırmadığı bir önsezisi var. Olacak kötü şeyleri önceden hissedebiliyor ve insanların duygularını okumada çok yetenekli. Kitapta da bu yetenekleri kullanarak bir gizemi açığa çıkarıyor. Sahipsizleri okuyup sevdiyseniz kesinlikle okuyun.
July 11, 2022
It's always disappointing when a story has a good idea but you're not sure if it can pull it off. This was needlessly long and a mystery that is frustratingly solved with no way for the reader to follow along (more like a Sherlock Holmes mystery where the answer is plucked out of near nowhere). I didn't really feel sympathetic to any of the characters, even the ones who come to be Ema's friends (which also felt kind of created out of nowhere with no way for me to believe it). Maybe the point was that everyone doesn't believe until it can be showed scientifically, but this is a long walk to water that I'm not sure I'd really recommend to its target audience of tweens, unfortunately.
August 17, 2025
This was a really fun and intriguing read. I very much enjoyed it.
September 3, 2022
Begon veelbelovend maar was toch niet mijn cup of tea. Jammer
August 12, 2024
Terminé et si j'ai eu du mal avec la première partie, la seconde m'a totalement mise dedans ! Finalement, j'ai beaucoup aimé l'histoire, même si certaines choses restent assez floues pour moi. Et bon, Ema reste attachante malgré tout ! Donc en résumé, j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture !
August 26, 2022
I made the mistake of reading this book without checking out the blurb, and as a result, I was left feeling disappointed and confused and generally unsure what to think of the book.
Don't get me wrong: I loved the first few chapters of the book. LOVED them. I never related to a character more than I did Ema, who treated herself as an enigma; as someone who would never be understood. Ema, girl, I relate. So much. But then Silvie went missing and the book turned into a mystery novel, rather than just a book about Ema and Silvie being friends and researching their own respective otherness together, and I just ... lost interest.
I found all the additional characters lacking (who even were they?), and I thought all the chapters Ema spent running around the guild trying not to get caught quite boring and confusing. Ema wanting to figure out who she was became a mere side plot, rather than it being on the forefront like it was at the start of the novel. In the end I grew just wanting the book to be over with.
Don't get me wrong: I loved the first few chapters of the book. LOVED them. I never related to a character more than I did Ema, who treated herself as an enigma; as someone who would never be understood. Ema, girl, I relate. So much. But then Silvie went missing and the book turned into a mystery novel, rather than just a book about Ema and Silvie being friends and researching their own respective otherness together, and I just ... lost interest.
I found all the additional characters lacking (who even were they?), and I thought all the chapters Ema spent running around the guild trying not to get caught quite boring and confusing. Ema wanting to figure out who she was became a mere side plot, rather than it being on the forefront like it was at the start of the novel. In the end I grew just wanting the book to be over with.
June 13, 2023
Lo que yo te pueda contar, te va a dejar claro que AVENTURA A MEDICHANOCE me ha conquistado desde el momento uno. Ema es un personaje que es imposible no adorar desde su nacimiento, la carga que tiene, su necesidad por descubrir su lugar en el mundo, en una edad en la que todos la estamos buscando. Otro elemento que me ha encantado es el canto a la amistad, que puede hacer que se muevan montañas. Y aquí, se nos presenta de una forma tan bella y tan entregada, que no hacía más que disfrutar a lo grande. Además de tener como colofón especial las ilustraciones al inicio de capítulos de Ayesha : L. Rubio que francamente le dan una vida preciosa entre sus páginas.
Me quedo autivada de Hanna Tooke y su pluma ágil, divertida y deliciosa. Me conquistó a la primera y estaré al pendiente de todo lo que se nos traiga. ¡Feliz lectura!.
Me quedo autivada de Hanna Tooke y su pluma ágil, divertida y deliciosa. Me conquistó a la primera y estaré al pendiente de todo lo que se nos traiga. ¡Feliz lectura!.
July 16, 2022
There is something quite exquisite about Hana Tooke's writing, and her second novel has been one of my most anticipated reads (ever). The Unadoptables was simply magnificent, and The Midnighters (the difficult second album) doesn't disappoint (rather, it delights).
The novel opens in 1877, but most of the story take place in 1899, 2 years before the events of The Unadoptables. The two novels are loosely connected inasmuch as they share a character in common (details at the end of the review). The central character is 12-year-old Ema, the youngest child in a large family of scientists. She's a fun, endearing girl, whose relationship with the mysterious Silvie is the beating heart of the story. They go on a series of midnight adventures together, each one orchestrated by Silvie, and arranged by way of hand-written invitations sealed with half-chewed toffees. That might be the most Hana Tooke thing Hana Tooke has ever written, and I love her for it. She is absolutely the maestro of characterisation.
When Silvie suddenly goes missing, everything switches gear. What I thought was a blossoming romance turns into a murder mystery, with the focus moving to the goings on within the clandestine Midnight Guild. Plot twists aside, the book is full of surprises, not least Ema's hapless Uncle Josef, who - far from being a Vernon Dursley type villain - along with his Maine Coon, Ferkel, provides welcome comic relief from the mounting tension. Translated from the German, Ferkel means piglet. That makes total sense when you read the book 😉.
Just as it was with the Amsterdam backdrop of The Unadoptables, the world-building of night-time Prague is richly imagined, and really serves the story. Looming statues and dark streets and lamplit castles all lend something to the atmosphere. You can feel the gothic. You don't need to read the thoughful Afterword or the genuinely humble Acknowledgements (but you should) to realise how much time and effort (and love) Hana puts into her research. The Midnighters melds science and superstition, and Hana credits a number of people for helping in her exploration of Czech superstitions, such as keeping a fish scale in your wallet to ensure your money will not run out.
As much as I loved the story as a whole, the beautiful way in which Hana develops the unlikely friendship between Ema and Silvie is the thing that has stayed with me most since I closed the book for the final time. Like The Unadoptables before it (or after it, if you're thinking chronologically), The Midnighters is about children trying to navigate the always peculiar, often dangerous adult world, something Hana does brilliantly. Her characters are naive but never bungling, they make mistakes but also have credible youthful insight. She shows a great deal of respect for her young audience. Hana has inspired me to resurrect my own novel, which has languished in work-in-progress hell for too long. And for that, I shall always be indebted.
Before I close, I must draw attention to the lovely crossover with The Unadoptables, with the appearance of Thibault Finkelstein (Milou's father, he of the almost-black eyes), who is still grieving for his fiancée ("permanently gloomy demeanour, and dark shadow"*), Liesel. "Beneath the stars I found you, under the moon I lost you," Thibault wrote. Little wonder he's an astronomer in the Midnight Guild.
The Midnighters is everything I hoped it would be. It is, like The Unadoptables before it (or after it, if you're thinking chronologically), magnifiek.
The novel opens in 1877, but most of the story take place in 1899, 2 years before the events of The Unadoptables. The two novels are loosely connected inasmuch as they share a character in common (details at the end of the review). The central character is 12-year-old Ema, the youngest child in a large family of scientists. She's a fun, endearing girl, whose relationship with the mysterious Silvie is the beating heart of the story. They go on a series of midnight adventures together, each one orchestrated by Silvie, and arranged by way of hand-written invitations sealed with half-chewed toffees. That might be the most Hana Tooke thing Hana Tooke has ever written, and I love her for it. She is absolutely the maestro of characterisation.
When Silvie suddenly goes missing, everything switches gear. What I thought was a blossoming romance turns into a murder mystery, with the focus moving to the goings on within the clandestine Midnight Guild. Plot twists aside, the book is full of surprises, not least Ema's hapless Uncle Josef, who - far from being a Vernon Dursley type villain - along with his Maine Coon, Ferkel, provides welcome comic relief from the mounting tension. Translated from the German, Ferkel means piglet. That makes total sense when you read the book 😉.
Just as it was with the Amsterdam backdrop of The Unadoptables, the world-building of night-time Prague is richly imagined, and really serves the story. Looming statues and dark streets and lamplit castles all lend something to the atmosphere. You can feel the gothic. You don't need to read the thoughful Afterword or the genuinely humble Acknowledgements (but you should) to realise how much time and effort (and love) Hana puts into her research. The Midnighters melds science and superstition, and Hana credits a number of people for helping in her exploration of Czech superstitions, such as keeping a fish scale in your wallet to ensure your money will not run out.
As much as I loved the story as a whole, the beautiful way in which Hana develops the unlikely friendship between Ema and Silvie is the thing that has stayed with me most since I closed the book for the final time. Like The Unadoptables before it (or after it, if you're thinking chronologically), The Midnighters is about children trying to navigate the always peculiar, often dangerous adult world, something Hana does brilliantly. Her characters are naive but never bungling, they make mistakes but also have credible youthful insight. She shows a great deal of respect for her young audience. Hana has inspired me to resurrect my own novel, which has languished in work-in-progress hell for too long. And for that, I shall always be indebted.
Before I close, I must draw attention to the lovely crossover with The Unadoptables, with the appearance of Thibault Finkelstein (Milou's father, he of the almost-black eyes), who is still grieving for his fiancée ("permanently gloomy demeanour, and dark shadow"*), Liesel. "Beneath the stars I found you, under the moon I lost you," Thibault wrote. Little wonder he's an astronomer in the Midnight Guild.
The Midnighters is everything I hoped it would be. It is, like The Unadoptables before it (or after it, if you're thinking chronologically), magnifiek.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2022
recensione completa qui: https://www.lunaticamente.com/recensi...
Sono rimasta un po' delusa, devo ammetterlo e questa delusione mi provoca non poca frustrazione. Voglio spiegarmi: la scrittura della Tooke è davvero bellissima, evocativa e ha avuto la capacità di creare atmosfere affascinanti, simili al sogno, da cui non mi sarei MAI voluta svegliare.
Ambientazioni fredde, illuminate dalla luce argentata della luna, in una Praga magica e sommersa dalla neve. Un mondo magico ma reale dove due amiche si incontrano a mezzanotte e affrontano avventure dettate dalla fantasia per poter superare i propri limiti.
Ho amato la storia fino alla scena del cimitero in cui mi aspettavo di provare freddo, paura ed emozione. Avevo la netta sensazione di avere tra le mani un piccolo gioiello che dovevo custodire ma qua la storia, ha avuto una battuta di arresto. Non so cosa sia successo ma qualcosa con me non ha funzionato.
Silvie sparisce ed Ema deve cercarla perché sente nelle sue ossa che l'amica è in pericolo, così comincia la sua avventura solitaria e scopre che esiste una "Compagnia di Mezzanotte" che nasconde un segreto pericoloso.
Voi vi chiederete: e quindi? A mio parere ha preso una piega che non c'entra nulla col resto della storia. E di questa cosa ho avuto conferma nell'epilogo, dove la scrittrice ammette il fatto che da un certo punto in poi non sapeva come procedere.
Ed è proprio da questo punto che sembrano due storie separate, che non hanno nulla a che fare l'una con l'altra.
Mi sarei aspettata che alcuni personaggi davvero interessanti, come lo zio e la nonna, di cui si sa poco ma sembrano figure importanti, venissero approfonditi e invece sono rimasti sospesi in un limbo.
Oppure i poteri di Ema, quelli di sentire le emozioni altrui e di vedere le ombre, lì dove è stato commesso un delitto o c'è stata una morte sofferta, non vengono più menzionati se non alla fine in cui lei finalmente scopre di poter fare affidamento su se stessa.
Da quando Ema cerca l'amica alla Compagnia di Mezzanotte la mia soglia di attenzione è scesa e ho faticato ad arrivare alla fine ma poi, il libro torna ad essere scorrevole e interessante nelle ultime 20/30 pagine quando la storia torna nei ranghi seguendo il filo iniziale.
Mi è dispiaciuto davvero molto, perché le prima 100/120 pagine scorrevano veloci e super interessanti.
Ma sono rimasta con delle domande cui non troverò risposta: chi è la nonna? Quali sono i suoi poteri? Cosa c'era scritto nei suoi diari? E lo zio, possibile che fosse solo un uomo distratto, che costruiva bici nella perenne ricerca di un gatto distruttore?
Ha lasciato indietro questi personaggi senza rendersi conto che con Ema e Silvie, erano quelli più affascinanti dell'intera vicenda.
Sono rimasta un po' delusa, devo ammetterlo e questa delusione mi provoca non poca frustrazione. Voglio spiegarmi: la scrittura della Tooke è davvero bellissima, evocativa e ha avuto la capacità di creare atmosfere affascinanti, simili al sogno, da cui non mi sarei MAI voluta svegliare.
Ambientazioni fredde, illuminate dalla luce argentata della luna, in una Praga magica e sommersa dalla neve. Un mondo magico ma reale dove due amiche si incontrano a mezzanotte e affrontano avventure dettate dalla fantasia per poter superare i propri limiti.
Ho amato la storia fino alla scena del cimitero in cui mi aspettavo di provare freddo, paura ed emozione. Avevo la netta sensazione di avere tra le mani un piccolo gioiello che dovevo custodire ma qua la storia, ha avuto una battuta di arresto. Non so cosa sia successo ma qualcosa con me non ha funzionato.
Silvie sparisce ed Ema deve cercarla perché sente nelle sue ossa che l'amica è in pericolo, così comincia la sua avventura solitaria e scopre che esiste una "Compagnia di Mezzanotte" che nasconde un segreto pericoloso.
Voi vi chiederete: e quindi? A mio parere ha preso una piega che non c'entra nulla col resto della storia. E di questa cosa ho avuto conferma nell'epilogo, dove la scrittrice ammette il fatto che da un certo punto in poi non sapeva come procedere.
Ed è proprio da questo punto che sembrano due storie separate, che non hanno nulla a che fare l'una con l'altra.
Mi sarei aspettata che alcuni personaggi davvero interessanti, come lo zio e la nonna, di cui si sa poco ma sembrano figure importanti, venissero approfonditi e invece sono rimasti sospesi in un limbo.
Oppure i poteri di Ema, quelli di sentire le emozioni altrui e di vedere le ombre, lì dove è stato commesso un delitto o c'è stata una morte sofferta, non vengono più menzionati se non alla fine in cui lei finalmente scopre di poter fare affidamento su se stessa.
Da quando Ema cerca l'amica alla Compagnia di Mezzanotte la mia soglia di attenzione è scesa e ho faticato ad arrivare alla fine ma poi, il libro torna ad essere scorrevole e interessante nelle ultime 20/30 pagine quando la storia torna nei ranghi seguendo il filo iniziale.
Mi è dispiaciuto davvero molto, perché le prima 100/120 pagine scorrevano veloci e super interessanti.
Ma sono rimasta con delle domande cui non troverò risposta: chi è la nonna? Quali sono i suoi poteri? Cosa c'era scritto nei suoi diari? E lo zio, possibile che fosse solo un uomo distratto, che costruiva bici nella perenne ricerca di un gatto distruttore?
Ha lasciato indietro questi personaggi senza rendersi conto che con Ema e Silvie, erano quelli più affascinanti dell'intera vicenda.
May 9, 2023
*Free copy provided by LoveReading4Schools*
Ema Vaskova is the 12th child of a family of twins (baring her eldest sister) and grows up desperately wanting to be like the rest of her family who all excel in science in one discipline or another. Each of her siblings has their twin to reply on work with, while Ema bonds with her eldest sister, Frantiska, she soon comes of age and leaves for higher education. As her other siblings soon do the same Ema is left alone, and yet to find her scientific specialism. As her parents embark on an expedition Ema is sent to live with her Uncle. It is here she meets Silvie, a girl the same age as her, yet where Ema is full of doubt and anxiety she is full of confidence and bravado. Silvie, equally, sees in Ema skills of her own and together they share several midnight adventures across night-time Prague - until one day Silvie goes missing! Determined to find her friend Ema becomes detective, tracing her friend to the enigmatic Midnight Guild who hold many secrets of their own...
Tooke dips into several genres here, and while she loses some narrative momentum with her extensive scene setting and world building, she has created a varied cast of characters and detailed plot. The story veers into mild supernatural territory with Ema's abilities, but this seems largely dismissed, Tooke deciding to have Ema merely very observant rather than clairvoyant. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and fits her murder mystery detective conclusion, but feels disjointed from the beginning of the book.
However, where the book excels is in it's characterization of the neuro-divergent Ema, who should speak to any reader that feels they don't fit in, wants to find their place in the world, and that being different can be a strength, rather than a weakness.
Ema Vaskova is the 12th child of a family of twins (baring her eldest sister) and grows up desperately wanting to be like the rest of her family who all excel in science in one discipline or another. Each of her siblings has their twin to reply on work with, while Ema bonds with her eldest sister, Frantiska, she soon comes of age and leaves for higher education. As her other siblings soon do the same Ema is left alone, and yet to find her scientific specialism. As her parents embark on an expedition Ema is sent to live with her Uncle. It is here she meets Silvie, a girl the same age as her, yet where Ema is full of doubt and anxiety she is full of confidence and bravado. Silvie, equally, sees in Ema skills of her own and together they share several midnight adventures across night-time Prague - until one day Silvie goes missing! Determined to find her friend Ema becomes detective, tracing her friend to the enigmatic Midnight Guild who hold many secrets of their own...
Tooke dips into several genres here, and while she loses some narrative momentum with her extensive scene setting and world building, she has created a varied cast of characters and detailed plot. The story veers into mild supernatural territory with Ema's abilities, but this seems largely dismissed, Tooke deciding to have Ema merely very observant rather than clairvoyant. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and fits her murder mystery detective conclusion, but feels disjointed from the beginning of the book.
However, where the book excels is in it's characterization of the neuro-divergent Ema, who should speak to any reader that feels they don't fit in, wants to find their place in the world, and that being different can be a strength, rather than a weakness.
September 24, 2022
We are in Old Town Prague in the late 1800s, where a quirky young girl called Ema (Enigma) is the 12th child born at midnight on the 12th of the 12th month.
As she grows up, she’s a little invisible to everyone around her, and soon packed off by her parents to stay at her uncle’s while they travel with the eldest daughter.
Ema makes a new friend in Silvie, a street smart girl who sends her invitations to meet (on a fullish moon at midnight), written in curly script and sealed with half-chewed toffee.
She discovers mystery and adventure underground in the heart of Prague, in the deep of night. It reminded me a little of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, but for the middle grade set: dreamy, with illusions, acrobatics and sleights of hand.
At first fearful and uncertain of her strange gift with reading people, Ema learns to do “less worrying, more daring”. She gets entangled in a murder mystery amongst the grand members of the Midnight Guild.
As Silvie says to her,
“We will banish those fears of yours, but we will also banish the idea that normal is something worth striving for. I will make you proudly peculiar.”
Author Hana Tooke says in her author’s note that she was diagnosed as “neurodivergent” as an adult. And that Ema’s journey to self-discovery, was her personal epiphany.
Events in this book happen just before those in Tooke’s bestselling first book, The Unadoptables — set in Amsterdam, and there’s one crossover character. Those who read the first book will definitely love this, as well as young readers 10+ who enjoy an intricately-painted old European #kidlit mystery.
📚: @times.reads
As she grows up, she’s a little invisible to everyone around her, and soon packed off by her parents to stay at her uncle’s while they travel with the eldest daughter.
Ema makes a new friend in Silvie, a street smart girl who sends her invitations to meet (on a fullish moon at midnight), written in curly script and sealed with half-chewed toffee.
She discovers mystery and adventure underground in the heart of Prague, in the deep of night. It reminded me a little of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, but for the middle grade set: dreamy, with illusions, acrobatics and sleights of hand.
At first fearful and uncertain of her strange gift with reading people, Ema learns to do “less worrying, more daring”. She gets entangled in a murder mystery amongst the grand members of the Midnight Guild.
As Silvie says to her,
“We will banish those fears of yours, but we will also banish the idea that normal is something worth striving for. I will make you proudly peculiar.”
Author Hana Tooke says in her author’s note that she was diagnosed as “neurodivergent” as an adult. And that Ema’s journey to self-discovery, was her personal epiphany.
Events in this book happen just before those in Tooke’s bestselling first book, The Unadoptables — set in Amsterdam, and there’s one crossover character. Those who read the first book will definitely love this, as well as young readers 10+ who enjoy an intricately-painted old European #kidlit mystery.
📚: @times.reads
December 30, 2022
Ho incontrato questo romanzo per caso. Mi piace, di tanto in tanto, leggere romanzi per ragazzi: trovo che abbiano spesso una freschezza ed un incanto che nei libri per adulti a volte si perde, perchè si sa che la vita non fa sconti e ci indurisce tutti.
In questo roamnzi ci troviamo trascinati nel magico mondo di Praga, che sento magico a prescindere, alla scoperta di angoli misteriosi e leggende, sfidando paure e limiti imposti dalla nostra mente. Ema e Silvie ci accompagnano in questa avventura nell'avventura, svelandoci ciascuna qualche debolezza e imprevedivbili punti di forza. La compagnia di Mezzanotte è un mondo nel mondo, in cui l'impossibile diventa possibile, in cui realtà e finzione si fondono a creare un sogno scientifico.
Personaggi improbabili si affollano sulla scena, senza, credo, la pretesa di essere irrevocabilmente credibili ma con l'ambizione di aprire le nostre menti. Un enigma tira l'altro fino alla soluzione inattesa ma inevitabile e il tutto permeato da un serpeggiante ottimismo, come se gli occhi pieni di stelle di Silvie si posassero benevolmente anche su di noi, spronandoci a dare sempre il meglio, a credere in noi stessi ed andare oltre le apparenze ed i timori che minacciano di limitare il nostro potenziale.
Una trama originale e divertente, ben strutturata e sviluppata, con personaggi costruiti perfettamente per questo mondo. Uno stile narrativo fluido e fresco, uno sguardo innocente su di un mondo che di innocente ha ben poco. L'amicizia che sboccia tra persone diverse e che proprio in questa diversità trovano la propria forza.
Un bel libro, interessante da diversi punti di vista.
In questo roamnzi ci troviamo trascinati nel magico mondo di Praga, che sento magico a prescindere, alla scoperta di angoli misteriosi e leggende, sfidando paure e limiti imposti dalla nostra mente. Ema e Silvie ci accompagnano in questa avventura nell'avventura, svelandoci ciascuna qualche debolezza e imprevedivbili punti di forza. La compagnia di Mezzanotte è un mondo nel mondo, in cui l'impossibile diventa possibile, in cui realtà e finzione si fondono a creare un sogno scientifico.
Personaggi improbabili si affollano sulla scena, senza, credo, la pretesa di essere irrevocabilmente credibili ma con l'ambizione di aprire le nostre menti. Un enigma tira l'altro fino alla soluzione inattesa ma inevitabile e il tutto permeato da un serpeggiante ottimismo, come se gli occhi pieni di stelle di Silvie si posassero benevolmente anche su di noi, spronandoci a dare sempre il meglio, a credere in noi stessi ed andare oltre le apparenze ed i timori che minacciano di limitare il nostro potenziale.
Una trama originale e divertente, ben strutturata e sviluppata, con personaggi costruiti perfettamente per questo mondo. Uno stile narrativo fluido e fresco, uno sguardo innocente su di un mondo che di innocente ha ben poco. L'amicizia che sboccia tra persone diverse e che proprio in questa diversità trovano la propria forza.
Un bel libro, interessante da diversi punti di vista.
November 8, 2023
Here are five reasons why I loved this book(I read it from cover to cover in one sitting!) and why it should be your next Middle Grade read!
1. A BLEND OF GENRES: Hana Tooke seamlessly blends historical fiction, magical realism and murder mystery into one unputdownable tale! Ema Vaskova, our protagonist, hails from a family of scientists! When her parents go off on an expedition to the Alps, she’s sent to live with her mother’s twin brother, Josef. She meets Silvie, a mysterious girl and they instantly become the thickest of friends! When Silvie suddenly goes missing after a frightening encounter at the graveyard, Ema takes it upon herself to find her best friend! She ends up at The Midnight Guild, a hush-hush society of scientists, illusionists and ghost whisperers! Wow, how mysteriously eerie and fun!
2. PICTURESQUE SETTING: I have a particular interest in European cities and their history! When I read that this book takes place in what is probably one of the most beautiful cities on earth, PRAGUE, I knew this would be my next read! Cobblestoned streets, beautiful buildings, a thousand spires, winding roads: what’s not to love? Not only did this book have me Googling the places mentioned and marvelling at the sight, Prague shot up on my bucket list too!
3. WELL-CRAFTED MURDER MYSTERY: A good murder mystery is one that will have you guessing right through to the end and will leave you with your jaw hanging open because you’re surprised at how it was in front of you all along but you missed it somehow! *chef’s kiss*
4. THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP: As I mention in every single Middle Grade review of mine, friendships in these books is what makes Middle Grade my favourite genre of all time, and this book delivers in heaps! Ema and Silvie form a strong bond pretty quick and compliment each other perfectly: Ema being the cautious friend, and Silvie being the impulsive one! Ema makes a few more friends over the course of the story and you can’t help but want to jump right in and give them all a hug!
5. A HINT OF MAGICAL REALISM: Personally, I feel magical realism is that fine line between contemporary and fantasy and one that’s hard to tread. This book manages to get it just right! What is it about the number 12 and why does it play a huge part in Ema’s life? And what is it about her ability to sense things that science cannot explain? Read the book to find out!
1. A BLEND OF GENRES: Hana Tooke seamlessly blends historical fiction, magical realism and murder mystery into one unputdownable tale! Ema Vaskova, our protagonist, hails from a family of scientists! When her parents go off on an expedition to the Alps, she’s sent to live with her mother’s twin brother, Josef. She meets Silvie, a mysterious girl and they instantly become the thickest of friends! When Silvie suddenly goes missing after a frightening encounter at the graveyard, Ema takes it upon herself to find her best friend! She ends up at The Midnight Guild, a hush-hush society of scientists, illusionists and ghost whisperers! Wow, how mysteriously eerie and fun!
2. PICTURESQUE SETTING: I have a particular interest in European cities and their history! When I read that this book takes place in what is probably one of the most beautiful cities on earth, PRAGUE, I knew this would be my next read! Cobblestoned streets, beautiful buildings, a thousand spires, winding roads: what’s not to love? Not only did this book have me Googling the places mentioned and marvelling at the sight, Prague shot up on my bucket list too!
3. WELL-CRAFTED MURDER MYSTERY: A good murder mystery is one that will have you guessing right through to the end and will leave you with your jaw hanging open because you’re surprised at how it was in front of you all along but you missed it somehow! *chef’s kiss*
4. THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP: As I mention in every single Middle Grade review of mine, friendships in these books is what makes Middle Grade my favourite genre of all time, and this book delivers in heaps! Ema and Silvie form a strong bond pretty quick and compliment each other perfectly: Ema being the cautious friend, and Silvie being the impulsive one! Ema makes a few more friends over the course of the story and you can’t help but want to jump right in and give them all a hug!
5. A HINT OF MAGICAL REALISM: Personally, I feel magical realism is that fine line between contemporary and fantasy and one that’s hard to tread. This book manages to get it just right! What is it about the number 12 and why does it play a huge part in Ema’s life? And what is it about her ability to sense things that science cannot explain? Read the book to find out!
December 25, 2022
Ema Vaskova nasce in una famiglia in cui sia i genitori che i numerosi fratelli e sorelle si occupano di scienza. Lei, però, si sente diversa da loro perché fin da piccola crede di poter predire le sventure ed è spaventata dalle ombre, motivo per cui la madre e il padre insistono sul farle studiare le rocce e gli elementi naturali. A causa di un viaggio dei genitori, Ema, a dodici anni, si ritrova a casa dello zio Josef con cui praticamente non ha mai avuto contatti e incontra Silvie, una ragazzina che le propone delle avventure in cui si deve dimostrare coraggio, ma soltanto durante le notti di luna quasi piena.
Un giorno Ema riceve una strana lettera da Silvie e, non credendo alle parole scritte, decide di mettersi sulle sue tracce, ritrovandosi così in un mondo eccentrico e magico.
Ho amato fin dalle prime pagine l’ambientazione nella Praga di fine Ottocento, descritta nei minimi particolari, che mi ha davvero riportata in questa splendida città, ricca di magia e esoterismo.
Anche la protagonista è un personaggio affascinante, una ragazzina che non si sente capita dalla famiglia, che ha paura di ciò che prova e di ciò che vuole essere per cui si è creata una maschera per sembrare più simile ai suoi familiari e renderli orgogliosi di lei. L’amicizia con Silvie e altri ragazzi le permetterà di diventare più coraggiosa e consapevole del proprio valore, credendo di più nelle sue capacità.
Un romanzo avventuroso, profondo e scritto in modo intelligente che consiglio dai dieci anni.
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