Midnight Howl

Poison Apple #5

by Clare Hutton

Poison Apple Books: Thrilling. Bone-chilling. These books have bite!

Marisol and her mom move from the city to rural Montana for a few months, and stay with family friends and their twin children, Jack and Hailey. Marisol loves looking at the stars so far away from city lights, but she feels creeped out by the woods right by their house. She's even more scared when her new friend Lily warns her about the wolves there -- wolves that are most dangerous around the full moon. When she notices Hailey disappear several times late at night, Marisol starts to wonder...could she be friends with a werewolf?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

CLARE HUTTON loves moonlit nights, but has never seen a werewolf (that she knows of). She lives in Queens, New York, with her husband and their two kids.

Reviews

[Amara Tanith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty straight-forward kidlit mystery right until the end, which is when the author finally reveals whether this is a magical story or a mundane one. (To be honest, I prefer mundane endings in that situation... but I don't hate all magical endings.)

This ending, though, had me on a roller-coaster. Not in that it was actually intense or suspenseful or anything (well, maybe to a child)--but in that my opinion of the plot was swinging all over the place with each new detail revealed. I swear, I completely changed my mind three times within the span of, like, five pages. I went all the way from, "Man, that's the most boring and obvious ending this could've had," to, "wait, that was completely out of left field and unearned," to, "oh, you know what, that little detail actually ties it all together nicely!"

So, yeah. This is a fun, cute book for little kids. Best for the 9 to 11 range, I'd say? Perfect for the werewolf-obsessed preteen/child in your life.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic series of books, geared for young women but with such great stories that any young reader would enjoy them. This is the fifth installment in the new series, Poison Apple Books from Scholastic, and it is not as dark as the previous books. It was a great read.

Clare Hutton has tackled the world of Shifters -- Werewolves, to be specific. Marisol and her mother are moving from Texas to Montana for most of her Grade 7 year. Once she arrives in this rural town she starts to experience strange events. Rumors about Werewolves and the town's history are woven into the fabric of the town and the family she and her mother are staying with. Marisol and her mother are staying with her mother's college roommate and best friend's family at their bed and breakfast. They have twins the same age as Marisol, Jack and Hailey. Soon though, Marisol is experiencing weird things, and she soon becomes suspicious that Hailey might be a Werewolf. But often we let our imaginations run away with us, especially if we are in a town with legends and history. The truth might be even more surprising than her wonderings.

This is another great book in a great series.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More. And with links to reviews of other books in the series.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Howl by Clare Hutton is a book in the Poison Apple series, a paranormal version of the Candy Apple series.

Marisol’s parents are divorced, so she is currently living with her mother in Austin, Texas. She’ll be leaving her best, Tasha, for a few months because her and her mother’s apartment is going to be rewired. Marisol and her mom, Ana, will be going to Wolf Valley, Montana to live with her mom’s friend, Molly, who used to be her college roommate.

Marisol is excited when she sees that Molly has a girl, Hailey, her age. She soon realizes that Hailey doesn’t seem to like her. Marisol also finds out that Hailey has a twin brother, Jack, who loves to cook. Hailey and Marisol do have something in common. They both don’t eat meat.
When Marisol goes to Wolf Valley Middle School, she feels left out, but Jack had introduced her to several people. Some of those girls wave Marisol over to eat lunch with them. She finds out that they have an astronomy club that Lily, one of the girls at the table, is the president and invites her to. Marisol is so excited because she loves astronomy club.

Later in the evening, she goes to the club meeting. One of the boys there, Anderson, talks to and tells her that werewolves are in town. Lily quickly dismisses him but warns Marisol that they are wolves and not to go walking at night.

Marisol quickly believes that Hailey is a werewolf because one night there was a full moon and Hailey wasn’t in her room. Why is Hailey so standoffish around Marisol and everyone at school? Is it because Hailey’s really a werewolf?

I really enjoyed this one. I found myself liking Marisol and being annoyed at Hailey when she wasn’t being all that friendly to Marisol. There is a reason why Hailey is acting the way she is. There are also clues to whether or not Hailey is a werewolf.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good ........ not that im done with it yet i could probably read this book as many times as i could in one day.!!!!!!
I hope that if I keep telling people about these Poison Apple and Candy Apple series and books alot of people will keep on reading them!

[Anja allgood]

it was great
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5***

This is the fifth entry in the Poison Apple series of middle-school books dealing with various paranormal phenomena. Each book can easily be read as a stand-alone work, however. In this case, it’s werewolves who are at the center of the story.

Marisol and her mom have to vacate their Austin, Texas apartment complex during renovations, so they take up her mom’s college roommate’s offer to stay at their Montana bed-and-breakfast during the off-season. The host family has twins who are Marisol’s age, so the three can go to school together. But the wilderness is a very foreign environment for city-girl Marisol. The howls of wolves are bad enough, but the rumors that werewolves roam the valley during a full moon get her imagination working overtime.

I participated in my public library’s pen-pal program this summer (pairing children ages 5-12 with senior citizens to write letters to one another), and my pen pel recommended this book to me.

I’m not a great fan of paranormal genre, but this one is light on the paranormal and focuses more on the relationships between the kids. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. I liked the cautious way Marisol made friends and how she tried to research the history of the valley to determine the truth behind the rumors.

At its core, this is a story of friendship, loyalty and compassion.

[Carolina Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the story was pretty mundane in the beginning, I like the characters and the story building up right up till the end. I also noticed some character development for Marisol, Lily, and Hailey which was good and I liked it.

But in my opinion, it would’ve been cool to see some more action with the werewolves, and it would also be cool to see the story in Lily’s or Hailey‘s eyes. If the author had her way, she would’ve made the book Midnight Howl into a book series about the girls and the werewolves and that would’ve been a pretty good series. Just a thought. 🙂

[Kristina Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters were relatable and I really liked the friendship between Marisol, Hailey, and Lily, but I can tell you now this book is in no way scary. It's basically about a book about a girl that ends up obsessing over werewolves only for nothing even remotely scary to happen. All I can say is if you're looking for a light hearted read this book is for you, but if your looking for scary this book ain't it.

[Jaylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent read. The illustrations are not very good, but the contents of the book are pretty good. I think it had just the right length, or it might have become boring. The werewolf aspect was kind of out of the blue, but it made a little more since as the story progressed. The characters could use a little more development, but other than that I think this was a good book.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

AS an adult I find these fun stories in this series. This one was wonderful about having the young ladies in science and with thought out communication and life skills.

I know these books are not everyone's cup of tea, but I think there is a great deal to take away from the story and still enjoy the entertainment of it.

[Moonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No joke, this book sparked my love for romance. Like there was only a minor romance and still to this day, I remember loving it. I got this book from my school book fair and read it all those years ago and I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this hahaha

[Nephthali · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid this was the first book that I read and I couldn't put it down. It was engaging and let my imagination run wild. Was heavily enjoyable and appropriate for children in the fourth grade.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Working to read through my back log of children's books so I can donate. Three stars is my default rating for children and YA books and indicates they are good for their audience.

[Avianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book to read with so much suspense!!

[Katya Starling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, light read but also rather predictable. I liked the characters and the taste of life in Montana.

[Herondale]

Read this back in middle school and it was an amusing book. Do reccomend.

[Ruby McDemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story and can be really sweet at times. I really enjoyed this story's take on werewolves. This was a great quick little read.

[Ailyn Martos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me into reading

[holden caulfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

if this book were for an older audience I would've been all for Marisols obsession with Hailey being a werewolf being a metaphor for a crush

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if Hailey is a werewolf...🤦‍♀️

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute just like all the others
The story could have ended better in my opinion but it was still good

[Potato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came with a mood necklace from the Scholastic book ordering form. As with all Poison Apple books, this was a lot of fun! I yearn for Montana

[Sienna Tolomay · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked this story the best so far out of the poison apple series. again a tween read but something super easy and lighthearted

[nayeli :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️’s

This was the first book I’ve ever bought. At the time I loved it and was obsessed with it so I decided to re-read it just for the nostalgia. As expected it, I loved it. At the time I would’ve gave it a 5 stars, but now I think it deserves 3. This books wasn’t bad at all, maybe a little predictable, but it’s still very good.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marisol and her single mom have been invited to spend a few weeks of the year with friends in Montana. Though it will mean Marisol will be separated from her best friend for part of the school year, she thinks it will be worth it to experience life in another part of the country. Sure enough, when she arrives at her new temporary home, things are definitely interesting. For one thing, she's living with twins who are just her age. Jack is outgoing, cute, friendly, and popular, while Halley is quieter, more timid, and somewhat mysterious. After Halley disappears during the full moon on Marisol's first night, and then returns home with leaves in her hair, Marisol begins to wonder what she's up to. After hearing rumors about wolves at school, she becomes convinced that Halley is a werewolf, and sets out to prove as much with science.

I enjoyed this book more than This Totally Bites, but I couldn't help but notice that both books followed the same general plotline. Both involve suspicion that a young girl is actually a supernatural creature, and both have the same twist at the end. Both stories also seem to get somewhat lost in the speculation stages, reiterating the same questions many times, bu taking longer than necessary to actually find the answers. They even share the Halloween holiday setting! I was really surprised to realize that they were written by two different authors - that is how closely related the books seemed. And unfortunately, once I picked up on that pattern, it kind of spoiled the ending for me by making it too predictable.

This book does have its strong points, though. I enjoyed Marisol's interactions with her new friends in Montana, and the horse back riding scene. I also really enjoyed her excitement about her new adventure. Mant tween books focus on girls who have been dragged away from home by well-intentioned parents. It was great to see more of a go-getter character who actually sought out new experiences without worrying that it would ruin her current life.

I think I would have liked this book more if I had not already read This Totally Bites. It's the better written of the two, and the more engaging, but the predictable conclusion let me down in the end.

[Jessamine · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Just above the tops of the trees a huge, yellow full moon drifted in the sky. Behind me, leaves rustled. I turned in time to see something disappearing into the undergrowth. Was it a cat? I took a few steps forward. Yellow eyes gleamed at me from the bushes."

A small town in the Montana hills, a mysterious girl obsessed with wolves, a full moon, a camping trip under the stars, and old folklore.

I got this book in a two-pack in middle school with another Poison Apple book, Now You See Me..., because they came with a bat necklace I wanted. Though I read the other one, I started and stopped Midnight Howl book a few times throughout the years and finally just decided to go ahead and read it for my middle-school self.

It started off well with some spooky atmosphere and eerie dreams. The first few chapters were paced well, and the introduction of Hayley and some of her suspicious behaviors was interesting; however, it dragged after that until the last chapters. Each chapter essentially became "here's a small weird thing Hayley does - could she be a werewolf?? I still have no idea" and it was repetitive with no progress.

I did like the final chapter. The chase through the woods at night under the moon, and finding out who the werewolf is, was nicely done. Other strengths included the Montana setting (it was described well, I wanted to be there), the goofy interactions between characters, the adorable hints at romance, and the more creepy parts like those dreams.

Marisol was a strong protagonist. She had a distinct personality, hobbies, and her relationship with her mom was sweet. The development of Marisol and Hayley's friendship was particularly nice, and I appreciated that the author touched on Marisol's classism a bit too. Also, the various clues did keep me guessing about who the werewolf was, too, and I appreciated some aspect of intrigue to keep me reading.

It's not something I'd reread. I do think Now You See Me... was better. I think this is probably suited to an elementary schooler rather than a middle schooler, and they might enjoy this spooky-but-sweet introduction to werewolf lit.

- Part 3/? of reading my tbr pile. -

[Ronah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Werewolves man. I was so confused on who was or was not a werewolf but it's interesting trying to figure it out.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part of Midnight Howl was when the astronomy club went on a big camping trip, at night Marisol heard something outside and thought it was a wolf or a werewolf.

My favorite character is Lily because she was very interesting to me because she sort of relates to me because just like me I don't believe in werewolfs or anything related to that.

When I was reading the book, I felt anxious to get to the end to find out who was the werewolf.

The part I pictures in my head was the ending when Marisol goes outside to find Hailey.

I made a prediction that the ending would be that no one was a werewolf and it would all just be a story.

The genre of the book would go under fiction because werewolfs are not real.

I liked the way the author wrote the beginning, because how Marisol left to go to Montana.

I was mostly surprised that someone else was a werewolf instead of who I thought was a werewolf.

I will probably read the other books in the Poison apple series because they are full of mysteries.

I will recommend this book to other students because a lot of people like to read or watch stories on werewolfs or vampires.

In my opinion I rate this book a 4 star due to it's great story.

I liked the ending because it surprised me about who was the werewolf.

I think other students should read the book because it will get you closer to your 40 and it's a great mysteries.

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Midnight Howl is a great read for middle graders who love paranormal reads. Marisol is a fun character to get to know! She's down to earth, loyal, and true to herself. Not only do I love that she's from Austin, TX, but I was excited to go with her to Wolf Valley, Montana, as her mother moved them there for three months while their apartment is being renovated. Leaving behind her best friend was a little hard, but Marisol quickly discovers there's adventures to be had in out doors, a cute boy, horseback riding, and a mystery surrounding the small town, that has to do with werewolves.

I loved that Marisol not only developed a fascination for wolves, but she loves the beautiful night sky and becomes a member of the Astronomy club. One of my favorite scenes is when they go camping. It brought back fun memories of being out in the middle of the woods, surrounded by beautiful mountains, telling scary stories by a roaring campfire.

Midnight Howl is a fun book to read with it's fun characters, it's fantatic setting, and great paranormal twist. If I had been in middle grade when I read this, it would be one of my favorite reads. This is the first Poison Apples Book I've read, and I like that the series is written so fans don't need to read the books in order. I recommend this book to 5th graders and up.

[Katieb (MundieMoms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Midnight Howl is a great read for middle graders who love paranormal reads. Marisol is a fun character to get to know! She's down to earth, loyal, and true to herself. Not only do I love that she's from Austin, TX, but I was excited to go with her to Wolf Valley, Montana, as her mother moved them there for three months while their apartment is being renovated. Leaving behind her best friend was a little hard, but Marisol quickly discovers there's adventures to be had in out doors, a cute boy, horseback riding, and a mystery surrounding the small town, that has to do with werewolves.

I loved that Marisol not only developed a fascination for wolves, but she loves the beautiful night sky and becomes a member of the Astronomy club. One of my favorite scenes is when they go camping. It brought back fun memories of being out in the middle of the woods, surrounded by beautiful mountains, telling scary stories by a roaring campfire.

Midnight Howl is a fun book to read with it's fun characters, it's fantatic setting, and great paranormal twist. If I had been in middle grade when I read this, it would be one of my favorite reads. This is the first Poison Apples Book I've read, and I like that the series is written so fans don't need to read the books in order. I recommend this book to 5th graders and up