Illustrated By: Simini Blocker
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Format: Hardcover
Published: 2nd November 2017
Number of Pages: 144
Book: For Review*
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories, Coming-Of-Age, YA
Recommended
Age: 13+
Contains:
Swearing, Alcohol References
Author's
Site: Rainbow Rowell
Blurb From Goodreads:
Midnights
is the story of Noel and Mags, who meet at the same New Year's Eve party every
year and fall a little more in love each time . . .
Kindred
Spirits is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and
meets Gabe, a fellow fan.
Midnights
was previously published as part of the My True Love Gave to Me anthology,
edited by Stephanie Perkins and Kindred Spirits was previously published as a
World Book Day title.
Review:
Mags and Noel met at a New Year’s Eve party
– Noel later claims she saved his life that night. All Mags did was tell him the pesto had nuts
in. As the New Year’s Eve parties come and go with the passing years, their
friendship changes yet stay the same...
Elena thought the queue for The Force Awakens’ opening night would
be longer. Instead it’s just her, a kid her age with his nose stuck in a
book and a blonde bearded guy who’s been to like every Star Wars queue ever.
So it’s safe to say it isn’t quite the party Elena was hoping for – but
she’s here for Star Wars, her one
true love, and she will stick with this queue! Besides, a lot can happen
when you camp outside a movie theatre for a week...
When I got sent Almost Midnight (and a totally adorable and delicious box of
goodies) from MyKindaBooks in preparation for the Almost Midnight readalong, it was almost impossibly not to dive
straight into this gorgeous little book! I adored both of the short
stories in this little anthology and the illustrations just made me fall even
more in love! Rainbow is one of the few contemporary authors I always read
– I’m such a fantasy girl that I almost never read contemps – but I always make
an exception for Rainbow! And she so didn’t disappoint with these
adorable, fun and hilarious stories!
Kindred
Spirits is a story that so appeals to
the crazy fangirl in me! I love Star
Wars (though definitely not as much as Elena – she’s a true, hardcore fan
of Star Wars!) so I really enjoyed
all the references and the marvellous geekiness of this story! Plus Elena
was literally the cutest thing ever, Gabe was really sweet and Troy was so
funny. Also the ending was just hilarious – I laughed so much! It
seems like just the kind of thing I’d do.
Rainbow’s writing was, as ever, beautiful and
compelling and brilliant. It sucked me straight in and made me care so
much about these characters in a really short space of time – something that’s
often really hard in novellas that aren’t linked to a favourite series of mine
(which is generally the type of short story I read). And as for those
illustrations? They just added an extra level of beauty and brilliance to
this story and make me wish every book could be illustrated by Simini Blocker!
If you’re a hardcore Rainbow Fangirl or
just a lover of quick and utterly cute stories, you have to check Almost Midnight out! You won’t regret
it – promise! You especially must pick it out if you love cute dorks in
white suits, Star Wars, coffee or
want to get into the festive spirit! I know I’m going to be rereading Midnights at least before New Years – I
love it so much! Rainbow, you’ve done it again! You’ve made this
fantasy-obsessed girl oh so very very happy to read about reality – and that it
not an easy thing to do!
Star Rating:
4 Out of 5
4 Out of 5
Read this
book if you liked:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The It Girl by Katy Birchall
Let It Snow Anthology
Happy Reading
Megan
* This
book was received from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review