I didn't even realize I read two ghost stories in a row until I went to review them both. These are also the only fictional (dun dun DUN) ghost stories I've read. Go figure...
Overall Rating: 4.1 out of fiveCharacters: 3.5 out of five
Plot: 4.8 out of five
Cover Art: 4 out of five
Originality: 4.6 out of five
Concept: 5 out of five
To be released: September 1st
Favorite Line(s):
Nothing really stood out to me, but I do love when she kinda sort of tells off her parents. It made my teenage spirit proud.
Synopsis:
Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….
Past Midnight has convinced me that no house is ever entirely empty...
This also translates to, 'Holy crud, this book made me want to hire the Ghostbusters. From seeing white globs floating about, to words scratched on a nightstand, Charlotte's foray with the ghostly population is one I'd never want to experience outside the pages of a book.
Charlotte Silver is normal. Seriously she's just normal. Nothing really remarkable about her. Her parents are on the loony side, but all in all she's just a regular girl. That, my friends, is why this book scared the bejeesus out of me at times. 'She's NORMAL, why are GHOSTS following her?!' Came to mind while reading. Also: 'If it happened to HER it could happen to ME. GAH!' Purnhagen really knows how to spin a tale that puts you in the character's position. Charlotte has insecurities and dreams of a life out of her family's spotlight, something most of us can relate to. I felt for Charlotte and was rooting for her throughout the novel. It was great to really see her change and overcome some issues. That's where the character development stops: with Charlotte and maybe with Jared.
I really couldn't connect with anyone else or even become interested in what happened to them. 'Oh, Noah fell off a cliff. That's too bad.' I really wish the rest of the characters would've been at least a little memorable. The lack of personality with them really took from the story and the plot as well.
I really did love the storyline of Past Midnight. It was interesting and subtle at first but throughout the story the conflict grows and towards the end I couldn't stop reading. The suspense built up throughout the novel and was an enjoyable counterpart to the internal conflicts Charlotte's dealing with. The ending wasn't really my style, but it did give a good look into where Charlotte was and made me wonder about her future.
Summing it up:
I liked it! A good read for a rainy day or in between some more intense novels.
"The Mess I Made"-Parachute,
