I was intrigued by the cover and the premise of the book but the actual book itself was kind of disappointing. I didn’t really grow to care about any of the characters in the book which was a shame as I then didn’t really care if they got out of their predicament or not. I also felt like this story progressed very slowly and it took me a while to get through. I left the book being just as confused as I started this book as a lot of things didn’t really make sense to me.

I give this book a 1 out of 5 stars.

Ah, Swoon Reads, here we are, doing this dance once again. You have a beautiful cover and promising premise and I know better, but oh I just cannot resist your allure. I cannot quit you, Swoon Reads, but sometimes I want to. The Midnight Dance is Dollhouse meets the Chemical Garden trilogy, and it’s okay but it’s not great.


Early on, I actually found myself oddly captivated by The Midnight Dance. I found the writing pleasant and easy to consume, and something about it made me want to keep reading, despite not being especially into the characters or story. So that’s good, because it means I might try more Katz in the future.

First warning, don’t come for the ballet, because there’s actually not much ballet in here. And the MC hates ballet, so it’s really not about that. It’s basically like if the dolls from Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse were only tasked to be ballerinas. Which is kind of cool, except I have so many questions. Why does this dude have so much money to spend on this? Because this is a costly operation and putting on the occasional ballet just cannot bring in that much dough. His evil plan is a harem of ballerinas, which is creepy af, but we’re not exactly talking world domination here and also why ballerinas? I know why he’s obsessed with tech but I do not get the ballet connection at all.

Romance-wise, this is so completely Chemical Garden. Penny (it’s not weird for me to have to look her name up bc my memory but I actually don’t even recognize her name two weeks later, so yeah not the most memorable book tbh) is realizing that something’s weird, because she’s starting to have memories that don’t fit her life. She’s basically been trained to be into stockholm syndrome creep dude, but she’s got ~feelings~ for the cute house boy, Cricket. There is no chemistry any which way, and I really didn’t care about this.

The Midnight Dance really just needed more: more characterization, more pizzazz, more dancing, and way more world building. I kind of enjoyed reading it, but I forgot it again almost immediately after. By no means the worst Swoon Reads has offered, but not particularly satisfying.

Not compelling or satisfying reading, lacks good characters and suspense.

I wish I hadn't had such high hopes for this book! It seemed like it was going to have everything I could want in a book; ballet, mystery, dark romance... but it fell so flat.

I saw another person who reviewed this book ( if I find their review, I'll link it here) who said that what made this book so not good for them is they had to keep asking "why." Why ballet, why with one of the love stories, why Italy, why in the mid 1800's??? And that is exactly how I feel! It's like the author had this amazing concept/idea for a story, but did not know how to flesh it out properly.

I just found myself frustrated with so many aspects of this book. Firstly with Penelope, the MC. Her voice was irritating and I wish we weren't reading from her POV. She had horrible decision making skills, to the point of being completely unbelievable. And I just know that the only reason she made the choices she did was to make the plot move forward. Which is just... no. I was also frustrated with the ending. So many parts of it were just WAY too convenient. Again, to the point of being unbelievable.

I just don't think everything about this book was thought through. I forgot characters' names as soon as they left, some of Penelope and Cricket's choices were just stupid, and the flashbacks weren't a necessary way to make us understand the back story.

Cricket was the only thing I liked about this book. Boy was a-freaking-dorable.

Overall I just wanted the book to be over, after about 60% through the book I found myself basically skim reading to minimize the amount of eye-rolling.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I have lost interest in the title, partly due to trusted reviews, and will not be reviewing the title. I have, however, promoed the title through my weekly recap with links to Amazon. Thank you again, and I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.

I wasn't able to finish the book because I just couldn't get past the fourth chapter. It felt so bland, and the thrill and suspense I was looking forward to wasn't there. Master didn't seem too mysterious for me.

I really love thrillers so I think I can be really picky, but I had a hard time with following the narrative. It wasn't as visual as most thrillers are so it was a little hard to figure out what was going on.

So many NetGalley books that I read and forgot to log here. Huge fail.... I know. Anyway, moving on. I have seen that there is hardly anyone that is just meh about this book. Everyone either loves it or hates it. I feel like one of the only ones that doesn't hate it but doesn't love it.

The writing isn't bad but sometimes it felt confusing to me.... like I'd have to go back and read something twice to make sure I understood it. The story was a thriller and that I was not expecting. I didn't love that fact but it was alright I guess. The main problem I have with this book is the characters... they are just... not well written. I think had they been written stronger I would have really loved this book.


Will go live on my blog 1/11/2018
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Love!! Love!! Love!! Can't wait to read more from this author!!

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: The cover is just so pretty but the book itself was just to confusing.

Check out author's other books or related books? Maybe but not really sure

Recommend this book? No way to confusing

Notes and Opinions: I was so excited for this book, the cover is just so breathtaking! But, unfortunately it was very confusing and well just didn't work out for me at all. I love thrillers but with this one I had so many issues keeping track of what was going on. I felt very confused with the narrative and I didn't really connect with any of the characters which had me so disappointed.


Go Into This One Knowing: Way confusing

I am absolutely not in the mood for a story about a boy being teased by one woman growing up and deciding that he must control women.

DNF'd quickly because it wasn't pulling me in. May give this book another try in the future. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and the premise is intriguing. 2.5 stars because star rating is required and I cannot adequately judge the book.

Note: Unbiased review provided in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.

I'm between a 3 and a 3.5 on this one.

"Midnight Dance" is a YA-and-up level book that owes more than a bit to Gregory Maguire, who has dedicated decades to rewriting fairytales. I just can't decide *what* fairytale, classic or new, is being reworked here, as I can see so many of them in the bones of the story--the 12 Dancing Princesses, the Phantom of the Opera, the kitchen boy story (of Tsarevich Alexei), Coppelia, the Night Circus, and so on.

So what is this book? It's a vaguely historical thriller dosed with a lot of magical realism and a spot of steampunk thrown in. At the end of the 1800s, a man runs a ballet boarding school in Italy. All of the girls in the school are orphans or impoverished by family background (that is, far lower in power than him). One of the girls, Penny, begins to see a discrepancy between the world around her and her memories (and often, lack thereof). What if the world she knows is built on a lie?

What's good about the book is that it is fun, atmospheric, and it sells the scary in the form of the Master. It certainly makes the reader believe Penny's confusion, as we're often left confused, too.

What's in need of help is the back half of the book. The ending is rushed and the need for the famous midnight dance isn't made clear for the reader--it just seems like a flourish thrown in by the author for a fun time. And the framing of the dance world needs more meat to it; for a "ballet book," the dancing seems to do little beyond giving us tutus and first position.

All in all, it was a fast read and one I enjoyed--I just wish there'd been more in this world to explore.

Any book that has anything about dancing in it I am going to pick it up. This one fell a little flat for me but it wasn't bad. I feel very neutral on this one. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it either.

Nikki Katz’s Midnight Dance: the book is every bit as good as the cover...

If a book were truly judged by its cover, The Midnight Dance, by Nikki Katz, would win a gold medal. But books are more than just their covers, and luckily for readers, The Midnight Dance lives up to its jacket.

The Midnight Dance has a Gothic, Jane Eyre weightiness to it that also calls to mind The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Author Nikki Katz does an excellent job setting the mood — there were times when I had a physical reaction of chills or dread while reading it. Katz amps up the mystery with bursts of magical realism.

While The Midnight Dance is a ballet book, it’s also not a ballet book. For those who love the art form, there’s a lot to love, but for those who don’t, never fear. The ballet elements serve as a framework for a much larger and more intense story.

I read The Midnight Dance in one day, stopping and starting whenever I could find a chance. It’s fast paced and compelling. My only gripe is with the secondary characters, who could have been better developed for a more fleshed out story.

Thanks to Swoon Reads and Netgalley for the advance copy of this ebook (even though I didn’t read it until after it was already released - oops). Al opinions are my own.

In 1879 Italy, an estate in the middle of the countryside serves as a ballet boarding school. Everything revolves around Master’s needs. Penny, one of the dancers, begins to wonder where her real family is though; surely they are out there somewhere. As she starts asking too many questions, she realizes her life and the lives of her fellow dancers may be in jeopardy.

I liked the concept of this, but the execution fell a little flat for me. I needed more background on the Master to fully understand his motivations. Nevertheless, I think young adult readers will enjoy this thriller. 3.5/5 Stars.

Going along the vein of "The Phantom of the Opera", The Midnight Dance follows an ingenue ballerina in pursuit of her dreams in the reclusive and exclusive Grande Teatro, under the watchful eye of the Master.
Jumping right into the plot with little set-up or character development, the story dives into a psychological-thriller kind of tale, but lacks the necessary plot twists or suspense to fully qualify for the category.
Based on the publisher, one might think that romance would feature heavily in this plot, but the author instead tries to set up a weak love triangle between the heroine, the Master, and a boy named Cricket, in ways that never feel organic or real.
Elegant writing and a promising premise make this an interesting find, but an ultimately unsatisfying product.

From the Militant Recommender Book Review Blog
http://militantrecommender.blogspot.com/
12 girls, all similar in visage, like sisters, train in a special academy, the Grande Teatro, to dance and be graceful and ever mindful and respectful of their dashing, handsome Master. They even bore the special tattoo of his elite chosen ones.
Penelope, or Penny as she prefers to be called, is beautiful and gifted, and yet, she feels different than her "sisters". Not as engaged in catching the Master's eye, though he always seems to be watching her. Much to the consternation of Bianca, who is flawless at everything she does, and jealous of the Master's attention to Penny.
And what of Cricket, the attractive kitchen boy, who brings Penny special treats while some of her sisters advise her that they must watch their weight.
Penny also suffers from mysterious, debilitating headaches which necessitate her vising her grandfather for help.
What is the story behind this special school with all its rules, and its handsome, but controlling Master? Penny slowly tries to uncover its secrets and will take you, the reader, along with her as she makes some unsettling discoveries in Ms. Katz's compelling Midnight Dance which was described in the blurbs as a combination of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Phantom of the Opera. What could be better?

Such an interesting concept. I love this cover and the story totally grabbed me

I am going to take a moment to admire this cover. That is the main reason I requested The Midnight Dance from NetGalley. Because of the cover. I mean, just look at it!!! It is unbelievable. Too bad the story within didn’t live up to the cover.



While I felt bad for Penny, I felt that her character was flat. Her interactions with the other girls seemed forced and the dialogue stilted. Even her interactions with Cricket seemed forced. While I see her potential as a heroine, I couldn’t connect with her. I also thought that she acted too modern. Seeing that this book was set in 1879, Penny didn’t give off that Victorian vibe.

I also couldn’t get into the storyline. Again, it felt very flat and very one-dimensional. I did like that the story was set in Italy but I wish more details were given. If it hadn’t been stated in the blurb that this book was set there, I would have thought it someplace else. Nothing screamed Italy too me. The names of the characters, yes. But nothing else. For all I know, it could have been set in England.

There wasn’t a romance aspect of the book. I mean, Cricket and Penny had feelings for each other and they did kiss. But again, it felt forced and flat. The Master’s obsession with Penny was stalkerish and very creepy. But again, it didn’t scream “head over heels in love“. Instead, I got a bad taste in my mouth and the creeps after reading those scenes.

Penny suddenly recovering her memories because Cricket touched her didn’t ring true to me. Why? Because he had touched her before in the book and she didn’t recover them then. So why then? I didn’t buy the explanation that Beppe gave when questioned. Drove me nuts and at that point, I wanted to DNF. But I have a resolve not to DNF a book, so I set myself to finish the book.

I did like the steampunk elements that were in the book. That did make the book interesting to read. I wish that the book had focused more on that element. It would have been a better read if it did.

The end of the book was the best part of the book. It is also the reason I gave the book a 2-star review. If the rest of the book had been written like the ending, I would have given The Midnight Dance a 4 or 5 review.

The Midnight Dance was almost a DNF for me. While the storyline was interesting, I felt that the characters were dull and flat. If I had not read that the book had been set in Italy, I wouldn’t have guessed it. Other than the names and Cricket occasionally speaking Italian, I would have thought the book was set elsewhere. I did love the cover, though, and I thought the ending was fantastic. But this is a book that I will not read again.

Will I reread: No

Will I recommend to family and friends: No

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Mild violence. Other than that, a relatively clean book.

I would like to thank Nikki Katz, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Swoon Reads, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Midnight Dance

All opinions stated in this review of The Midnight Dance are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

This is a book I will recommend to my customers if they enjoy an engaging teen read.