Summary:

People have been dying suddenly and horribly in Puerto Rico. Worse – all the deaths seem to have something in common. The people. Lupe and Javier are both personally invested in getting to the bottom of these deaths. The problem? They'll have to survive each other – and the danger at hand.

As they dig into the mystery, a question keeps rising to the surface. Is this a murderer? Or a monster?

Review:

So, Five Midnights has been on my TBR list for...checks notes...four years. Ouch! Sorry about that one. I hate it when time gets between me and my books! Tell me I'm not the only one this happens to.

Anyway, I'm here now, and overall, I have to say that I enjoyed this read. I wish the paranormal elements appeared a bit sooner, though, as the first chunk of the book reader is more of a YA thriller (which is fine, but not what I had anticipated).

The author did a brilliant job describing the world – I almost said it felt real, which tells you how much fantasy I've been reading lately. Instead, I'll say that her writing made it feel like we were really there. That was the biggest highlight for me.

Overall, Five Midnights is an interesting read. It's odd and creative in equal measure and is probably worth checking out for anybody curious.

Highlights:
Murder Mystery
Paranormal Elements
Thriller
Curses & Friendships

This was waaaaay better than what I expected. I'm a big fan of horror, and this was definitely up my alley.

I enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting! I picked this up for the AYearAThon theme as it is set in Puerto Rico, and enjoyed the cultural and language aspects that were included throughout.

This was also a quicker read than I had anticipated, the mystery and thrill of it just kept me wanting to read!

The only reason I couldn’t give this five stars was because one of the main characters (Lupe) I found to be very annoying. Javier’s friends were dying and she kept making it about herself and finding ways to make herself the hero. She also kept acting like she knew everything and everyone even tho she visited once a year. If she hadn’t been included as the main character, or as a character at all, it would have been 5 stars.

First, how can you not be intrigued by that opening line in the blurb? Ok, let me say, I’m a big horror fan, but I’m a picky one. This was an engaging book, and I really enjoyed it. Part mystery, part horror, this book will keep you turning pages and giving you chills. Ann did a great job weaving in local lore to the story, and bringing her characters to life. Absolutely recommend.

What happens when you combine some murder, a bit of terror at home, and the sweeping waves that border Puerto Rico? You get this book, as Lupe Dávila teams up with Javier Utierre to find a mysterious killer. They seem to be going after his friends, and he may be next. Perhaps the answer will make itself clear, or they'll have to risk Javier's life to get answers.

Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy this book as it was not what I was expecting. I was aware that it was a YA book but thought that since it had a murder mystery concept, it may be worth the read. There were too many places that skipped back and forth and it became hard to understand in places and I was forced to reread chapters to see if I could figure out the situation. It really seemed more as childish and the characters would say things that did not seem to be something teenagers would say. Overall, I would give it 1.5 stars.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Five Midnights was a "skip and skim" book for me. I wanted to see where it went, but the characters and storyline didn't keep my attention. While it is YA, the characters felt too immature and weren't very relatable for me. I enjoyed the culture and Latinx myth. While the concept was sound, the followthrough just left me disappointed.

YA horror book that is enjoyable and hooked me into the story and I enjoyed the Puerto Rico setting.

Behind on reviewing, but devoured this when it arrived. Well-paced and refreshing YA voice. Sent in a recommendation to the HWA for the Bram Stoker Awards.

I didn’t know what to expect with this one, and I’m not quite sure what I got, either.

The story was simple enough. Some supernatural baddie is taking out teenagers. Any elderly person who can’t stand a racket could relate.

These teens don’t want to die, so they set about figuring out who’s doing the killing and how to stop it.

The characters are well thought out. They each have their own reason for living their lives and have their own personalities, but they didn’t feel real enough to walk off the page. It was a little like filling out a checklist. Let’s see, I need a drug dealer, a former drug addict, a dead guy, a famous guy, and a girl who’s half Puerto Rican and has a fiery disposition for anyone claiming she doesn’t belong.

I have no real complaints about this book, but I also don’t feel the need to rave.

Lupe Dávila used to vacation in Puerto Rico with her father, but her father sent her to her uncle and aunt alone this year. While there, she sees her uncle in the middle of a grisly murder case that involves a group of boyhood friends, most of which fell into drugs and crime. Javier Utierre had been clean for two years, but is likely still a target. Javier and Lupe are determined to try to figure out a way to keep them all alive before he ends up dead as well.

The big bad isn't just the crime ring of drug dealers in Puerto Rico, but El Cuco, the story often used to frighten children into behaving better. Legends have power, especially in a place like Puerto Rico where many still carry the old beliefs. Lupe is half Puerto Rican, but looks more like the Caucasian mother that had abandoned her and her father. She is at the butt end of comments from islanders that resent her presence, which adds to her drive to help those she can. She also serves as the reader's entry point into the culture of Puerto Rico if they aren't already aware of it, and the legend of El Cuco.

Descriptions are vivid throughout this novel. Not just the slums and the drug riddled areas, but the neighborhoods that are nicer and more upscale. The food and the rhythm of island life comes across in every page, and the elements of the supernatural horror story fits well with the characters and the emotional intensity they carry. These are all teenagers, after all, and everything can feel like life or death with them. To make it actually life or death ups the ante and the tension level until we reach the conclusion. It stretches out a bit because there are too many different perspectives, but each of them are important in the final narrative. Even better, we end on a hopeful note for our survivors.

I was intrigued by this YA horror novel because it seemed original and unusual to me. Let's just say I was not disappointed. The novel takes place in Puerto Rico and was written by a Puerto Rican female author.
Five friends are being killed one by one and it is up to Javier Utierre who is one of the five, and Lupe Dávila who is the niece of the police chief investigating the murders to work together to solve the murders before Javier becomes one of the victims.
Ann Davila Cardinal utilizes the legend of El Cuco and skillfully interweaves the culture of Puerto Rico in the narrative. This is the first book I have ever read that takes place in Puerto Rico and the author put so much marvelous detail that it came to life for me especially the food.
The book is marketed as horror but I did not find it frightening but more of a very developed exploration of human nature, society, and myths. It did not detract from the novel at all but actually made it a more interesting read for me. It is a YA horror novel and it is written exactly the way it should be. It is a wonderful introduction to the horror genre for YA, and also rocks in the sense that the author is not only female but from Puerto Rico. All in all, I really enjoyed the writing and will be looking for more books by this author.

Okay, so this book. I'll start with what threw me off from the beginning (and is honestly no fault of the book itself, I'm sure): THE FORMATTING. When I first pulled this book up, it was actually almost un-readable on my kindle. I had to change the font type and take the letter sizing waaay down to make it work. Honestly, it only got weirdly worse as the book went on, even with my editing. Of course, I'm sure this was fixed before actual publication.

Second issue I had were the characters, sadly enough. They felt very 2-dimensional to me. I felt like none of them really had anything interesting about them. However, I did enjoy the dialog and how the characters interacted with each other.

My last negative point is that the monster of the book (El Cuco) while being a very cool idea, and an even more interesting piece of folklore, was really LAME. There was almost no "screen time" for the monster, and the killings were very boring.

That being said, I did enjoy seeing Puerto Rico through the eyes of the author and this book.

DNF 13% - I found the constant jumping between narrators to be confusing and jarring. I didn't connect with any of the characters either (perhaps because of the constant change).

This is a horror novel mixed with a mystery novel which is a great way for horror fans to dip their feet into the mystery genre and vice versa. Also, it’s a great read! Lupe Dávila is visiting Puerto Rico from Vermont for the summer to spend time with her family but it’s anything but a vacation considering her tío is overseeing a murder case that links the victims to their family… I loved the characters and how their struggles unfold and unite them, the tour of Puerto Rico and its cuisine (yum!), and how El Cuco is brought to life. (TW addiction)

Great and steady pace with convincing characters and a motivating narrative. It's wonderful to see more diverse reads out there. Can't wait to see more of these characters in the future.

Received a copy to review.

I think the mythology was interesting but I thought it would be more of a horror story than a young adult.

I had fun reading this YA horror story set in Puerto Rico! I loved the setting and the inclusion of a supernatural monster from local folklore lurking in the shadows, hunting characters down. The story primarily follows two main characters, Lupe Davila and Javier Utierre. Lupe is half Puerto-Rican, born and raised in the States, but she travels to Puerto Rico every summer to visit her extended family, including her uncle who happens to be the police chief. Javier is a recovering drug addict who has grown up in a Puerto Rico that is becoming increasing dark and difficult for teenagers in his neighborhood. When Lupe arrives for the summer, she finds out from her uncle that a series of horrific murders have been occurring and seem to be centered on a group of Javier’s old friends. The two characters pair up in an attempt to figure out where and who the monster will attack next.

I loved that this was an easy, quick read while also tackling a lot of really difficult topics. We get commentary on the degradation of neighborhoods in Puerto Rico, due to the influx of drugs, violence and gangs and why this result stems from outsider influence. We also see the struggle that Javier goes through with his drug addiction and how that relates to his friends relations with local gang influence and drugs as well. There were so many important themes in this story and I love that the author was able to bring all of these topics into a monster story!

I also really loved the inclusion of the “El Cuco” monster, essentially a bogeyman-style creature who comes for kids when they misbehave and how this tied into the reality of the dark elements that were influencing teenagers in this Puerto Rican neighborhood.

The only reason this didn’t end up ultimately being a four or five star read for me was because I struggled a bit with the two main characters, Lupe more so than Javier. While both characters had good inner dialogue and development, whenever they interacted with others or each other, it just seemed to fall flat for me. Their responses were a little too one-dimensional and cliche for me to really get invested in them.
Despite the fact that I struggled a bit with the characters of this story, overall I really enjoyed this read and loved that it was a Puerto Rican horror story, set in Puerto Rico, with a Puerto Rican folklore monster! We need more horror stories like this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I found out about Five Midnights several months before publication, thanks to a cover reveal and an excerpt. That cover + creepy monster + Puerto Rico? Count me in! I placed a preorder right away and was beyond thrilled when I was approved for this ARC, so it's safe to say I had pretty high expectations for this book.

Did it fulfill them? Not entirely, though I did enjoy it a lot and had a great time reading it.

First of all, I have to mention the setting. I could almost feel the sun on my face while reading (though it could have been the actual sun...) and smell the food. Lupe eats a LOT, which gives the reader opportunities to discover Puertorican food and the way it's described made me want to put the book down and get my apron to start cooking. I'm definitely looking up some of these dishes.I've never been to Puero Rico but this, and the Spanish words worming their way in the text, it made me want to jump on a plane. It's glaringly obvious that the author loves Puerto Rico to bits and I was smitten as well.

I was moved by Javier and his fight against addiction. I thought it was written with a lot of sensitivity and we could feel his struggle to keep clean. Lupe takes absolutely zero crap and while her temper can make her a bit insensitive at times, she's great to have in your corner. I do wish Marisol had a little bit more room to shine so we could relate to her grief and despair about her neighbourhood. Izzy could have been given more attention too, in fact, Lupe and Javier put aside, almost all of the characters could have used some more depth to be great instead of good.

I expected horror when I got into Five Midnights, but I think it's more magical realism, maybe. It's not really a thriller, or a mystery for that matter, which kinda threw me off. It's not dark enough to be horror, though the murder scenes are delightfully gruesome, I'd say it's more about magic and spells than actual monsters.That's completely fine and I enjoyed this part of the book, however I wish Lupe and Javier's investigation had a bit more twists and turns.

To sum up: I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it, but for a summer read rather than as a thriller. And book your tickets to Puerto Rico because you'll want to go as soon as you read this book.

Thank you so much to Tor Teen and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book!

A quick, superfun, somewhat scary, defeat-the-monster/curse read. I now really want to go to Puerto Rico, even though I'm the whitest gringa who has ever lived. The story ended a little abruptly - I could've used an epilogue - but other than that, a very fun book, great if you want to learn anything about life in Puerto Rico.