Action, mystery, and strange incidents surround four young friends trying to not only figure out who they are, but what the heck is happening in their small town, and what does "glow" have to do with it?

I loved this book. I think it is great book for middle grade kids. It focuses on friendship, independence, individuality, and success, all while a huge mystery is happening. So the action is there for readers who like fast-paced, suspenseful builds, but also quieter, more reflective moments are there for the quieter reader.

Avery, Dani, Lola, and Bastian are such great characters to follow. They all are different from each other, but connected through glowboarding, a new type of skateboarding using "Component G" or "glow". Glow is a mysterious substance found in their small town in Texas, and eventually all over the world, that can be used to power small machines. Glowboarding is what is on the characters mind 24/7, but they also find out that glow itself may be leading to bigger things happening around, and to, them.

I don't want to give more away than that because everything builds to the end of the book, and the final glowboarding event that the kids have been practicing for. The ending lends itself to a sequel, where we may find out about what exactly is happening on a larger scale, as you are really focused on the small town in this story.

While it is not plot heavy as far as learning more about the "Global War" that is alluded too, it is a fun, fast-paced book, that gives the ultimate lesson of learning who you are, and finding a group of friend that accepts that.

What I Loved:
The friendships in this book were wonderful and made me really connect to the characters. I loved that it had 4 main characters and their point of view was shown throughout the book. Their friendship was heartwarming and made Midnight on Strange Street so wonderful.

How I Felt:
Although this book is targeted towards middle-grade readers, it’s a really fun read for an adult that loves sci-fi as well!

The Writing: Written from the POV of four main characters, I was concerned that this would become confusing and difficult to follow, but it didn’t! The writing was done so well and made the story flow seamlessly.

The Characters: The four main characters were so wonderful. They had complexity and depth making them relatable and enjoyable. I loved that they each had a special power related to their glowboards. This was a special twist that was fun to learn about.

The Plot: Avery, Dani, Lola, and Bastian are all glowboarders in their small Texas town. Glowboarding is a new style of skateboarding where the boards are powered by this mysterious substance, Glow. While the book is really focused on the glowboarding events, there is a bigger, global war, that is brewing. I believe that there could be a book 2 where this would be expanded on, but we will see!

Overall, this was a fun story with a great science-fiction aspect for middle-grade readers. At 400 pages, it’s an investment for a young child to read, however, I flew through the pages and found that the size of the book, was not a deterrent and didn’t feel like 400 pages.

To Read or Not To Read:
This is a good book for young readers that enjoy reading chapter books. If you enjoy getting to know characters and books about friendship and a sporting event, Midnight on Strange Street is perfect.

I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest, unbiased review voluntarily.

The tag line on this book is Action-Packed and full of heart. Fans of Stranger Things will love this story. I never watched stranger things but i pretty sure that is spot on. This is the story of friendship, betrayal and forgiveness. A strange blue light has visited this small town and 5 friends have gained special powers. One friend leaves and continues to allow others to bully his friends.
Each character in this story has their own uniqueness they bring to the table. You have a character in here that will pretty much appeal to just about any one who reads. It has adorable book references which i felt are totally spot on. They also take a sport that lots of kids aspiring to be a part of. Skate boarding only in this story they are on glo boards which can float.
The descriptions of the races is spot on and i really felt like i was part of the whole race. The encounters with bullies hits home i sure for just about anyone who dealt with them and the dynamics with not so great parents as well. Their just about something in here that everyone can identify with. It a great story and though it sits at 400 pages i don't think that it feels like it that long. It reads at a great pace and the mystery around the powers and why the kids have them is very intriguing. This is a must read middle grade.