The Fight for Midnight focuses on Alex Collins, who is facing a lonely summer after the death of his best friend, Jesse. He fills his time doing community service at an adult day care center, reading Game of Thrones to an 85-year-old man, Mr. Monahan. When Cassie Ramirez, a girl Alex has had a crush on since elementary school, calls him to come to the Texas Capitol building to protest Wendy Davis's historic filibuster of the abortion bill HB2, Alex goes, despite having no opinion on abortions. Wendy must talk nonstop until midnight to keep the bill from passing. At the Capitol Alex finds himself in the middle of a tense scene full of pro-choice "orange shirts," and pro-life "blue shirts," and hypocritical politicians playing political games. At first, he has no problem siding with Cassie, but then he runs into Shireen, Jesse's former girlfriend, who is adamantly pro-choice, and he begins to search his soul about how he feels about the issue. The backstory of Jesse's death and Alex's crime which led to his community service, is woven into present-day events. Once again midnight figures significantly in the changes the protagonist goes through to become an adult. There is an author's note about his personal experience at the protest in 2013.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This book is for those who've ever felt like their concerns are overlooked due to differences in gender or community. The story follows Alex, who, amidst personal struggles, joins the movement for abortion rights. The story unfolds as he navigates challenges, forcing him to take a stand.

The novel skillfully weaves two compelling stories into one narrative. It addresses a crucial event related to abortion rights, offering readers valuable insights beyond the surface both about the right to choose and highlights that these rights extend beyond gender, acknowledging the needs of trans and non-binary individuals. Condensed into a single day, the book's second plot point underscores the power of unity, showcasing how sticking together can amplify voices and advocate for what is right. Alex's perspective adds a unique angle, though his journey, frustrating at times, culminates with making a choice that is his alone. The story also underscores the power of unity in making a collective voice heard for what is right. My favorite character was Mr. Monaghan who adds some comic relief to a serious story.

Thank you to NetGalley, North Star Editions, Flux, and Dan Solomon for the opportunity to read The Fight for Midnight in exchange for an honest review.

The Fight for Midnight is a political novel for young adults in the genre of historical fiction. It follows Alex and the events of the June 25, 2013 filibuster on the abortion bill in Texas. A novel of this political standing might be a tough one, though the topic is certainly one of interest for teens, as well as all people. EVERYONE has an opinion on abortion, making this novel very applicable. It does a very good job of showing both sides to the debate as well. The novel is historical and informative, a great political novel for a teen audience.

Filibuster: taking action to prolong or delay a vote on a bill

Alex gets a call from Cassie, a pretty girl from school. They aren't exactly friends and don't really talk, but Cassie wants everyone to come down to the Texas state capitol to protest the abortion bill HB2, which bans abortions after 20 weeks, requires abortion doctors to have the same standards as any medical surgeon, and for women taking abortion-inducing drugs to be monitored for their health and safety. Wendy Davis, a Texas state senator, uses the filibuster tactic to run the clock past midnight, to cause the vote of the bill to not go through. There have been similar bills, all failed.

It is the activism of Alex, Cassie, and his ex-friend Shireen that he learns being neutral iasn't an option on this particular topic. When he first enters the protesting floor with Cassie, he follows her "blueshirt" or pro-life choices and ideas, not really having any prior knowledge or an opinion on the topic. After talking to his ex-friend Shireen, an "orangeshirt," or one for pro-choice, he learns her side of the story too. There are many arguments for both sides, and when Alex does finally make a choice, he realizes where he stands is important and that his political ideologies will have a link to his past and open up a pathway in his political future.

This is a brilliant novel not for the feint of heart. As an educator, I appreciate the display of both sides on the topic at hand and that young people are learning to find their own stance in a political debate and acting on what they believe in. While this might be a bit too heavy to bring into the classroom, it also has a lot of merit to promote activism and introduce young readers to an intense political topic.

The Fight for Midnight is historical fiction about the 2013 Texas filibuster on abortion (HB2). It shows both sides of the abortion debate in realistic and relatable ways. It should have been right up my alley, but it wasn't for several reasons. One, it went into SO much detail about filabusters and political jargon that I found it hard to focus on the storyline. It also included a lot of flashbacks to characters that weren't very well developed and the past events didn't have anything to do with the abortion debate that was the center of the story.

Thanks to North Star Editions, Flux, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

There were so many things that I loved about this book:

1. The explanation of the political process and how change is made throughout the book. The author, through story telling, makes it a bit easier to understand what a filibuster is and the process.
2. The views on both sides of a hotly debated topic - women's rights and abortion. While ultimately, the story leans on way, both sides of the debate are represented and explained. The main character is trying to figure out which side he falls on.
3. The characters - I loved all of the characters and their complexity, although Mr. Monaghan was by far my favorite.
4. The storytelling - I like how the story goes back and forth between the main characters day in the Capital and events from the past year. I also feel like the book is very fast paced, which kept me wanting to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions, Flux for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this a lot more than I expected to; This book is timely, challenging, and well executed. (and powerful considering it's based on real events!)

Pros:
-humanized people on both sides of the abortion debate, while still taking a clear stance
-showcased the importance of cis-men joining the fight for reproductive rights (acknowledgement of privilege)
-great side characters
-clear growth of the main character, Alex
-important author's note
-combats toxic masculinity
-depicts a teenager's education on politics and the importance of using one's voice to fight for change (on the micro and macro level)
-learned a lot about filibusters!


Cons:
-some bizarre sentence structure
-characters could've been more fleshed out
-more flashbacks in the second half of the book would've been impactful
-slightly repetitive at times

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I recommend!

#NetgalleyArc This book had a story within a story but it wasn’t hard to follow. One story is told in flashbacks and one is told in the current timeline. There was vulnerability in the characters and the storyline around women’s rights was written well and an important one to tell. A great read.

ARC REVIEW
This was amazing and being added to my list of books that everyone should read. While the main plot centres around abortion and the different perspectives, it also beautifully deals with the topics of death, substance abuse, crime and politics. This was brilliantly written!

I am so happy that this book exists! In big debates like the one on abortion we often forget that there are people who do not (yet) have an opinion, especially teenagers, who have to find their place in the world and in politics. This story captures the in-between of figuring out what is right and wrong, it considers both sides and shows the struggles that come with forming an opinion. All the while it is full of charming characters and real emotions. I absolutely loved this!

This story takes place starting at 9:03 am June 25, 2013 which many across the world will recognize as the date Senator Wendy Davis laced up her pink tennis shoes and took the floor at the state capitol to lead a filibuster against HB2 which limited a woman’s reproductive rights in Texas.

Alex is seventeen and although he has his whole life in front of him, he feels as if his life is over. His best friend has died. He has community service after taking ownership of a horrible decision he made. He has lost all his friends except for the 80 year old man he spends his afternoons reading to as part of his community service. Therefore, he is surprised to get a text from a popular girl at school asking him to join her at the Capitol. He has no idea what is happening. He had little understanding of legislative laws and proceedings. He also has no option on female reproductive rights, because as he says he is “a guy.” In the span of fourteen hours Alex learns he, and hundreds of other citizens who flooded the Texas Capitol that evening have a voice.

The author covered the legislative session that summer and does a fantastic job including the facts of that day in the story. I respect the way he showed both sides of the issue and didn’t vilify one side over the other. I applaud the way the author had the main character listen to different people on both sides of the issue and that he struggled with the combative approach many took toward people who disagreed on the issue. The references the author made to the session and Game of Thrones made me laugh out loud at several points. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the book; however, I will be purchasing several copies of it when it is released in June!

Alex’ crush, Cassie, asks him to come to the Capitol to help because there’s a protest on abortion happening. Alex isn’t sure how he feels about abortion. When Alex gets to the Capitol he realizes there are two sides to the protest. People in orange shirts stand with Texas women, and those in blue are trying to protect Texas women. Alex likes to be invisible and doesn’t want to wear either color. Someone tells him “you get to pick which kind of man you are.” Alex asks himself, “What’s important to me. What kind of person do I want to be?” Can Alex stand up for what he thinks is right? After midnight what happens to the bill?

I'll admit, I struggled through the first half of this book, because I found Alex to be a pretty tedious and unlikeable character. I questioned why the author chose this particular character to be the protagonist of this story, but by the end, I understood. It came together for me about 2/3 of the way into the story, which is why I only gave this a 4 star rating rather than 5.

I loved the message of this book - be open to learning about different perspectives, and be able to find the truth in the midst of that. Standing up for rights and understanding that winning a battle isn't winning a war and that the fight continues...I loved all of that.

Alex is going through a lot in this story, and while I still didn't like him as a protagonist, I can appreciate that there are kids out there who will see themselves in him. And I hope that they take his epiphany to heart and join the fight too.

A fair and authentic exploration of abortion and politics through the eyes of a teen boy

The short version: I highly recommend this novel, which accurately depicts Wendy Davis’s historic filibuster and authentically explores a teen boy’s attempt to figure out who he is, what he believes, why he should care about issues in state and national politics, and what his role in those politics is. The characters (except the legislators and other political officeholders) are fictional, but they represent real people we all know without becoming stock or stereotypical. The book also offers an easy entry point for anyone—especially young people—to understand the abortion debate and “how the sausage is made” in politics without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated, as the experience often feels in real life.
The longer version: When I first came across this book, I was intrigued but cautious — a YA novel whose setting centers around Wendy Davis’s historic filibuster of a highly restrictive Texas abortion law? With a male teen as the main character? I was curious how the author would handle the abortion debate, how he’d make the legislative process lively for a young audience, and whether he’d get the details of Austin right. (A HUGE pet peeve of mine is to read books set in Austin where it becomes very clear that they’ve either never been to Austin or have only passed through briefly.) I also worried whether this book would demonize Texas; too many people outside Texas don’t really understand the state or its people and make broad generalizations or assumptions based on who controls our state politics without regard to what the rest of us think about that.
I needn’t have worried about the author knowing Austin well. Within a few pages, it was apparent this author REALLY knew Austin, especially when he had the main character working at a Double Dave’s. I quickly became nostalgic as I read familiar names and details about Austin—street names, landmarks, quirky things that only a true Austinite would recognize. It was also clear this author REALLY knew the Texas lege and the precise details of the events that happened that day, and that this book was not out to demonize either those who supported or opposed the Texas bill, much less Texans more broadly. And all of this is because — as I discovered when I read the author’s note after finishing the book — the author (whose name I barely noticed when I chose to read the book) is the Dan Solomon who has written for Texas Monthly and the Austin Chronicle. In fact, he covered Wendy’s filibuster for the Chronicle.
So then what about the actual substance of the book? The plot, the characters, the pacing… it is just as deftly handled as Solomon’s reporting. The main character, Alex, is fully realized and wholly believable, as are all the supporting characters. There are no caricatures or foils here, even among some of the Texas legislators who probably deserve to be caricatured. Making the main character a teenage male was a brilliant move: it allowed him to enter the abortion debate and that day’s spectacle with complete, genuine ignorance, without preconceived ideas and with enough connection to people on both sides of the debate that he really could have gone either way in what he ultimately decided he thought about the filibuster and the issue. The two female classmates Alex meets at the capitol, one on each side of the debate, are given an equally fair shake in terms of how they’re presented and why they believe what they do.
I was also impressed with how Solomon developed the character’s backstory and how it undergirded the main character’s experience at the capitol. His soul-searching and attempt to better understand who he is and what he believes feels authentic. It’s never forced, and it grows organically from his backstory and what he observes and experiences at the capitol.
I won’t deny that I was delighted when, after finishing the book, I realized who had written it — though I didn’t know the author personally, I knew of him and he of me, and we have mutual contacts. But I had already decided I loved the book before I got to the author’s note. It was also fun to relive the filibuster that I remember watching so closely on my computer alongside hundreds of thousands of others across the world that night.
I remembered some of the very tweets referenced in the book, I remember being glued to Twitter when not watching the proceedings, I remember the specific events that occurred on the floor, I remember all the parliamentary inquiries and having never before been so riveted by bureaucratic minutiae (and recognizing that and laughing about it), and oh boy did I remember Sen. Van de Putte and her words… I was holding my breath as I read the pages leading up to them and almost cheered all over again when I read them on the page. Solomon did a great job of translating the suspense of that night into the book.
What I couldn’t remember — since I wasn’t there in person — was what was happening in the rotunda and basement and elevators and gallery and so on, and I appreciated finally being privy to that here. I love that Solomon has taken that day and night and created a novel that invites other youth to get involved in political issues, revealing to them why those issues are so important and why their voices are needed. Finally, the victory in the book, coming especially at this point in time, post-Dobbs, is a reminder of what we can accomplish and what we have to keep fighting for, even knowing what happened later. If for that fact alone, this book is important right now.
This review is based on reading a complimentary advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley.

My heart is still pounding after finishing the masterpiece that is The Fight for Midnight! Texas' historic abortion filibuster is a riveting backdrop for Alex's personal journey towards both deciding his position on abortion and dealing with a devastating past. Although the book is from the perspective of a boy, women are at the center of this story every step of the way, from Wendy Davis' persistence, to the friends he joins at the rally, to the women leading the movement. Solomon describes the technicalities of the political process deftly and clearly. I loved learning the details of this historic filibuster and felt like I was right there in it. I also loved the one-day format and time-stamped chapters. This book is terrific read for anyone trying to figure out where they stand, but also an entertaining, fascinating, thought-provoking story for teens and adults alike.

Neutrality is not an option for a teen who gets caught up in a political protest on reproductive rights. A thoughtul exploration of the issues.

What a book! There is so much packed into it, whether you are a young adult reader or an old adult reader like me. Full disclosure, I live in Austin so the small observations of life in this eclectic town & its unique culture were fun to read but this story is character driven around a singular day in 2013. We view it all through the lens of 17-year-old Alex Collins. There are adolescent struggles, some of which are universal angst but a few which are deadly serious.

The setting is primarily the State Capitol building in Austin on the last day of the 2013 legislature in which they were going to pass severe abortion restrictions. Alex attends even though he has no opinion on the subject since he's never really thought about it. but a girl he likes is there. Alex is a reader and his comparison of the Texas Lege to The Game of Thrones made me laugh out loud! It is a spot-on observation. At ten minutes to midnight in the story, I sobbed as Alex had a full-throated, screaming epiphany, so amazing for a 17-year-old or anyone.

This is so well-written with quirky, believable characters. I loved the octogenarian, Mr. Monaghan, from whom Alex learned the real measure of a man in no uncertain terms. I didn't want this book to end and I'll be buying copies of it to give as gifts and one to keep once it's published. I'm grateful to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. I strongly recommend it to both YA and adult readers.

*I sincerely hope that Wendy Davis has read this book. And a note to the author...excellent music references which compelled me to listen to Sharon van Etten as soon as I finished the last page.

2.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I get what this book was trying to do and it definitely made me teary eyed at times, but it was just so confusing to read. There were so many characters being introduced, which is kinda impressive honestly for a book that is just over a hundred pages, but it made my reading experience a really confusing one.
Again I get what this book was trying to do but if you're gonna introduce this many characters, maybe flesh them out a bit more so that I at least have some kind of clue as to who is who...
Anyway this was a short and fast read tho and my dyslexic ass really appreciated that.

Abortion shown from both sides via a legislative session where a student with a tumultuous past works to come to terms with the loss of a friend, and rebuilding connections with people close to him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this journey of self discovery and self confidence with Alex. The way this story pulls so many life lessons into one story is awesome. It's almost like I grew right along with Alex in the way of understanding politics and being unsure how to support a side when you support people on both sides. I very much recommend this book!