Thank you to #NetGalley, Clare Osongco, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Deedee’s life is full of family ghosts and questions she can’t ask. She longs to get away, but between guilt and her strict Filipino single mom won’t let her learn to drive. But one night leads Deedee down a road she never thought possible: secret driving lessons with the new boy next door, Jay, who's family keeps him up at night too.

As midnights stretch into days, Jay helps Deedee begin to look at her past, Deedee starts to imagine a life where happiness is possible. Can Jay and Deedee find happiness in their lives and with each other?

A touching YA read that all teens should read!

I presented this book at NCTE! Thank you for sharing it in this format. :)

I will also be using this with my pre-service teachers in the fall!

What a beautiful, heartbreaking debut novel! A deep examination of family trauma, abuse, neglect, and diaspora, but told with a gentle quietness rather than a heavy hand. Both Dee Dee and Jay feel the pressure of family expectations and do all they can to hide their hurt from all the misunderstanding and neglect they are given in return. While this story is raw it is also very powerful, and so very hopeful.

A gut wrenching story about growing, grief, and the complications of love. A girl who yearns to escape her house finds herself sneaking off to get driving lessons from her neighbor... a boy who is also trying to run away from his own problems... yet as they find comfort and romance in each other... so do the complications of their own family lives begin to grow and soon they'll have to learn to grow and face their issues head on. This was a gut wrenching coming of age story about a seventeen year old girl who's whom life is horrible, with a mother who is constantly telling her she is a disappointment to wishing she was never born, every interaction is volatile and has her questioning her own worth and if she is only alive to ruin everyone's life.... and then she meets her new neighbor, a boy struggling to just stay above water to help his family yet growing up too fast with all the burden on his own shoulders... yet they find a comfort in one another as they begin to spend late nights sneaking off and driving... yet their lives are only getting more complicated and they can't run from their problems for long. This was such a hard story to read because you truly are in it with the characters, they are going through so much and you just want to go into the book and give them a hug. They're both just kids yet being made to endure so much and seeing them grow, and seeing them set boundaries and work on themselves before finding their way back to one another was so perfect and well done. I really do think this is a story everyone should read because it really hones in on so many important things. It's a beautiful story and definitely touches your heart.

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

two insomniacs, a girl learning to drive against her mother’s wishes, a boy wanting to escape his responsibilities, will love be their salvation or damnation?

thanks to clare osongco and disney hyperion for sending me an eARC through netgalley! this does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way. out today!

“I’m sure the things that haunt us wouldn’t be the same. But I kind of wonder if they’d rhyme.”

this book. i-- idk what to say to do justice this masterpiece of writing. this is a painstakingly raw book that deals with the life of an immigrant child and how her mother's inability to process her grief healthily, deeply affected her.

reading this book was hard, cause i could see bits of my life reflected on those pages and i did not know whether i should be grateful, that my situation was never as bad, or guilty that what deedee went through, is real life for someone else out there. writing this review, is more personal than anything i’ve ever reviewed, and for that this one will always hold a part of my soul evermore.

miss clare's words twists upon your heart with each page and wrenches it dry. this book will sink its claws into your heart and leave flesh wounds for life. i don't know if i will ever be able to completely reread this book. especially not the first half.

“I’m like the aswang in reverse—a child draining the life out of her parents, one quick, one slow. It’s not the traditional story, but these shapeshifters are tricky. They adapt.”

ᯓ★ deedee my darling little girl, you did not deserve that life, hiding yourself at home and school, constantly feeling out of place and lost. and if i could i would hug you close for life and never let you experience any sort of pain ever again. that constant need to hide everything you love in the fear of losing it, is something i can relate to and god do i wish life was different for all of us. deedee is me in another universe, who thankfully gets her closure and gets to mend her broken relationships.

this book is eyes brimming with tears, trying hard to blink them away, screams stuck in your throat, so painful you try to swallow it all down, but it feels as impossible as ingesting knives. it’s the pressure building in your throat, your nose burning from choked emotions. it's love, it's hope, it's pain, it's everything. it's life.

“The thing that surprised me was: It’s not actually an either-or choice. Sympathizing with your parents or with yourself. I think that’s what can get easier. Learning to do both. But it kind of falls apart if you don’t start with yourself first.”

ᯓ★ deedee’s relationship with her mom is a very painful thing to experience even as just the reader. and when we read the book, especially in the beginning you can’t help but hate her mother for the way she treats deedee. i mean come on! you are her mother!! and the amount of tears i shed over this fictional mother-daughter is endless. maybe because it slightly reflected my own relationship with my mother. and just like me and my mom, i cant hate deedee’s mom cause ms. clare humanizes her and tells us her story. now as a reader, you can't help but sympathize and understand that they were mere victims of generational trauma. but as a person, as a daughter, even if i can define it, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. and i admire the way she and her mom were able to understand and rectify the mistakes.

“How are . . . things with your mom?” Jay whispers.
*Why would he ask me that now?*
I scoff. “Aren’t you just going to tell me to try harder?”
“No.” He sounds so serious, and his hand squeezes my arm, through my jacket. “I don’t want anyone to be mean to you.”

ᯓ★ and at the heart of it all, this is a love story that was so right person wrong time coded. jay and deedee are the most perfect imperfect couple. the way they helped each other become better people was everything. and even if i wish the ending happened differently, i know deep down this was the best and healthiest way for them. because as young people, we tend to think that love will fix everything, even if we know it doesn’t. the only thing it can do is make you want to become a better person, if not for yourself, at least for the person you love. and this is shown in mwy in a heartwarming manner.

ms clare also does a fantastic job of showing the different kinds of immigrant family dynamics, because while deedee’s is one, it’s not the norm. we get to see that through the other characters, and i absolutely adored that!

all in all, miss clare you will be getting my future therapy bills (cause yes i ugly cried like a baby reading this 😭😭) and please never stop writing! your book is the light at the end of the tunnel, that ray of hope that everything will be better 🥹🫶

A YA romance for the ages!

Midnights With You is a devastating examination of learning to love yourself through deep-seated trauma. This book breaks your heart and stitches it back together in a whole new way. Readers will be forever changed by Clare Osongco's debut novel.

This is the kind of raw and vulnerable love story that touches your heart and leaves a warm imprint for years after you finish reading. It's the kind of honest book that's relatable to so many children of immigrants, no matter how old they get. Osongco does an excellent job of not romanticizing toxic behavior, of addressing the pain of her characters, and adding to the conversation of familial abuse in such a real and respectful way.

Beyond the heartache and pain, this book is for the lovers of romance who like enduring characters that fall apart and come together and fall back apart again. It's a beautiful tale about learning what love looks like; self love, parental love, and romantic love.

Please read the trigger and content warnings BEFORE reading Midnights With You

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

All I have to say is that I am very thankful for my mother.

Deedee and Jay are two teens living on the same street, and they form a secret pact when they discover neither of them can fall asleep at night. Both are trying to escape complicated family dynamics and discover more about each other.

Deedee is a… very complex character. She lacks almost any confidence and has no self-worth, and she struggles to open up to others because of all the trauma she has. It was hard hearing how little she thought of herself, and I am very thankful for her character development throughout the story.. Despite some of her faults, you really are rooting for her and eager to see her change as a person once she opens up more to Jay. The romance was cute at times, but also very stressful, there is a lot of back and forth that I am not really a fan of, but for good reason.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, but her mother was… evil. A very hurt, very broken person, but the way she treated Deedee was just unimaginable. I do like that you end up getting to see the reason behind this, and a glimpse into her own trauma, but she is still one of the hardest people to forgive in this novel.

This is kind of basic, but my favourite part was the epilogue. Without giving spoilers, I was very glad it did not fall into any tropes that would have ruined the book, so I am grateful for that.

This gets a very solid 4.25 from me! A very thought-provoking and emotional story and I hope others that read this can find a sense of healing and optimism in Deedee’s story.

4.5/5 stars

Midnights with You by Clare Osongco is about 17 year old Filipina American Deedee and the generational trauma passed on from her immigrant single mother. Deedee spends much of her time hiding the emotional abuse from her mother and finds herself regularly sneaking out in the darkest parts of night with her new neighbor and classmate, Jay. Throughout their secret driving lessons, secret tutoring, and secret relationship, Jay and Deedee find refuge and solace in each other from their respective familial and self-expectations.

In the beginning, I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, but through no fault of the author or the writing— it was more so my own damage chafing against the emotional abuse and needing to slowly take my time with the heavy emotions. While my mother is not like Deedee’s, suffice to say that mother/daughter relationships can often be fraught in their own ways, and mine is no exception, especially when adding the layer of immigrant mother with second generation only daughter. Therefore, I found myself treading carefully, but once I was into it, I was /into/ it and deeply invested.

I really /felt/ for Deedee. I am particularly sensitive to lonely characters, and despite her best friend, Suzy, Deedee’s commitment to hiding the way her mother treats her is undoubtedly isolating, especially in the face of Suzy’s contrasting outwardly loving family. I understand Deedee’s reluctance to reveal emotions that Suzy could never /personally/ get. I think Deedee, just like me, just like every human, just wants to be seen, so I get why it takes her so long to really open up to Suzy, especially when high school girls do what high school girls so often do with trying out new friend groups and Deedee being on the side that gets left behind in the meantime.

Jay and Deedee are the epitome of right person, wrong time. Senior year of high school is already a pivotal time for seemingly life-defining decisions, and to be so young and making big choices with each other mind— it was certainly entertaining reading Deedee and especially Jay factor (or not) each other into the other’s lives. While their timing was not right, I loved reading them fumble through life and grow together. The hurt/comfort was hurt/comforting, and *chef’s kiss.* lmao <spoiler> And while second chance is not a trope I usually gravitate towards, I have hopes for them beyond the page. I’m rooting for you, Jay and Deedee. </spoiler> Also, shoutout to the Filipinx-American/Vietnamese-American combo couple, of which I know many in real life. LOL

Furthermore, as a 30 year old American-born daughter of Filipinx immigrants, I have spent my entire life in search of finding my family, my culture, my people reflected on the fictional page. While I initially found myself lowkey begrudgingly reading this story when confronted with the complicated Filipina mother/American-born daughter relationship, I think this book is precisely one of the books I wish I had access to when I, myself, was a teenager. From the mother’s stories of the fantastical in the Philippines, to the teleserye-level family drama that is still somehow true to life, to having to unlearn the internal biases that oftentimes come with immigrants, to the eager craving that comes with learning any and everything to do with family and the motherland, to showing love by cooking and making sure one has eaten, to the familial and self pressure that comes with being a child of immigrants, I loved this book.

Clare Osongco’s writing really scratched my brain in just the right way— I felt like she could have been writing this book specifically for me. I’m excited to reread and annotate this book in physical form, and I’m so looking forward to reading more by Clare Osongco! Thank you, Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion, for the ARC!

An amazing debut & deeply emotional coming-of-age story with a side of cute yet angsty romance 💜

As an Asian eldest immigrant daughter, fairly new driver with anxiety, and lifelong night owl, this book really hit all the right notes for me — perhaps a little too much at times 🥲

I just want to hug Jay & Deedee and protect them from the rest of the world because I just know there are people out there that will simply not get them! Though I had my fair share of frustrating and confusing moments with these characters, I related to them on another level and also understood that their shared family traumas and silent understanding of each other’s pasts is what truly bonds them and creates their deep unspoken connection. I was torn between smiling and crying for them constantly throughout this book, and I wanted nothing but happiness for them both. Their individual growths and initiatives to confront generational trauma were everything to me 🥹

Overall, I loved this important story with lots of angst and pining! Jay & Deedee both break and heal each other, just like they did to me 🤧 I feel grateful to have read this book, and it will be sticking with me for quite some time. Clare has proven herself to be incredible, and I already can’t wait for her next! 🫶

Thank you so much to Clare Osongco & Disney Publishing for an ARC of this book 💌

Deedee Walters often has trouble sleeping at night, following intense arguments with her mother. When Jay Hayes moves in across the street, Deedee notices that he's also up late, often taking his car out for midnight drives (also to escape from his own family troubles). After a couple of chance late-night encounters, Deedee asks Jay if he'll teach her to drive. Across these secret midnight driving lessons, Deedee and Jay fall in love, lose each other, and find themselves in what truly is "an achingly beautiful" story.

I loved this debut. My heart was aching for Deedee within the first few pages, and I found myself feeling so deeply for Deedee and Jay throughout the entire book. I think the writing was very strong for a debut, and the pacing was excellent, taking place across their entire senior year. And even the last two chapters were handled perfectly, even though I felt trepidation about the time jump happening there. Deedee and Jay were characters I loved reading about, and my love for them only grew as the story progressed. Their emotions and struggles were so raw and so well-developed, I genuinely felt like I was there with them, talking things out and wishing I could help ease their pain. Deedee and Jay just felt so real to me. They were messy and flawed and trying to figure themselves out while also holding on to each other, and I simply cannot express how impactful this book and their story was to me.

I have said this before, but I truly love when YA novels tackle tougher themes; I think it's important to do, and I'm hopeful that this book will help so many diaspora kids in America feel seen. This story touches on (among other things) grief, estranged family, racism, domestic violence, friendship & relationship conflict, generational family trauma, feeling like an outsider, and feeling disconnected from your culture. I think Deedee and Jay's experiences as Filipino American and Vietnamese Americans, respectively, were really well-done as central parts of their identities, and I really enjoyed the pieces we got to read about their cultures.

Another compelling part of this story that kept me reading outside of my love for Deedee and Jay was wanting to unravel the history of Deedee's mom. The ghost stories she would tell about the aswang, the letters to Lolo Ric that she kept for herself, the apartment in New York -- all of it was a mystery I couldn't wait for Deedee to untangle. I think the efforts that Deedee went to in order to try and understand her mom were admirable, especially when their relationship was so fraught, and at times it probably would have felt easier to throw in the towel.

I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book. Overall, I think this was an incredibly strong and impactful debut for Osongco, and I am so excited to read more from her in the future!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves an emotional and raw coming-of-age YA story, boy-next-door romance, and stories that emphasize the complexity of navigating (and healing from) generational family trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for my e-ARC of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

"Midnights with You" by Clare Osongco is one of those rare books that sticks with you long after you finish it. Deedee’s story is a raw, honest dive into young love, cultural identity, and the weight of family trauma. She’s seventeen, feeling lost, and dealing with an emotionally complex relationship with her mother—until she meets Jay, her neighbor and partner-in-late-night-drives. They bond over secrets and midnight adventures, finding comfort in each other as they try to make sense of their messy lives.

This book perfectly captures that mix of heartache and hope that comes with growing up and healing from deep family wounds. Deedee and Jay’s relationship feels real and relatable; they’re figuring themselves out first, which makes their connection even more beautiful. Osongco’s writing pulls you right into their world—it's lyrical, moving, and so full of feeling. I couldn’t put it down and immediately wanted to recommend it to everyone I know. If you love stories about self-discovery and the ups and downs of family and love, you need to read this!

An excellent story of trauma and secrets… with bipoc characters and a slow-burn romance. I found myself rooting for DeeDee and Jay as they navigated the issues that caused their original meet up… at midnight.

Title:  Midnights With You  
Author: Clare Osongco        
Genre: YA         
Rating:  3.5 out of 5

“Where were you thinking of going?”

“Nowhere.”

“Great,” he says lightly, putting the car in gear. “Then we’ll go there.”

Seventeen-year-old Deedee’s life is full of family ghosts and questions she can’t ask. She longs for an escape, but guilt holds her back—that, and the fact that her strict Filipino single mom won’t let her learn to drive. But one sleepless night leads Deedee down a road she never thought possible: secret driving lessons with the new boy next door, Jay, whose turbulent family life also keeps him up until sunrise.

As midnights stretch into days, Jay helps Deedee begin to unravel her past, and as shared secrets blossom into love, Deedee starts to imagine a life where happiness is possible. But the deeper she digs into the trauma that has shaped her, the more that trauma threatens to tear Deedee and Jay apart. Together, these two must decide if the pain they’ve both inherited has the power to choose their fate, or if they have the power to choose for themselves.

Deedee’s mom was pretty horrible through most of this—and a liar, to boot. I didn’t care for that, but Deedee wasn’t entirely a sympathetic character either. She was self-absorbed and selfish and had moments of bitterness that were off-putting. I felt like this was very slow in some parts, and was never really fast paced, so my attention wandered a bit. I liked Deedee, but she was sometimes hard for me to read.

Clare Osongco lives in L.A. Midnights With You is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)

(Review live 11/13.)

Midnights with You begins with secret driving lessons. And it turns into a story about diaspora experiences, the wounds we inherit from our family, and the burdens we are forced to bear. It explores the emotional abuse from parents, the weight of their feelings, guilt, and trauma. How difficult it is to see ourselves clearly when we have these lessons and echoes of pain ringing in our ears. Midnights with You also examines biracial identity, how we can feel isolated and in a liminal space. And swirling amidst all of this, Midnights with You emphasizes that we cannot save a drowning person when we ourselves are drowning. That we have to see the ways we need to help ourselves and also lean on those around us.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Midnights With You is an emotional, powerful, and romantic YA contemporary romance debut that hooked me from the first page.

I rarely read contemporary novels, but when I heard about MWY, I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. Deedee was a relatable FMC I rooted for the entire time. From the second Jay appeared on the page, I adored him. The romance between Deedee and Jay was tender, messy, sweet, and comforting. The pacing was great, and Clare’s prose perfectly fit Deedee and the story. I enjoyed the adventure, love, difficult conversations, and character growth. I highly recommend this beautiful debut!

Thank you to the publisher and author for the free copy!

Thank you so much Disney Hyperion and Clare for this arc. I loved this book so much and I can talk about it for hours!!! but I'll be unable to do that!

"Midnights with You" by Clare Osongco is one of those books that pulls you in with a quiet intensity and leaves you thinking about it long after the last page. It follows Deedee, a seventeen-year-old whose life is wrapped in layers of family secrets, guilt, and the heavy weight of unspoken trauma. She meets Jay, the boy across the street, with his own baggage, and the two connect through sleepless nights and secret driving lessons, finding solace in each other’s messy lives.

Deedee and Jay’s relationship is raw, real, and not without its complications. The beauty of their midnight escapades is both an escape and a mirror for their pain—they’re two people just trying to understand themselves in the middle of family trauma(and drama) they didn’t choose but have to live with. And there’s something so relatable in the way Deedee is just stuck, feeling the pressure to be the perfect daughter while wanting so much to break free and live her own life.

What I loved most is that Clare doesn’t shy away from hard truths. The story doesn’t wrap up with a neat, fairy-tale ending. Instead, it’s full of heartache and hope, asking if we can really let go of the pain passed down to us and choose something better. It’s a story about finding strength in vulnerability and learning that sometimes, facing the truth is the bravest thing you can do.

If you’re into coming-of-age stories that tackle family, love, and mental health with honesty and sensitivity, "Midnights with You" is worth adding to your list. It’s haunting in the best way, and Deedee and Jay will stay with you, making you wish for just one more midnight spent together.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a heavy but meaningful read. Even though I did not find myself very engaged by the story, I was still glad I read it. I was rooting for both Deedee and Jay throughout the novel, and I appreciated the realistic portrayal of their relationship, especially toward the end. I think this is a story that will help individuals with similar experiences, and I think this book has the potential to increase empathy and understanding from those who do not share these struggles, so if the premise of this novel interests you, definitely pick it up.

Thank you to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for an early review copy.

"Meet me at midnight"

This book follows DeeDee as she tries to escape the secrets her mother keeps from her. DeeDee is constantly writing letters to her grandfather in the Philippines at her mothers instance, but with no response. Meanwhile, she meets a classmate, Jay, who is escaping his own family secrets and the two of them strike up a bond through their nightly hangs.

I feel like this book perfectly encapsulated the tumultuous, teenage experience. Osongco does an excellent job in depicting Deedee and Jay, as well developing their characters. Additionally, I really loved seeing how DeeDee's Filipino heritage came through on the page, and this is absolutely a book I wish I had read as a teenager.

Nice story, detailed and complicated characters. Appreciate the cultural aspects and authenticity. Also felt authentically teen/YA

This book was a heart-wrenching look into the guilt we carry along with parental expectations. Being a teen is hard enough, and when you are trying to do right by your parents, because "they sacrificed so much for me", it can be hard to know what to do and what is right and what is unacceptable. Combining the hardships of being a first generation American, a mixed-race child in a predominately white neighborhood, and the trauma of a single-parent household, Osongco puts into words things I never could and makes me relate to things I've never experienced.
Additionally, the conversation around teenage romance and reminder that you can not find yourself within someone else, that no one else can fix you, is a much needed one and should be mandatory reading for everyone.