Member Reviews
I read this book years ago but I still think about it. Wink, Poppy, and Midnight are memorable characters with alternating chapters to tell the story of an unsettling mystery. It's an eerie read that readers of E. Lockhart and Maureen Johnson will surely enjoy. A great addition to any library.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
April Genevieve Tucholke’s writing is absolutely beautiful. I wasn’t quite sure what I was reading at times, yet it cast this spell on me that wouldn’t let go. The story is strange. There’s mystery, romance, and plenty of suspense. The promise of an unreliable narrator..possibly even three adds a bit of intrigue. Wink Poppy Midnight has this hazy sort of tone making it unlike anything else I’ve read in young adult fiction. The most similar thing I can think of would be We Were Liars, though the two are entirely different, unique stories.
Wink is one of the Bell kids. Everyone else thinks they are weird, so she’s viewed as sort of the mysterious oddball. She gets lost in books of adventure and fairy tales. Wink lives on the farm that Midnight just moved next to.
Poppy is THAT girl. She’s a cruel and calculated bully that is even the leader of her own little group that everyone calls the Yellows. She is spoiled, beautiful, and used to getting whatever she wants. Midnight lived three doors down from her until he moved.
Midnight is the lonely boy caught in between. I know this may sound like a complete love triangle romance sort of book, but it’s really not. The romance that’s even involved is very strange. It doesn’t overtake the plot. That focus is more the mystery. It’s hard to describe, so you’ll have to see for yourself.
All three characters are the narrators of our story. Each has a completely unique and engaging voice. If the names weren’t provided at the beginning of each section, you still wouldn’t have a problem knowing who is speaking. There is even this fairy tale feel to the story at times thanks to Wink, which only adds to it’s atmospheric quality. There are slight nods to stories and tales, but she also goes a step further declaring Midnight the hero and Poppy the villain. I loved that whole aspect to the book.
April Genevieve Tucholke has this eerie style of writing that creates a dreamy sort of feel. It has this way of captivating you. If you enjoy stories where you are never quite sure what is going on or who to trust, you might really enjoy
This was a very interesting sneak preview. I’ve never read a book that flows from one character’s POV to the next so fluidly, so it was a bit confusing for me. But the morally gray characters were fascinating!
Excellent, April Tucholke is just a master at bizarre atmosphere. Each character may not have been immediately likeable but they did not lack in intrigue. I know this one won't be for everyone, but I never met an strange and unusual story by this author that I wasn't completely mezmerized by,
This is an extremely well planned book... if that makes sense. The reader is entranced from the first page on about what will happen next between the trio. We all know about high school hormones and experimentation. This book takes it to a whole new level when love and lust meet diabolical plans and well kept secrets.
I think my favorite part about this book is the multiple point of views in which the story is told. You get to really know Wink, Poppy, and Midnight through their own eyes as well as from each other's perspectives.
You are put right in the drama that ensues between Wink, Poppy, and Midnight. You soon figure out who is your favorite and who you want to love whom. There is complexity yet simplicity in this story and I was hooked from page one. Not to mention... LOOK AT THAT COVER!! That always gets some extra points in my eyes.
I always enjoy a book with good, vivid descriptions about the setting and this did it for me. I love being able to paint a picture in my mind about where everything takes place and I think the author did a fantastic job with this!
Overall, I highly recommend this book. The only downfall would maybe be an age limitation. I know it is made for teens and I may or may not be in my twenties but this is definitely geared more towards a high school audience. Although the twists and turns and some of the events that take place can be more well suited for people of my generation as well. Just go ahead and get this book, I can assure you that you won't regret it and again... THAT COVER!!! (Insert heart eyed emojis here)
I don't know what I just read! I liked the very beginning, but this got more bizarre and confusing as I kept going. Not sure if it's because eARCs don't have the best formatting usually, or that's just the story. But all the back and forth without knowing who is talking is not my cup of tea. Taking this off my TBR.
I enjoyed this preview quite a bit. I found it to be intriguing. I was captivated after reading the first few pages. I will definitely be continuing this book as soon as I can get my hands on it.
I really enjoyed this preview, and it actually prompted me to buy the book. I've always been a fan of April Genevieve Tucholke, but this book seemed like it was going to be different and I wanted to witness that.
"Revenge.
Justice.
Love.
They are the three stories that all the other stories are made up of."
The cover is very unusual, and that got my attention, but this sneak peek wasn't enough to keep me interested. I never got to read the full book.
I honestly wasn’t planning on reading this book, yet the first sentence pulled me right in and I’m glad that it did, but this book was so strange.
The first 50 pages really held my attention and it felt like the start of a great book, but then it started to lose its magic bit by bit with the characters.
We have 3 main characters: Wink, Poppy, and Midnight.
“A hero. A villain. A liar. Who’s who?” (I still have no idea)
Interesting little snippet, but not enough to really grab me and make me want to buy it.
Very, very, very beautiful language in this book. It's the kind of writing that whisks you to another world and makes you want to live there for a while. The sampler is definitely enough to make me want to keep going!
This was a sneak peek and it sucked me in enough to get the full copy from the library. I enjoyed the premise, but thought the book itself was just OK.
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Review A very quick and interesting read told from the perspective of three characters in short chapters. I enjoyed the swapping of voices often.
I can't say much without giving anything away but I don't think it's a mystery to anyone that this book has a twist. If you don't want no spoilers of this book then please stop reading here and know that I give this 2 1/2, maybe 3 stars overall. I cannot review this book without acknowledging there is a twist and my feelings towards it.
The first 80% of this book was excellent in my opinion. It was intriguing and seemed to be headed in a direction I was really excited about. It was easily a five star book up until one point.
But then everything changes. And while the story doesn't fall apart and may be considered quite clever I found myself disappointed. I wanted the story I had seen in the minds of the characters. I wanted what had been said and done and appeared to be happening to be true.
I do love the archetypes discussed. Turlichoke does an excellent job from the beginning of reminding us that not everyone is just a hero, villain, thief, etc. I believe this to be very true in real life. No one person ever fits a category or archetype 100% in real life.
At the end of the day the twist was too far for me. Maybe I needed some subtle foreshadowing (as I felt there was almost none until very late in the book) or maybe I was just too close to one character and felt a connection with them I shouldn't have which led my expectations in one direction that was very, very incorrect. I'm just not sure.
While this is not a book I'd read again, unless it was for a major analysis or book club; I do think given its short, clever writing it's worth reading for those who have any amount of interest spiked by the blurb. The book is written very well and has lots of great references and comparisons. It just wasn't quite right for me.
Sidenote:
If you're wondering if I was expecting a happily ever after story then you'd be wrong. One of my favourite movies is Joss Whedon's 'Cabin in the Woods'. I hate horror movies usually but the killer twist ending is one of the best ever. I also have a tendency to love anti-heroes and villains (hence my huge obsession with Harley Quinn). So I don't think it was any expectation of happy ending or not. I think it was a connection I had to a character that had me assuming they would act one way. Boy was I wrong!