Helpful Score: 5
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Jessica Day has just moved to Bixby, Oklahoma from Chicago with her family. Still trying to find her niche in the local highschool, she's noticed by a group of students who are very different from your average teens. Not to mention that her dreams at night are becoming very, very vivid--such as the fact that for one hour at midnight, time seems to literally stand still.
Such is the life of the Midnighters, a group of teens who were born at midnight and have the ability to see the "blue time", the twenty-fifth hour of the day where time stands still for everyone else. Each of the group has a special power, both in and out of the blue time--Rex is a Seer, Dess is a Polymath, Melissa is a Mindcaster, and Jonathan is an Acrobat.
Jess is, of course, skeptical at first that time is actually standing still, and that her new rag-tag group of friends has special powers. But soon unmistakeable proof arises that the arrival of Jessica Day in Bixby is causing change--the creatures of the blue time are becoming dangerous and seem to want her dead.
Jess needs to find out her own special power before something bad happens to the town and it's midnight inhabitants. As the group struggle to keep the night creatures away, it's up to Jess to discover which power she possesses that's making everyone so nervous.
I LOVED this book! A totally original concept, Scott Westerfeld has created a series with truly interesting characters and crystal-clear visualization. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, to see where the Midnighters go from here.
Definitely a recommended read!
Jessica Day has just moved to Bixby, Oklahoma from Chicago with her family. Still trying to find her niche in the local highschool, she's noticed by a group of students who are very different from your average teens. Not to mention that her dreams at night are becoming very, very vivid--such as the fact that for one hour at midnight, time seems to literally stand still.
Such is the life of the Midnighters, a group of teens who were born at midnight and have the ability to see the "blue time", the twenty-fifth hour of the day where time stands still for everyone else. Each of the group has a special power, both in and out of the blue time--Rex is a Seer, Dess is a Polymath, Melissa is a Mindcaster, and Jonathan is an Acrobat.
Jess is, of course, skeptical at first that time is actually standing still, and that her new rag-tag group of friends has special powers. But soon unmistakeable proof arises that the arrival of Jessica Day in Bixby is causing change--the creatures of the blue time are becoming dangerous and seem to want her dead.
Jess needs to find out her own special power before something bad happens to the town and it's midnight inhabitants. As the group struggle to keep the night creatures away, it's up to Jess to discover which power she possesses that's making everyone so nervous.
I LOVED this book! A totally original concept, Scott Westerfeld has created a series with truly interesting characters and crystal-clear visualization. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, to see where the Midnighters go from here.
Definitely a recommended read!
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
Helpful Score: 2
This is a really good, unique tale. Quite spooky at times. Intense characters and situations. Compelling to the end! Well done!
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoy this series of books. While it totally would have been up my alley when I was a young teenager, I've really enjoyed reading these books now, at 24. If you like Harry Potter type fantasy, you'll probably like these.
Helpful Score: 1
Nobody is safe in the secret hour. Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Time freezes.
Nobody moves. For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour only they are free to move about the midnight time.
These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School.
Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.
A story of courage, shadowy perils, and unexpected destiny, the secret hour is the first volume of the mesmerizing Midnighters trilogy by acclaimed author Scott Westerfeld.
Nobody moves. For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour only they are free to move about the midnight time.
These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School.
Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.
A story of courage, shadowy perils, and unexpected destiny, the secret hour is the first volume of the mesmerizing Midnighters trilogy by acclaimed author Scott Westerfeld.
Helpful Score: 1
Fun read, with great teen characters!
Helpful Score: 1
this is a very good book that will keep you turning pages
This is a fast paced horror story. The protagonist finds out that she is one of a special group that can move around after midnight during the twenty-fifth hour. But, she is also sort after by evil creatures who try to kill her.
Amazing, Scott Westerfeld has blown my mind again and again. By the time I get through all his books I won't have any brains for the Zompocalypse. An exciting story about a secret hour, hidden away by an ancient race of creatures scared of human advancement. Ironically this race is the supposed reason we fear the dark, and creepy crawling creatures. You will seriously have a great time reading this book.
Scott Westerfeld is one of my favorites! did not disappoint.
I have had this book for a long time and was excited to finally get to read it. This is the first book in the Midnighters series by Westerfeld and is one of the few Westerfeld series I havent read yet. It ended up being an entertaining and creepy story that was well written and easy to read. I liked it better than his Uglies series but not as much as his Leviathan series.
Strange things happen in Bixby, Oklahoma when the clock strikes midnight. That is when the 13th hour starts; an hour in which most of the town stops but a select few teens are able to move around and gain special abilities. So far there have always been four midnighters; a Seer, a Polymath, an Arcrobat, and a Mindcaster...that is until Jessica Day moves to Bixby. Jessica seems to have a power that is unknown. Not only is Jessicas power a mystery but for some reason it is causing the shadow creatures that dwell in the midnight hour to become more and more violent.
This book was a quick and easy read and was entertaining. Its mostly a paranormal story with some mystery and some super-hero like overtones. I really enjoyed the idea of a 13th hour and I absolutely loved how if you give an object a thirteen letter name it can repel the shadow creatures.
There are some wonderful scenes in this book, in particular the first night Jessica awakes in the 13th hour and walks into the rain. The whole story has a creepy vibe to it, but never got all that scary. The viewpoint switches between each of the different Midnighters, which worked well for the story.
There is some excellent mystery here as the mystery of Jessicas power is explored. There is also the overall mystery behind why Bixby is like it is and has this strange 13th hour. There is some high school drama in here as well, but it never really overwhelmed the story.
The story was well paced and made for a quick read. There are some creative ideas in here and some interesting characters. Things are wrapped up nicely for this first book, but there are unsolved mysteries left for the rest of the series.
Overall this was a fun and creepy paranormal read. I enjoyed the crazy 13th hour and the interesting powers our characters have. There was also some good mystery and some awesome supernatural elements to the story. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
Strange things happen in Bixby, Oklahoma when the clock strikes midnight. That is when the 13th hour starts; an hour in which most of the town stops but a select few teens are able to move around and gain special abilities. So far there have always been four midnighters; a Seer, a Polymath, an Arcrobat, and a Mindcaster...that is until Jessica Day moves to Bixby. Jessica seems to have a power that is unknown. Not only is Jessicas power a mystery but for some reason it is causing the shadow creatures that dwell in the midnight hour to become more and more violent.
This book was a quick and easy read and was entertaining. Its mostly a paranormal story with some mystery and some super-hero like overtones. I really enjoyed the idea of a 13th hour and I absolutely loved how if you give an object a thirteen letter name it can repel the shadow creatures.
There are some wonderful scenes in this book, in particular the first night Jessica awakes in the 13th hour and walks into the rain. The whole story has a creepy vibe to it, but never got all that scary. The viewpoint switches between each of the different Midnighters, which worked well for the story.
There is some excellent mystery here as the mystery of Jessicas power is explored. There is also the overall mystery behind why Bixby is like it is and has this strange 13th hour. There is some high school drama in here as well, but it never really overwhelmed the story.
The story was well paced and made for a quick read. There are some creative ideas in here and some interesting characters. Things are wrapped up nicely for this first book, but there are unsolved mysteries left for the rest of the series.
Overall this was a fun and creepy paranormal read. I enjoyed the crazy 13th hour and the interesting powers our characters have. There was also some good mystery and some awesome supernatural elements to the story. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
Kristin K. (escapeartistk) -
I wasn't totally blown away by this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised, and I appreciate that the author created and stuck with just a few concepts around which to construct his world, conflicts, and series.This is an uncomplicated, suspenseful quick-read with interesting characters and a unique premise. It kept me engaged throughout and made me curious enough to want to read book 2.
Kristin K. (escapeartistk) -
I wasn't totally blown away by this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised, and I appreciate that the author created and stuck with just a few concepts around which to construct his world, conflicts, and series.This is an uncomplicated, suspenseful quick-read with interesting characters and a unique premise. It kept me engaged throughout and made me curious enough to want to read book 2.
