Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh
by Delacorte Press
Source: ARC from publisher for review
Plot Summary for Burning Midnight
Sully is a sphere dealer at a flea market. It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make the rent.
No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the greater the improvement—and the more expensive the sphere.
When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen.
And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them. There’s no question the Gold is priceless, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here.
Review of Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh
Burning Midnight was a fun, page-turning story about a diverse gang of underdogs out to stop an evil billionaire and save the world.
The book's premise is that colored spheres start showing up all over the world, and people soon realize that by "burning" these spheres (holding them to their temples) they can absorb the powers within (better eyesight, singing talent, etc.) The spheres are different colors and categorized according to rarity like diamonds or ...Pokémon cards. (Right? I feel like this was the inspiration.)
Rare spheres can go for millions and the rich burn them with abandon as they try to make themselves better looking, smarter, etc. The aforementioned evil billionaire, being a typical greedy capitalist, wants to corner the market on spheres and, as the story opens, has cheated the main narrator, Sully, out of money he owed him for a sphere.
Sully soon meets Hunter, a mysterious girl who hunts spheres to make extra money, and the two of them build a tentative partnership/alliance/flirtation. The gang is rounded out by Mandy and Sully's friend Dom.
What I Liked about Burning Midnight:
The writing, though it felt closer to the middle grade reading level to me, was smooth and flowed well, making this a quick and easy read. Sully was an engaging character, as were all the gang, at least on a surface level. They were a diverse group who had different philosophical reactions to the whole sphere thing, which was interesting. The sphere concept was fun - simple enough to be easily grasped, and gave the book a nice "quest" vibe.
What I Thought Could Have Been Better:
In the afterword, the author says that Burning Midnight was expanded from a short story, which made a lot of sense.
I enjoyed Burning Midnight, though it skews a little younger than my usual YA read. I'd definitely recommend it to those who are fans of books with a Rick Riordan vibe, to those are looking for something for a tween or reluctant reader of either gender, or to anyone who wants a quick, fun read.
Definitely an interesting premise. Though might be a little young for me. :)
ReplyDeleteI just finished this the other day. I enjoyed it but agree with your thoughts on the world building and repetition. I thought the beginning was slowed by it. But then it picked up and became more fast paced. I definitely thought it read more like a middle grade book and I actually was thinking my oldest son (12) might enjoy it. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThis actually sounds quite interesting! I'm in the mood for some underdog quest finding. Thanks for highlighting this one
ReplyDeleteThis actually sounds quite interesting! I'm in the mood for some underdog quest finding. Thanks for highlighting this one
ReplyDeleteI wasn't so sure about this book because I really don't like the cover :) But it sounds good! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of the premise with colored spheres that start showing up all over the world. This sounds like a fast and enjoyable read. Might be one to read with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely review, Jen :)
Well, this book sounds fun, and definitely like something Rick Riordan would write! Would be cool if those spheres really existed in real life though!
ReplyDeleteSometimes (maybe all the time) I wish I could read your reviews before I decide to grab an ARC or not. :/ I've got this one, but I will probably have the same hang-ups. I'll give it a go or maybe see if my son would like to read it with me and then we could do a dual review. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteTressa @ Wishful Endings