| Title | : | Wink Poppy Midnight |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0803740484 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780803740488 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 247 |
| Publication | : | First published March 22, 2016 |
Wink Poppy Midnight Reviews
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"We were like the three Fates, weaving the story together, threads of gold, red, and midnight blue. There would be wolves and tricks and lies and cunning and vengeance in our story. I would make sure of it."
Er... I didn't get it. At least, I don't think I did. At one point, I thought I was getting it, but then… huh?
In
Wink Poppy Midnight, the writing is the novel's strongest point, offering up a weird mystery in a style that feels as whimsical and enticing as magical realism.
My first thoughts were positive and something along the lines of: I am going to love this. But, the problem is that I love poetic prose to a certain extent, though not when I feel the metaphors and language aim to cover up a case of not much happening.
Some reviewers are comparing it to the style of
We Were Liars, which I can definitely see:"The dark. It was thick as drying blood, so thick I could have held it in my hands, if they were free, palms filled with it. I could feel the blackness breathing, panting, panting, the dark, the dark, the dark."
It has the same use of repetition and metaphors as Lockhart's work. So maybe you will like this more if you enjoyed
We Were Liars, which was just a 3-star read for me, or
The Accident Season (2 stars). It was kind of a combination of the two.
Firstly, there is literally no story for the first half of the book, and even when the story emerges, it is incredibly confusing. It's one of my pet peeves when authors try to mask a lack of things happening/plot with the use of pretty words. I'm only blinded by beautiful writing for a couple of chapters; then I remember that words should complement the story they're telling, not stand in for it.
So, the first half of this book is a lyrical 150+ pages of Midnight thinking about Wink and Poppy, and comparing everything about them from their appearance to their personality to the way they kiss. Wink is a weird, wild girl who loves books and stories; Poppy is a beautiful, cold bully who uses the sweet, caring Midnight.
I found their overt quirkiness put distance between us and I never really warmed to them. Being unable to understand or sympathise with any of the three protagonists didn't help to make me care what would happen.
The book is full of the kind of metaphorical, surrealist writing that makes it often impossible to tell what is going on, what is actually happening, and what exists in the characters' heads. Don't get me wrong, sometimes "what is real?" books are fascinating. But that's usually because the narrator(s) are unreliable, and/or the book is very psychological. In
Wink Poppy Midnight, you can't tell what's going on because the writing confuses you.
I especially don't like it when the weird writing shows up in the dialogue. Coming from the author, it's quirky; coming directly from the characters' mouths, it sounds silly:“Sometimes I think there must be a hole in your heart . . . one that hurts and makes you roar like an animal with its leg in a trap. Is that it, Poppy? Is that why?”
As in
We Were Liars, you can feel the novel setting you up for a twist. The strangeness, plus Wink's whole "Every story needs a hero. Every story needs a villain." thing, is practically begging you to consider who the hero is, who the villain is, and whether it might not be who you'd expect *gasp*
A certain type of reader will probably love this book. The kind that loves style and language more than story, or the kind ready for a stranger version of
We Were Liars. Unfortunately, I'm not that type of reader. And the only time I enjoy not knowing what the hell is going on is if there's a compelling mystery to solve.
Bizarre and not for me.
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i randomly had the urge to pick this one up today & ended up reading it in one sitting. i enjoyed the writing style, but didn't love the story overall. will share more of my thoughts in an upcoming recent reads.
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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.
I know I’m being vague. There’s no other way to be with this kind of novel. This really is such a hard book to review for that reason.
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
Wink Poppy Midnight. -
“Every story needs a Hero."
This review contains *spoilers*.
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)
Wink is the odd, mysterious next-door neighbour from a big family.
I didn’t quite know what to take from Wink’s character, but the more I got into the story, the more interested I got in her.
She’ll definitely be on my mind for the next few days.
What I initially liked about her was that her family gave off a very similar feel that Blue’s family gave me in
The Raven Cycle (I really liked that I got to see the famous tarot cards in a different world). But then we never got to see much of the family as the main focus was on Wink, Poppy, and Midnight.
And looking back I can firmly say that I only took interest in Wink because of her family, and the fact that they reminded me of my favorite characters that are set in a completely different world (and yes, I will always find a way to mention The Raven Cycle).
But one part I didn’t really get was why Wink and Midnight got romantically involved the day he moved next door, they seemed better off as friends. Especially when he kept comparing between Wink and Poppy.
“I turned, so I could see her face.
The summer sun was bringing out Wink’s freckles. They were darker than they had been just a few days ago. Her freckled skin was so different from Poppy’s perfect milky white. And I liked it. I liked it so much it hurt.”
After finishing the book I still have no idea why Midnight and Wink got together. It all just happened too fast.
Strange, strange, strange.
Also, Midnight’s character was a little over the top for me. He compares himself to his half-brother, Alabama, one too many times and his pretentiousness was a little too much.
“I want to be a treasure hunter.”
I probably should have said something realistic and normal. Something like “professional soccer player” or “film director” or “private investigator.”
I waited for her to laugh. Poppy would have laughed. But Wink just looked at me.
“I don’t want to find relics, though, like the Arc of the Covenant. I want to find music, and art. I want to find lost Bach compositions in German monasteries. I want to track down the missing paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt, and the lost plays of Shakespeare. I want to crawl through castles and dig through attics and search through cellars.”
And, of course, Poppy- just thinking about her makes me extremely uncomfortable because everything she did was either immature or extremely petty.
“It was coming back, the feeling from earlier, the calm, peaceful feeling . . .
Laughter.
I looked up.
The Yellows were staring at us. Poppy too. She said something and they laughed again. And then she repeated it. Louder.
“I bet Feral Bell has little-girl underwear on. I bet she still wears white cotton panties with polka dots or butterflies. What do you say, Yellows? Should we find out?”
I’m glad her chapters weren’t too long.
But when she disappeared towards the end, the plot started to really disappoint. It felt drawn-out and the disappearance added unnecessary conflicts.
And there was this one part that stood out to me for its ridiculousness—when Poppy "spoke" from Wink’s body, I kept imagining it as that one scene from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody:
But those 50 last pages really, really confused me. I literally have no idea what happened and it’s kind of making me mad.
What happened with Wink?
Why is no one mad at her?
What happened between Wink and Poppy?
So I was really hoping to like this book because of its strong start, but I was unfortunately mislead.
Wink Poppy Midnight was a different and strange read, and I’m just really glad that it was a short book.
But while the characters definitely irritated me for the majority of the storyline, they did leave me thinking about them for a long time afterwards (I’m still trying to decided if that’s a good thing) (probably not).
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Wink Poppy Midnight, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog. -
Wink believes in fairy tales. She believes in heroes, and villains, and epic adventures. She believes that her new neighbor Midnight is the hero of her story, and she believes that cruel, beautiful Poppy is the villain. Poppy knows that she’s the villain. Midnight, in love with both of them, doesn’t know what to believe.
Wink, Poppy, Midnight is a terrifying thriller, where no one is who you think they are, or even who they think they are. Beautifully written magical realism, the language tugs you through the slim book in a day. Perfect reading for a gray, rainy spring. -
[thomas jefferson voice] whaaaaaat?
I think it should be noted that this is one of the most interesting books i've read, maybe ever. I have so much to say about it that I don't think I'll be able to express just in a written review. I don't even know where to start. This book is both amazing and underwhelming at the same time. I love the vibe that this book has. It's very atmospheric and almost hallucinogenic. Mainly, this book reads like a character study between these 3 characters and it highlights the good and bad in people. The characters are so quirky and individually dynamic that it reminded me almost of Rainbow Rowell characters. I think the main thing that's making me feel weird about this book is that there's so much angst and build-up and mystery, but there's never that satisfaction of a cathartic and emotional climax. Everything seemed to get solved conveniently with no hard feelings, which felt slightly unbelievable. In the end, I was slightly confused, but it was a sort of confusion that I felt content not knowing what I just read. Does that make any sort of sense? The characters in this book were so interesting to read about that I didn't even care when they did a bad job at being characters.
The main thing to consider is that this is definitely not a book for everyone. It's very strange and it's not supposed to be taken literally or at face value. It's very twisted and open to interpretation, so if you were a fan of We Were Liars, you would probably love this. -
This was the most weaksauce crap I've ever read.
ZERO mystery. ZERO plot. The characters were cardboard cutouts. I can't tell you one single thing about Midnight other than his hair color. The point of this "story" was to show that people are multi-faceted. We all have good and bad parts. But you cannot show that in characters who are never properly developed. We jump right into their narratives without knowing what their lives are like outside of these few days. The only things we learn about them are such outright stereotypes because the intent was to prove a point like "haha, they aren't what you expected in the end." (NONE OF THIS IS A SPOILER BECAUSE IT'S ON THE FREAKING BOOK JACKET. YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ THE BOOK THANKS TO THE CHOSEN BLURBS.) However, all this did was hold the reader at arms length for getting to know them so that at the end I gave precisely zero craps. I never knew any of their motives for any of their actions.
The "plot" isn't revealed until 60% of the way in. As little as the book jacket gives away about the premise (because there is very little premise to work with) the very fact that we know someone is lying causes you to immediately second guess everything and everyone, sucking all the fun of the "mystery." Even if you didn't know it was a mystery going in, you'd soon find it's a terribly developed mystery. The story never gave you enough time to sit with the false truths before unraveling them, so all the twists the book thinks it has just ended up being lackluster.
And the writing? I keep hearing it called "beautiful" and I was expecting it to be eerie and flowery from the one thing I've read by Tucholke before, but the writing here was just lazy. The only thing flowery about it was repetition repetition repetition. Always words in threes threes threes. Several times times times on the same page page page. Felt more like she needed to up her word count than a stylistic choice.
I wouldn't wouldn't wouldn't recommend it.
The best thing I can say about this book is that it's a quick read. (Thank goodness it wasn't a big time investment.) If you need to learn that people are multidimensional, maybe you will love this book. But *spoiler alert* I already knew that thanks to being an actual human myself. I found this book to be completely lacking of depth or quality. -
I received an ARC of Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke from Penguin Teen. This is now way affects my opinion on the book or this review.
"We were like the three Fates, weaving the story together, threads of gold, red, and midnight blue."
Quirky, nostalgic, and bone-chilling.
I finished this read a few hours ago and I still don’t know what else to say because of how overwhelmed I am. So, to surmise everything in a mere three words, that is precisely how I would capture this book.
Tucholke has a knack for brewing a lyrical storm. There were many times that I felt I was actually reading a poem instead of a novel, and the imagery is so spiritually whimsical that I could practically smell "cinnamon and smoke" and feel the sticky strawberry residue on my fingertips, kind of like I was right alongside the characters, watching from afar as they destroyed and rebuilt one another. Wink Poppy Midnight is a grimoire― spilling magic and misery and thrill. I honestly couldn't put it down!
Without giving away any spoilers, I must say the best thing about this book was the insane plot-twist ending. I DID NOT see that coming until the very last moments, and when “it” really did occur, I didn't know if I should react by screaming or laughing or crying. I might have done all three. I was so pleased with the final notes, and the book wraps up perfectly even with all it’s sharp plot turns and crazy, (somewhat) schizophrenic characters, who, by the way, are the three words that make up the title.
Yup, you read that right.
Wink, Poppy, and Midnight are the main trio’s names, which, instead of making the story stranger, made the adventure seem even more like a fairy tale. For instance, you probably won’t run into any Cinderellas, but the tale about a poor girl snaring the heart of a devastatingly handsome prince isn’t exactly foreign in cinema or literature. These characters, with all their seemingly normal teenage ferocity, are relatable enough that when they DO start to show signs of madness, you’’ll begin to question your own sanity.
I was wary about the multiple point-of-view’s in this book, but the characters complimented one another so kindly that it was never a bother. (And by compliment I mean that in the hypothetical way. These three were actually quite vicious towards one another…it was terrifyingly brilliant!) Also, with the short chapters and quick switch from protagonists to antagonists, I managed to devour this novel in a few days. It’s a very quick read, and it keeps you grappling for answers and searching for the meaning behind riddles.
This book focuses mainly on the aspect of being a hero versus being a villain and all the grey matter in between. The main characters embody the struggle we all face when it comes to discovering our identities and dealing with peer pressure.
Wink is the weird, freckled, rock of a girl. She never cries when classmates torment her, and she never lets bullies goad her into doing things they want. She’s as eccentric as she is unmovable, like a steady rock that parts the rushing water. Her brother, Leaf, is the same, save for the small difference of a year and that Leaf will gladly throw a punch back. This is inevitably how Poppy fell in love with him.
Poppy, seemingly perfect, is a blonde with rich parents and high status. People fear her or they adore her, and Poppy is careful with how much power she distributes though her clique and the way in which she manipulates everyone around her. But Poppy is like a myth, a folkloric copy of a regal queen with a heart of thorns. Her secrets are as devastating as she is beautiful. However, Wink’s brother Leaf finds Poppy quite ugly. The rejection is unwelcome and certainly unfamiliar, which leads her to lurk in other’s lives…particularly one boy named Midnight.
Midnight is a confused boy with two crazy girls at each ear and a heavy heart longing for adventure. He is a curious characters, and I like to think of him as “common ground” because he provides a breath of fresh air whenever the other two becoming overbearing. But, much like Wink and Poppy, Midnight has more to his persona than just fickle flesh and a frantic heartbeat. When he’s not contemplating his choices, he’s digging up clues to answers he’d rather not know.
The setting of this book is one of the entities I most enjoyed, simply because of how nostalgic it made me feel. Tucholke leaves things to the imagination, but she provides enough to enhance your train of thought. In a way, this book feels like a dream. Reality is a POV of it’s own, and we rarely get any of those chapters. Midnight, Wink, and Poppy are similar to dark, light, and grey. But where those titles are bestowed on each characters is where you’ll have to do some heavy thinking of your own. They are all highly complex and morally corrupt. It only made their characters more intriguing!
This book was a thrill ride from start to finish. Be sure to pick up your copy on March 22nd! -
Huh. That was... weird. As Tucholke's books always are, but...
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Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Tucholke
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.
Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.
What I Liked:
I'm just going to say this now - this review is going to be vague and weird and probably not make a lot of sense. Which is fine, because it'll reflect the book really nicely. You'll see!
This book was so strange. All of Tucholke's books are strange. I loved Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and really liked Between the Spark and Burn. I liked this new book too! Tucholke weaves a beautiful and strange tale of two girls and a boy, each the hero and villain of their story.
This book is so strange, I don't even know how to summarize it. Usually I'd try to summarize the book in my own words, in the second paragraph of this section. I don't even know where to start. We have Wink, how is one of those weird Bell children. Wink is quiet and imperturbable, impossible to bully despite being a perfect target. She's a dreamer, living in books of magic and fairy tales. Midnight is lonely boy whose mother and stepbrother moved to France, leaving him and his father. Poppy is a mean, cruel bully, a girl who has all the attention.
This book is told from each character's first-person point-of-view. The story starts with Midnight's. In the beginning, we find out that Midnight and Poppy have a sexual relationship. Poppy doesn't care about Midnight, but Midnight is infatuated with her. They're neighbors. And then he and his father move to an old house next to Wink's farm. Midnight decides that it's time to let Poppy go. But you leave Poppy when she lets you go, not when you want. Midnight doesn't want to be anything to her anymore. Especially when he officially meets Wink, and feels peace with her.
And then things get weird. Poppy doesn't like that Midnight is walking away from her. Sure, she doesn't care about him. She doesn't care about the other two boys she has sex with, either. But she doesn't want anyone to not want her, or not want to be her. Everyone hates her, and she knows it a little, but she craves the attention that her parents don't give her.
So when Midnight starts hanging around Wink... that's when the story takes off. I won't spill anything more. I never liked Poppy, but it was intriguing to be in her head. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her at all, but I felt a little bad for her too.
I liked Wink, with her weird tendencies and her head-in-the-clouds way. She's very smart, and eclectic. My favorite character had to be Midnight though. As much as this story is about Poppy and her jealousy, and Wink and her determination to live a fairy tale, the story seemed to move around Midnight. Everything came back to Midnight. His character development was the most important, of the three of them.
You're probably thinking, this book has love triangle written all over it. It actually does not! Wink and Midnight are a thing pretty much from the moment they meet. Before they meet, Poppy has her claws in Midnight. But he knows how toxic whatever they have is (they are not dating, and Poppy is having sex with other people besides Midnight). The romance is strange, definitely not a type that you're used to seeing in YA... you'll have to experience it for yourself.
This whole book, really. You have to read it to know how strange and mystical and odd the book is. I can't even summarize it, or explain specific things I liked and disliked. It's so different from other books in YA, and not just in terms of the writing style. This book is weird! How many times have I used that word? Probably too many - but you get what I'm saying!
I liked the parallel story that was being told. Wink reads a story to her younger Bell siblings, with Midnight listening. This story kind of parallels the actual story. Which makes sense, because Wink wants to be living a story, a fairy tale. Interesting part of this book!
I enjoyed this book, weirdness and all. There is a bit of mystery to it, coming down to the end. There seems to be paranormal elements, but it's a contemporary novel. I liked this book a lot! If you haven't read one of Tucholke's books, I highly recommend doing so, to experience how vastly different this book is, from most YA books!
What I Did Not Like:
This is one of those books that leaves you wondering, am I even sure of anything that I just read?! I had that feeling a lot, especially as the book started to wrap up. Not a bad thing at all! Just slightly bothersome if you're like me and want concrete statements, not the go-around. Also, I would have liked the romance to be something else (not saying anything specific), though I totally see why the author went about it the way she did. *vague Alyssa is vague*
Would I Recommend It:
I personally recommend this book (or Tucholke's debut duology), her books are ones that you want to experience. There are so different from most YA books, in almost every way. Unconventional writing style, storytelling, character development, world-building, romance, ending. Everything is nothing like you've seen (in my opinion)! And the stories are good, too.
Rating:
4 stars. Another Tucholke success, for me! I liked this book (a standalone, yay!), and I can't wait to read the next story Tucholke has for us, whenever that may be.
Pre-publication squees:
Basically I will read ANYTHING April writes.
EDIT, 08/14/2015: LOOK AT THIS COVER.
JUST STARE AT IT IN ALL ITS STUNNING GLORY. -
Reviewed by:
Rabid Reads
DNF at 46%.
This one I was almost positive I would LOVE, based on the preview I read on NetGalley, but when I got ahold of the whole book, after those first couple of exciting chapters . . . Blah.
Poppy was nuts in that sad, poor, little rich girl way, Wink was nuts in that eccentric, weird family/family secrets kinds of way, and Midnight was just trying to keep his head above water, caught between them.
The common denominator between the two girls was Wink's older brother, with whom Poppy was (is?) obsessed, and, to my mind, Wink's oddness started to take on a
The Perks of Being a Wallflower feel, so I started wondering if Brother was more sinister then he was being painted in the girls' recollections . . .
BUT.
I couldn't bring myself to care enough to keep reading and find out. B/c the meandering, seemingly nonsensical path we were taken on, presumably to get to the truth, was . . . Blah.
Probably the most beautiful book cover of the year, though. I'll have to remember to add it to my "cover-is-a-lie" bookshelf on Goodreads.
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UPDATE: AFTER 48 HOURS OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK CONSUMING MY LIFE, I HAVE FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. I upgraded it from DNF -> 1.5 stars to my final rating of 2.5 stars.
So, one of my best friends adored Wink Poppy Midnight and I don't think I could have written a review as to why I felt the way I did about this book without speaking to her first, so I did. I was also told by someone yesterday to finish the book before formulating thoughts about it, after I angrily DNFed at 50%.
The premise of this book is an interesting one, and it would have taken mad good execution skills to pull it off. In the end, I think those skills weren't quite there as much as I would have liked them to be. Basically, it takes the tropes of hero, innocent "good" girl, and vixen/siren "bad" girl, throws a mystery and some literary references in, and it's the reader's job to figure out how the mystery plays into these tropes, and whether the characters are true to how they are initially set up. Naturally, the book takes on the theme of "are people who they portray themselves to be?"
The writing is dreamy, floaty, and has a nebulous quality to it. It also uses repetition frequently. For example:Wink just laughed, chinkle, chinkle.
I thought the writing was unique and bold as compared to the usually straightforward writing in YA. The mystery element also had a folksy, old-horror story based in legend type of feel to it, which matched the overall tone.
However, where I ran into issues regarding the writing was that the book switches between Wink, Poppy, and Midnight's perspectives, which are all written in first person. However, the writing style doesn't change at all between them, and furthermore, it doesn't change when comparing the way different people spoke. The same airy quality, and the same repetition. This made it unique compared to other books, but difficult to distinguish between characters.
The reasons why I originally DNFed it at 50% (but came back and finished it) was because of the use of the following lines in the building of the vixen/siren "bad girl" trope:"[...] a short, swinging yellow skirt that barely covered the parts it needed to cover."
"She was wearing another short, swoopy sort of dress, that kind that showed more than it hid."
These lines were used when a character was speaking in first person, so it was definitely that character's subjective observation, and I cannot fault someone for thinking something, even if it is not congruent with my own ideals. However, from a feminist point of view, I just think these lines could have been completely eliminated without alluding to parts "needing" to be covered, or hid. There are other ways to show that she used her sexuality as a means to manipulate others without slut-shaming.
I believe this is a fault on behalf of the author. I don't think the construct or fulfillment of the vixen/siren character or the opinion of the character speaking needs to be changed, just the way that it was executed.
Another issue I had is seen in
this review's comments section, which gives an example of how a girl (who had just made some deplorable comments - BUT THAT IS REALLY NOT AN EXCUSE)'s physical assault was sexualized by the mentioning of her "boobs jiggling" in the following passage:"He beat DeeDee into a coma, right there on the school’s cement steps, he pounded her head on the concrete, knees pinning her down by the chest, her boobs jiggling, his red hair flying around his lanky shoulders, the snow-capped mountains in the background."
The use of these lines inducing shame regarding females wearing revealing clothing (not the act of using sex as a manipulative weapon, because that is something that is done in real life and can be smartly addressed in books - not exactly the same, but similar to
What We Saw), and the sexualization of a girl's physical assault was unnecessary and these elements are what made me quit the book the first time. Again, I don't think the construct needs to be changed at all, and I think the message of the book is a bold one to tackle in the way that Tucholke did. It's just the presentation that was problematic. -
As lulling and lyrical as it is dark and fearsome. Wink Poppy Midnight must have slipped through the veil from some fae realm by accident. It bewitches, enchants, delights.
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Another book where the characters dialogue is basically poetry?
You said I was a natural, laughing at all the mortals and their maudlin, trivial lives. . .
This life, my life. . .
It's not trivial.
It's. . .
Mine.
Mine, mine, mine.
*rolls eyes*
I only finished this book because A.) I bought a physical copy and never read it, B.) I liked the cover. Great reasons, I know, but still. And now that I've finished it, it feels like every second spent reading this was a waste.
This is me trying to explain the plot:
Poppy is a cruel, spoiled, and beautiful girl who strings along lots of people, but mainly Midnight. Midnight is her neighbor and totally in love with her, until he moves and decides to break off their messed up friendship (?) He moves in next to Wink, a girl with lots of siblings and who doesn't care for other peoples opinions.
Then, Midnight falls for Wink in like .02 seconds.
Also, a sort of love triangle happens.
And other random confusing stuff happens.
The first 10% I didn't like, but then it got a lot better for a little and then took a nosedive. Midnight was always so clueless, Poppy thought she was some sort of mastermind, and Wink had no personality, in my opinion.
1 1/2 stars from me. Mainly because the writing really is beautiful, and because I was entertained at certain points where normal conversations were taking place. Somewhere in between the tying a girl to a piano, stories of the unforgivables or something, and Poppy acting like a worse version of Margo from
Paper Towns, I stopped caring.
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I can't decide how to rate this, so I'm going for a nice, easy three stars. First things first: this is hands down the weirdest book I have ever read. You thought We Were Liars and The Accident Season were weird? Wink Poppy Midnight is far, far weirder, and it's more because of the ending than anything else. Most books at least give you the luxury of a sensical ending. This book does not.
Wink Poppy Midnight follows two girls, Wink and Poppy, and one boy, Midnight. There's an odd sort of love triangle, not like any you're used to. And that's pretty much all I can say about the plot. Yep, this one relies on surprising you.
First things first: I loved the subverting of tropes here. Tucholke subverts the typical Betty-and-Veronica dynamic of a love triangle, as well as playing around with the hero-and-villain dynamic. I appreciated that!
I liked the writing style, too. At times it began to annoy me slightly, but I can't deny that it made this story incredibly atmospheric.
Unfortunately, the plot felt a little messy. This happens all the time in magical realism novels; the author is trying to keep things ambiguous, and you end up with a book that's confusing instead. There were moments where I felt like the author succeeded in having something ambiguous yet interesting, and moments where the book wasn't ambiguous, just confusing.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: it takes a very talented author to keep everything ambiguous but still develop characters well. April Genevieve Tucholke... kind of succeeded. Her characters are as developed as they can be considering the odd style, I guess. Their arcs had wasted potential. The ending underwhelmed me just a bit in terms of character work.
I still don't know how I felt about this book, but I recommend giving it a try. It's worth reading if only to have your brain screwed with.
Spoiler-Y Notes (skip these!!)
• I honestly thought at one point the author would have the two girls get together. They literally make out twice in this book.
• Everyone says they hated Poppy but I actually kinda liked her in the second half!!
• Wink calls herself the hero towards the end, but she's also the liar. So is Midnight the villain? -
Wow! This book is unlike anything I've ever read before.
April Genevieve Tucholke's writing is so beautiful and unique.
The characters are so incredible. I loved them and hated them at the same time. I never knew what to expect next and each page had a surprise. Everything was dark and beautiful and I never wanted this book to end. -
I give this book 3.5 stars. It had me hooked from the beginning and I could not put it down. In part this was due to the way it was written. No chapters. Sections narrated by each character and they would give me just enough information to make me want more and keep reading. Then THE THING happens. There was so much build up until this and afterwards it just felt anticlimactic. I was surprised to find out what happened but not in a good way. It was more of a I feel let down, and that’s it? kind of feeling. I did enjoy the writing style and the magical realism feel to the book. I wish the magical realism would have been explored more. It served no purpose in this book except for the seance scene. Wink’s narratives hinted toward magical realism that was never explored. Such as the fairies and the unforgivables. Again, the ending felt anticlimactic and made the entire experience in the Luck house feel as if it were all for nothing. I felt that issues were left unaddressed and unanswered. I was left with questions and feeling slightly confused. That being said, I did mostly enjoy this book and I may try to read it again later. I would like to give this author another try. Hopefully, other people will enjoy this book more than I did.
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That cover is gorgeous and chaotic and luscious. Also, anything April writes is beautiful and eerie. CANNOT wait for this one! <3
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Wink kissed deep. Deep as a dark, misty, forest path. One that lead to blood and love and death and monsters
Disclaimer: **I may have been harsh here but I didn’t give up on April Genevieve Tucholke with this being my first of hers and I am SOOO GLAD because
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is everything to me!!! Read it now!!!!!
This book.....I don’t even know what the heck I just read......
I even *almost* read it all in one go, I stayed up real, real late into the night with it. But then I realised that it wasn’t that I was enthralled but that I was like angry-reading wanting something to actually freaking happen.
Have you ever angry-read before?
It’s not a great feeling.
It’s like you’re mad because you know you’re wasting your time and you know you should give up but for some reason you can’t stop reading, because you’re harbouring a spark of hope for redemption.
But then redemption never comes. And you wake up the next morning looking like death because you traded precious beauty sleep all for nothing.
That’s what this book is. What it was for me.
I wish it was exactly like the quote up there. I wish I would’ve known this was such a contemporary and not anything else (how did I miss that??).
But for some reason I thought it was something else.
And as I was reading I hated it. And I kept thinking ugh this is like those pointless books my mum used to pass off on me when I was in my teen years. But I couldn’t place what it was.
It’s contemporary. That’s what.
Ugh.
I wanted to like this. Even with the smidge of ghost stories and tarot reading and stormy summer nights with stolen kisses.
But I was so damn pissed off at the characters. And then the twist was like, oh come on really?
Toss the book at the wall.
At least it’s pretty.
I’m out. -
DNF @ 16%
I can't do it. The writing is driving me crazy. I hate the characters and I honestly want to strangle myself.
The book is told in a similar format to that of modern poetry. The author tries to do something a little different (or at least from what I can see) but it's falling very short. I mean, Midnight and Wink as names were weird enough but I was truly expecting this story to be more gripping for such a short book. -
"She was bad.
And she was good.
She was real."
This was... underwhelming. I don't even know why I decided to pick this one up, maybe because I read magical realism and thought I haven't had any of that this year and needed a fix as soon as I could or maybe because I wanted a nice cover to end my Goodreads challenge with. I don't know, I just know this book was not what I had been looking for.
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.
I dare each one of you to tell me that you wouldn't be intrigued by those lines. What do they mean? What's the secret?? The problem though is that this book is not intriguing at all, the plot is so very thin that I kept asking myself why the author thought it was an acceptable one for a whole new book. Why not a short story? A novella maybe? But a book? The story was so watered-down that I was going claustrophobic, when was it going to end???
Here we have Wink, the quirky girl next door, Poppy, the bully, the mean girl, and Midnight, who's hopelessly in love with Poppy, but who settles for the friend(ish) with benefits. Wink is obsessed with a fantasy book series and convinces Midnight of being the hero of his own story. He needs to step up to Poppy, the beast to be tamed and slayed. How do they manage that? When Poppy tries to convince Midnight to play a cruel prank on Wink, ourspinelessHero, instead of just refusing her, proceedes to join forces with Wink and prank Poppy instead. The prank being tying the girl to a chair in a haunted house and leaving her there all night long. Because what says Hero more than psychologically torture a teenage girl albeit cruel and willing to play that very prank on another person?"I'd never get the sound of her screams out of my head, or my heart.
Is this what it meant to be the hero?"
No idiot, what kind of definition of "hero" does you dictionary have? Aren't you educated at all?? What kind of idiot is so blinded by his sense of entitlement, of hatred and the oh, friendzoned again! feelings that he needs to do something so mean and then even justify himself?? Poppy was mean, intolerable, pretentious, borderline narcisistic and a sociopath but you, my dear Midnight, you had to simply reject her, to simply will yourself to shut her out of your life, not leaving the windows of your bedroom wide open to then say "Oh well, she's in my bedroom now, I might as well sleep with her while plotting her demise!". I'm disgusted.
And, you might say, ok then you didn't like the plot but the secret? What about it? Oh, my friend, if only I even knew. Sure, I understand it, I understand that the underlying meaning of this story is to tell me that people are not just a façade, they are not just what they decide to show to the world. Mainly they're what they don't tell, what they keep inside. But after all that turmoil, after having supposedly caused a mental breakdown in a girl to then lack the emotional depth to understand that something went wrong in this Wink/Midnight partnership I couldn't care less.
The writing was poetic at times, but I couldn't take it very seriously.
"Wink kissed deep. Deep as a dark, misty, forest path. One that lead to blood and love and death and monsters."
^ How do you kiss deep as a forest path? Do I need an upgrade?
In conclusion, I really didn't get the hype around this book but I've also seen that it has been enjoyed by several other readers so it might make a different impression in you than it did in me.
Summarizing the book in one tweet though:
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This was definitely one of the weirdest books I've read in a while. When I first started, it was very clear who the "hero" was and who the "villain" was. As I learned more about the characters and got completely involved with this story, my opinions changed and I couldn't pin point ANY of these characters. I trusted NONE of them and the story constantly kept me thinking and on my toes. The villain slowly started becoming innocent, the innocent one started becoming the villain but also the hero...this was definitely a thought provoking read. Five stars all the way!
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This book doesn't need to exist.
That's it. That's the review.
I hated pretty much everyone and everything about it. -
3.5 or 4 stars??? Hard decision. I'm not sure I "get" books like these. This was an odd fairy tale of a book w/ a cool atmosphere, but with characters that feel fictional.
This is the story of 3 teens-- Wink, Poppy, and Midnight. Midnight has been in love with Poppy for years, but Poppy is all about Poppy. Now he's moved in next door to Wink and her large, wild family. Wink is child-like and tells fairy tales, and something about her interests Midnight. He's also desperate to get over Poppy, and she's all too happy to help him get revenge on "the Wolf" (Poppy).
In this story nothing is as it seems. Events unfold, but it's unclear what intentions each of the character's have. It'll keep you guessing-- Who exactly is the hero of this book?
My Thoughts:
First of all this book was giving me MAJOR Cover Lust. It's pretty much the whole reason I wanted to read the book. I actually just want them to print this design on a dress or a pair of shoes so I can wear it. While this is the perfect cover for the story, the cover was definitely the best part of this book for me.
I'm not sure I actually "get" books like this. It's kind of just about 3 teens who run around in the woods/courtryside and in 2016, I find it a little hard to relate to. Don't get me wrong, I know there are all different kinds of people out there, but I kind of want/expect YA's to act like YA's a little bit. When I was in my prime teen years cell phones were just coming in, the internet was dial-up, and there was no social media-- but we did NOT run around in the woods. We begged our parents for their cars and drove around. We went to underage dance clubs, tried to find someone who would buy us beer, and tried to figure out where all the boys were hanging out. We sat in our bedrooms and watched MTV and called each other to talk about the newest music videos. Obviously times have changed a little bit from that, but still....
The thing about this book is it's all about atmosphere, not about plot. And it's a pretty cool atmosphere to immerse yourself in if you can let yourself go in it. I don't think I'm one of those people though. I need order and sense and explanations in my stories. I don't think I'm SUPER rigid, but I'm not as go-with-the-flow as this book needed me to be. The writing was great-- it gave the book just the right feel that it needed, but I need more than cool writing and beautiful prose to get involved in a story.
It's hard to talk about anything that happens in the book because you kind of need to NOT know in order to fully enjoy it. Because the people start out one way and by the end they supposedly change into something else?? At least that's what I got out of it. It's basically a "modern day" fairy tale where you can't trust who the good guys and bad guys are. But in the end I just ended up kind of confused, so if someone who read this wants to explain it to me, I'd be down to talk.
One thing for sure is-- I HATED Poppy. Not matter what happened and where she ended up, I still hate her and I really don't think there is anything the author could do to make me feel otherwise. Everything Leif says about her, I was nodding my head like crazy.
OVERALL: I liked reading something different, but I just don't "get" books like this. It's fairy tale-like and full of atmosphere, but I wanted more. I think a lot of people would be into this type of book because it's so different, but I need more order and sense in my books.
The Raven Boys is a series that has these elements, but has a lot more story. I would more recommend that if you are looking for this type of book.
My Blog:
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I loved April's other books, so it goes without saying that I was beyond eager to get my greedy hands on her new words.
Wink, Poppy, and Midnight are all such different characters. I loved the sharp, staccato chapters. Normally, I can't stand more than 2 POVs, but I was craving each character to tell me what was going on from their side.
The plot was twisty and intriguing and filled with mindfuckery in a way that only April can give us. Not to mention her gorgeous and atmospheric prose. I want to live in her words and never come out.
With this story, she has officially become an author whose grocery list I will read. -
This review can also be found at
Carole's Random Life.
I hate to say that I am a little bit disappointed with this book. That doesn't mean that this was a bad book. Not at all. It just wasn't what I had hoped it would be. I had really high hopes for this book and bumped it to the front of my TBR pile so it is really quite possible that some of my disappointment is simply a result of unrealistic expectations.
This story is told from three point of views. Wink is one of the Bell children. She is a sweet girl with curly red hair who lives across the street from Midnight. Midnight is a genuinely nice boy who has just moved into a crooked little house across the street from Wink with his father. Poppy is a bully who likes to push people around and manipulate Midnight every chance she gets.
I did like the way the story was laid with with quick chapters told from the perspectives of the three main characters. The story really felt like a fairy tale in a lot of ways. The voices of the characters were very distinctive as well as interesting. I wouldn't really say that I grew to like any of them though. There was just no connection for me. Of course, I am an old lady that barely remembers what it was like to be a teenager anymore.
I knew going into the book that there would be a secret and someone in the story might be lying from reading the description. It is even on the cover of the book. I guess I was hoping for some kind of epic event to happen but in the end I was never very excited about anything that actually happened in the book. I would even say that I was a bit bored at times.
I do think that a lot of people will probably enjoy this book. It just didn't work for me. This is the first book by April Genevieve Tucholke and I would be very interested in trying one of her other novels since there were aspects of her writing style that I did enjoy.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Publishing Group - Dial Books via First to Read for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I have to say that I am a little let down by this book. It wasn't bad but it wasn't what I thought it would be at all. -
El estilo de esta autora es LA gloria. Amo sus rarezas y sus atmósferas, amo que sus libros sean oscuros pero cálidos, como los cuentos viejos.
A nivel trama siempre me terminan haciendo ruido (me pasó igual con Between the Devil), pero la escritura lo compensa todo, porque es fantástica. -
WHAAATTT did I just read?! Because I'm still not sure.... and oddly enough, I'm okay with that. Kind of.
Warning: this review is deliberately ambiguous, and I'm not even sorry.
In truth, I picked up this novel simply because of the gorgeous cover. Yep. I'm a sucker like thatsometimesalways. But come on. Just look at that cover!! Now picture it on a book shelf. Now picture it on YOUR book shelf.... am I right, or amIright?
When I first started this book, a few pages in and I didn't think it was a book meant for me to read. Just check my status updates. I simply wasn't sold on the characters. My initial reactions to meeting them were to roll my eyes, because what kids talk like Poppy? Or act like Midnight? Or think like Wink? (haha, didn't mean for that last one to rhyme. Bear with me folks. It's been a long night.) And what's up with their names? So yeah, I had my concerns. On top of that, I wasn't sure where the plot was going, if there even was one. BUT I persisted!
The writing, simply put, deserves applause. It's beautiful, quirky, atmospheric, and filled with the personality of the three main characters. It has that magical realism vibe to it, but there's something more to Tucholke's writing that I find hard to put into words. As I mentioned above, I almost put this book down, but slowly and then suddenly my face was buried in the text. I found it extremely hard to pry myself away from this story because I had become so captivated by it and so enraptured by the characters. I MISSED LUNCH, because I forgot that I'm human and I need to eat and I LOVE FOOD so this doesn't happen often for me, is what I'm saying.
While I did end up warming up to all of the characters and their eccentric quirks, the plot steadily confused me from start to finish. It's not that it was hard to follow, I just didn't see the point in the trail. There's a lot of events that don't seem to lead up to anything. But just wait for it: cause holy cow, THAT PLOT TWIST, was so freaking unexpected. I mean, what even? It had me scratching my head in contemplation, because I thought I got it, but then was I wrong, and my brain felt overworked in the process, and this is one very long run-on sentence. Okay. Moving on to the ending... it wasn't my favorite. Quite honestly, the second half ruined a lot of my enjoyment. I just don't think it all added up in the ending.
Okay, okay, I know this was such a rambling excuse of a review (can't say I didn't warn you) but walking into this story was an experience, and I don't want to deprive anyone who might decide to pick up this book in the future of sharing in that mysterious allure. This was a very quick, deliciously peculiar novel. I would definitely suggest that you be in the mood for a strange read before picking this one up. Overall, I'm quite happy that I gave this novel a shot. It certainly did impress me. -
First of all: I want to thank Fransinda for doing this buddyread with me. I love doing buddyreads, where you can share your thoughts with another booklover while reading. Second of all.. WHAT is this low Goodreads score?! I can't believe it. This book is a big favorite for me, I loved everything about it. I think this book is a hit or run book when it comes to loving it or hating it...
A longer review can be found at Bite Into Books
Overall
I think Fransinda and I would've been able to read this book in 1 sitting. Sadly I also have a life and I had to work and stuff *grumble*. The book was a favorite for the both of us. The poetic way it's written, the way it's small and big at the same time together with the mystery is a treat to read! -
“You can figure out what the villain fears by his choice of weapons.”
----Connie Brockway
April Genevieve Tucholke, an American author, pens a chilling and mystical young adult thriller in her new book, Wink Poppy Midnight that unfolds the friendship and the enmity between three high school teenagers and the readers need to figure out who is the hero and who is the villain in this story through their dialogues and their evolving demeanor.
Synopsis:
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.
Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.
Wink is the cute nerdy teenager whose head is always bend down inside a book but secretly lusts for the most coolest and good-looking boy of her school, Midnight, whereas Midnight is crazy about the drama queen and the most beautiful yet the coldest girl of his school, Poppy. A perfect teenage love triangle. Throw in one more alpha-male character, then the triangle will be easily resolved, but the author has other plans despite the fact that Poppy is lusting for another guy named, Leaf Bell, who is older and mature student. Okay and this happens to be the story line of this book and the story revolves around the love triangle of these three protagonists.
I was looking forward in reading something thrilling or thought provoking, instead the story is highly predictable and kind of dull as the author has only laced and masked his story with exquisite words and eloquent and intricate writing style. The pacing sucks all through out the book as I found myself baffled with the characters' voices and their secretive and evil demeanor. There is no such important mystery to figure out, as I guessed who's who right from the very beginning. The alluring book's cover image simply masks the negativity lurking inside its beautiful book cover design.
The author mainly focuses her theme under the limelight of teenage friendships, loyalty, jealously, slandering, love, straying and many such things that will make the older readers feel a bit nostalgic about their high school days when their hormones ran wild. Unfortunately, the portrayal of these theme could have been much more striking and descriptive as the readers will struggle with their thoughts on what to wonder on. The romance among the characters are well-featured and developed with passion and emotions that holds the power to melt the hearts of the readers.
Now let's talk about the most disappointing aspect of this book- the characters. Except their sharp narrative, there is nothing in these three characters, that will make the readers either fall for them or connect with them. Poppy is a bully and a manipulator and her evil sneer will make the readers recoil from her, moreover, Poppy's cold narrative will make the readers hate her even more. Wink is the sweetest character of this book, but her flaws are so easily foreseeable. Midnight is the caring and he is caught between the crossfire of these two young ladies who want him badly. In short, all the three characters, are psychologically flawed and will challenge the minds of the readers with their demeanor. The rest of the supporting cast are not that memorable or something to root for.
In a nutshell, this story failed to intrigue me in any possible way, moreover, the characters are also very drab.
Verdict: Can be easily skipped as it is not so much of a promising read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book. -
***This review has also been posted on
The Social Potato
I don’t even know how to react to this book. It takes you on a twisty, surreal journey and leaves your brain scrambled. So what actually happened? That is a good question. DON’T ASK ME. I might be lying and you would never know. Oops.
Likes
Creepiness: While this book may sound like a mystery/contemporary, it is also deliciously creepy. There is so much that readers are in the dark about but it’s done in a way that isn’t frustrating. It’s exciting, engaging and FITTING with the characters and the vibe the book has going.
Unreliable narrators: I love me some unreliable narrators and this book definitely delivered on that end. I had a hard time deciding who I wanted to trust because even though there was one character that was horrible, the other two had hidden depths to them that made me wary of them. Basically, don’t trust anybody when reading this book. ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE GOING TO FUCK WITH YOUR MIND.
MIND FUCKERY: The caps lock is necessary when talking about the mind fuckery in the book. This ties back into my previous point about unreliable narrators. It’s hard to keep up with all the twists happening in the book because it get’s so twisty. My brain felt like a pretzel after I had finished the book.
Writing Style: I thought the division of the different point of views in this book worked very well. The characters did sound similar sometimes but I thought it was intentional because it helped confuse me even more about what the characters were doing/thinking/plotting.
My shippy feels: Of course I had shippy feels. I AM TRASH (this does not mean you are trash if you have shippy feels. I’ve just taken to referring myself as trash because I think the word trash describes me perfectly). Mind you, not all the relationships in this book were healthy and weren't meant to be.
Dislikes
My only dislike is that I wasn’t satisfied with the big revelation. I felt like there were things that didn’t add up. I love my twists but if I cannot trace back to places where I should have seen it coming or trace the story-line, the reveal won't work for me. And this reveal unfortunately didn't. The reveal also somewhat spoiled my reading experience because I went from being on a 'book high' to being annoyed.
But if you like psychological thrillers, or books that turn your mind into a pretzel, Wink Poppy Midnight is for you.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
