Touching Darkness (Midnighters, #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Touching Darkness (Midnighters, #2) Reviews

• 
  Echo

  This series continues to impress. It's one of those books that you find it hard to put down once you pick it up. I confess to putting in movies for my kids so they'd leave me alone & staying up way too late at night to read this one. I think I read the entire thing in 2 days, which is impressive for someone with 3 little kids.
  
  This book goes further into the relm of midnight, without rehashing any of the difficulties overcome in the last book. It brought a whole new aspect into the Blue Time with the explanation of why there were no Midnighters older than the 5 current & why there were 5 the same age. The introduction of new characters made the plot flow more quickly, if possible, & still left room for you to wonder what was going to happen in the relationships already formed. Great ending, ties up everything that happened this book, but made you want to immediately pick up the next one to see what happens with Rex. So happy to see Melissa be able to get a grip on her powers & actually be able to enjoy & participate in life. Still hasn't fully explained what Des is finding out about the mapping & math involved in Midnight & really makes you wonder & want to find out.
  
  This author is really a genius to be able to follow so many strands & come up with so many tridocalogisms & follow the math so well. This is really a great talent!
  
  Really a gripping read, I can't wait to get the next one!
• 
  Cindy Newton

  This was just okay to me. I don't know--maybe asking this to follow Middlemarch was just to set it up for failure. It was just okay. The writing is fine, the plot moves along well, there are several tense situations and last-minute rescues, and the antagonists are creepy. I really like Scott Westerfeld, so I definitely think it's just me. If you like YA, an interesting premise, or Scott Westerfeld, don't let me hold you back. Go on--read--enjoy!
• 
  Thomas

  Changing this one to a four because I don't think it was as great as other books I've given five stars - however, it was a solid second installment to the Midnighters series and did leave me eagerly awaiting the next one.
  
  One thing I remember about this book was its superb characterization. While the first book laid out the framework of the characters' personalities, Touching Darkness took their interpersonal relationships above and beyond. Bravo, Westerfeld.
• 
  Jenn

  This book was a little better than the first for me. Now that it seems like most of the explanations are out of the way, we were able to really dive into the meat of the story and learn new things.
  
  With the arrival of Jessica in Bixby, the Midnighters now pretty much have a full set. Especially once they figured out what Jessica's power was. Armed with this knowledge and the knowledge that the darklings are terrified of Jessica, it almost seems like the Midnighters can get their blue time back for themselves. That is until Jessica and Jonathan spy someone taking pictures outside of her window at exactly midnight. Someone else seems to know their secret, and that person is not a midnighter. This leads to more mysteries and unravels a past that was hidden up until now.
  
  I liked getting to know more about each of the characters here. We got to take time and delve into each of their brains. While I still don't really like Melissa, I do feel like she has the worst end of the powers and therefore, I do feel sorry for her. But her attitude still needs adjusting. My favorite is still Jonathan. I just love the way he views everything - like a kid at Christmas. He's more into the fun aspect and living life to the fullest, not so much lore and hidden destinies. And I feel like as kids with powers, this was believable.
  
  This ended on a pretty big whammy and I'm going to jump right into the final book just to see what happens. Again, this was an interesting world from Westerfeld and I applaud the originality.
• 
  Erika

  4 stelline e mezzo.
  
  Questo libro è stato ancora meglio del primo!
  
  Ora, cercherò di essere schematica:
  - Stile di scrittura: valgono le stesse cose che ho scritto nella recensione del primo libro della serie, "L'ora Segreta". Westerfeld ha una capacità descrittiva davvero magistrale e ho apprezzato, in particolar modo, l'analisi psicologica dei personaggi e i lati scientifici dell'intera faccenda. Troppi scrittori, quando provano a scrivere di materie scientifiche, molto spesso non sanno nemmeno che pesci pigliare e si nota la mancanza di uno studio approfondito da come tentennano nelle spiegazioni che tentano di offrire al lettore. Westerfeld, al contrario, sa di cosa parla e lo fa bene. E'un aspetto che mi è piaciuto davvero molto.
  - Trama: c'è un evidente salto di qualità dal primo al secondo romanzo. Se il primo libro era un'introduzione al mondo, questo qui è stato un melange di azione, colpi di scena e avvenimenti emozionanti. La storia si infittisce, l'alone di mistero sempre presente si dirada un po' ed è un continuo scoprire nuove cose e informazioni. L'ho trovato molto emozionante.
  - Personaggi: li vedo molto cresciuti e maturati dal primo libro, nonostante siano passate poche settimane.
  Rex -- Lo adoro, probabilmente è il mio preferito. Mi è piaciuto molto scoprire di più sul suo passato ( Le vicende col padre sono state davvero raccapriccianti, non ci volevo credere. Che orrore! ) e vederlo crescere nel corso della storia. E' il più saggio del gruppo e il suo collante, senza Rex i midnighters non esisterebbero proprio. Apprezzo il suo coraggio, la sua arguzia e, in particolar modo, il sua devozione e il suo altruismo nei confronti dei suoi compagni.
  Melissa -- Se prima mi era indifferente, ora rientra anche lei tra i miei personaggi preferiti. Melissa è una ragazza complicata, davvero complicata. Il suo potere la "limita" molto e mi è piaciuto davvero tanto vederla evolvere e imparare a controllarlo. Il suo sarcasmo cinico e nero è davvero esilarante ed è assolutamente quel tipo di personaggio di cui non vorrei mai smettere di leggere.
  Dess -- E' un piccolo genio, mi è piaciuta fin da subito. La vedo molto cresciuta in questo secondo libro e la sua intelligenza non smette mai di stupirmi. Il suo è un potere che potrebbe sembrare banale, ma che lei volta e rivolta in qualcosa di estremamente fenomenale. La stimo moltissimo!
  Jonathan -- Il più tenero di tutti. Il suo è il potere che vorrei anche io (Insomma, ammettiamolo, chi è che non vorrebbe essere capace di volare?) e la sua dolcezza nei confronti dei suoi compagni, nonostante non l'abbiano accettato subito, è disarmante. Lo apprezzo molto come personaggio, anche se non posso classificarlo tra i miei preferiti. La colpa, probabilmente, è da attribuire a Jessica. Nel romanzo vengono analizzati molto insieme, come duo, e raramente da soli. Dal momento che Jessica non mi sta particolarmente simpatica, non posso fare a meno di mostrare poco interesse nei confronti anche di Jonathan. Si meriterebbe più spazio, secondo me.
  Jessica -- Dovrebbe essere la protagonista, ma di lei mi frega poco e niente. Petulante e fastidiosa, sembra non sapere mai cosa fare nel corso della storia. Se non fosse per il suo incredibile potere (una vera e propria botta di fortuna che, secondo me, è capitata alla persona sbagliata) sarebbe davvero inutile agli altri midnighters. Devo ammettere, però, che la trovo un po' meno stupida rispetto al primo romanzo, però mi sembra una presa per i fondelli il suo continuo brontolare e pensare a Jonathan e a problemi inconsistenti quando ci sono cose più importanti a cui pensare. Ma stiamo scherzando? Rischi di finire ammazzata ogni notte e ti preoccupi se Jonathan non ti prende per mano di giorno? Ma per favore.
  
  Tra le altre cose, devo ammettere che in questo secondo libro ho apprezzato molto di più i diversi punti di vista. Se nel primo capitolo della serie sono stati per me fonte di confusione, in questo qui li ho trovati meravigliosi. Mi è piaciuto poter vedere uno spaccato della vita e delle dinamiche di ciascuno dei protagonisti ed è stato anche molto bello il fatto che Westerfeld abbia dato ad ognuno lo spazio che meritava. -- Nell'ultimo libro, però, vorrei vedere un po' di più Rex e Melissa (anche se, lo so, sono orribilmente di parte) e Jonathan.
  
  
  Qualche piccolo sclero random:
  - LA MANCANZA DI COMUNICAZIONE MI FA SEMPRE IMBESTIALIRE! Parlate, siate chiari, non scordatevi di dirvi dove vi dovete trovare e sforzatevi di COMUNICARE! Non capisco come mai, ma questo è un problema frequente degli young adult e, personalmente, questo cliché mi ha un po' stancato. Se i personaggi comunicassero, ci sarebbero decisamente meno problemi.
  - Jessica è una povera rimbecillita, mi dispiace davvero tanto per quei quattro poveri cristi che la devono sopportare giornalmente.
  - REX E MELISSA SONO TROPPO BELLI! Sapevo che in qualche modo sarebbero finiti insieme ed è stato molto bello poter vedere la loro storia evolversi con calma, senza fretta! (e non come quella di Jonathan e Jessica, pft.) Sono davvero dolcissimi, mi piacciono da morire.
  - I colpi di scena di questo libro sono stati FANTASTICI! Non ne avevo previsto nemmeno uno e mi hanno sorpreso tantissimo. Scott Westerfeld è un mago in questo campo!
  - Quando Rex è stato trasformato in un mezzo oscuro mi stavo contorcendo sulla sedia dall'ansia. E' stata una scena (e una scoperta) orribile! Sono un po' delusa, però, da come si sono risolte in fretta le cose, mi è sembrato tutto troppo facile.
  
  Che dire, questo libro mi è piaciuto davvero tantissimo. La serie sta andando sempre migliorando e spero che il terzo segua la stessa strada! Le premesse per un ultimo libro epico ci sono tutte e non vedo l'ora di iniziarlo e di perdermici! -- Il mondo creato da Westerfeld è un mondo magico, un mondo che mi scoccia un po' abbandonare. Allo stesso tempo, però, non vedo l'ora di imbarcarmi in questa nuova (e purtroppo ultima) avventura.
• 
  Pedro António Carvalho

  3/5*
  EN~
  Usually the second books are my favourites of a trilogy but this wasn't the case.
  Nonetheless, this was a good continuation of the story left hanging in the first book. It didn't blow my mind, but that doesnt mean its bad. It was okay!
  Characters develop, relationships change, enemies get scarier, acion intensifies. Overall, the plot thickens and that's something good.
  It took me a while to finish this really small and easy book because I had to start reading another novel for a project I'm working. I was confused in some parts but only because I had to pause frequently and kept forgetting some details.
  The story is quite complete and most of the loose ends are tied, such as why are they the only midnighters in town and what happened to all the adults which was a big plot hole.
  Jessica isn't the main character now. The spotlight is shed on all of the the group, especially on Rex and Melissa and some new characters get introduced. I'm curious to see what more do they bring into the story.
  Third and last book is called Blue Noon and this title gets my curiousness tingling on what might happen to our heroes and what they are facing against.
  
  PT~
  Normalmente os segundos livros são os meus favoritos numa trilogia mas este não foi o caso.
  Não obstante, esta foi uma boa continuação da história deixada no primeiro livro. Não me deixou abismado mas também não foi pior. Simplesmente foi OK!
  As personagens desenvolvem, relações mudam, os inimigos tornam-se mais assustadores, a ação intensifica. No geral o enredo engrossa e isso é algo bom!
  Demorou-me algum tempo terminar este livro pequeno e fácil em grande parte devido ao romance que comecei a ler ao mesmo tempo para um projeto que estou a trabalhar. Fiquei confuso em algumas partes porque tive que interromper a leitura frequente e demoradamente e acabava por me esquecer de alguns detalhes.
  A história está bastante completa e algumas pontas soltas são fechadas como o facto de eles serem os únicos midnighters no mundo inteiro e o que aconteceu a todos os adultos que certamente também nasceram na meia-noite, o que era um grande buraco no enredo.
  A Jessica deixa de ser a protagonista dando espaço para os restantes elementos do grupo terem mais atenção, especialmente Rex e Melissa. Algumas personagens novas são introduzidas e estou curioso para saber o que irão trazer à situação em que nos encontramos.
  O terceiro e último livro chama-se Meio Dia Azul e só o título deixa-me a curiosidade em alta para saber o que irá acontecer aos nossos heróis e o que irão enfrentar neste final.
• 
  Scribblegirl

  Westerfield brings the grey area in this second book in the Midnighters series. Weeks have passed since the culminating events of Book 1, and our heroes are divided and not getting along particularly well. I like that Westerfield does not feel compelled to make all his characters chummy or likable. They're thrust together by circumstances, not friendship, and it shows - as it should. But I did start to really dislike mindcaster Melissa, and I wasn't all that fond of seer Rex, either. This is the strongest book of the series, however, and I definitely enjoyed it. Westerfield ups the stakes with this one and really expands on the mystical world of the blue time and the beings who occupy it. All may not be as Jessica and her fellow midnighters have been led to believe, and something huge may be lurking on the horizon. Book 2 is darker and more dangerous than Book 1, and may not be appropriate for younger readers.
  
  The only things that bugged me about this book were a few inconsistencies - which are more pronounced than in Book 1, and I really just can't stand Melissa or the relationship she and Rex are building, which just frankly skeezes me out.
• 
  Mitchel Broussard

  I don't know what it is about these books, but I can't get into them. Not in the can't-finish-at-all sense (its crazy easy to read, like most of Westerfeld's works), but in the sense of plot and characters. Excluding maybe Dess, I really don't like any of the midnighters. They all kinda bore me. She was the only interesting one with her obsession in finding out more about the secret hour via, well, crazy ass math skillz.
  
  I would say this one is better than the first, just because we get more explanations on the mythos of Bixby and why the previous generations of midnighters suddenly disappeared. Oh and an adult character that is actually interesting and isn't there just to enforce rules and make the midnighter's night prowls more risky. That was nice.
  
  My argument from the first book still stays, I think: I just waited too long to read these books. I could imagine a younger me really loving them. But now, the powers are just too tame, the story just kinda slugs along, and the characters' dramas aren't engaging enough.
  
  But I got this far, so i will read the last book.
• 
  Andrea

  I love it when the second book is better than the first. I'm starting book 3 today!
• 
  Elevetha

  
  Main annoyances: Why does everyone treat Melissa like crap? They call her a bitch behind her back and act like she's so high and mighty. I didn't really see that. I mean, sure, she's not the easiest person to get along with, she's a little standoffish, and she can be snarky. She's not a fan of touching anyone ever. But why? Because she hears the thoughts of not just herself but everyone. If she touches someone, it's intimate and invasive for both of them because she is privy to all their thoughts and their mind gets slightly squiggled. But ultimately she gets the worst part. She has to live with that her entire life with every single person she happens to touch, accidentally or otherwise.
  Whoever she touches shares in a fraction of her pain and misery for a couple seconds and suddenly they deserve to be treated like royalty. Oh, but she's a bitch. That makes no sense. I really wish they would rectify that.
  
  Also, everyone acts like Melissa is crazier than a bag full of cats. Again, I never saw that. She's not crazy.
  
  Why was Rex JEALOUS when somebody touched Melissa? Maybe he's trying to protect her since he's really the only one she can call a "friend". But then why is he jealous? Wouldn't he just be angry at the others?
  But I suppose that the jealously stems from him wanting to be the only one with whom Melissa shared such an intimate thing.....
  
  The language was vamped up in this one more so than the last. Not sure why. I found some of the usages to be rather distasteful.
  
  Not sure how I feel about Rex and his story. Where is that going? Will he be all right? Is he the same person (mostly)?
  
  Things I liked: I really started to like Melissa. Everyone treats her like dirt. She's misunderstood and, in many ways, alone. She has Rex, whom I disliked, to understand and be there for her though.
  
  I am really liking the fact that since Madeleine is also a mindcaster and knows all the secrets for that ability and otherwise, and since she taught them to Melissa, Melissa is now coming to control her ability and it doesn't bother her as much and she can touch some people now without quite the same consequences.
  
  I liked, but was slightly confused at times, by Dess' trigger words: Ada and Lovelace. That whole plot point was interesting but occasionally hard to keep up with. Maybe it was just me.
  
  
  Overall, this one felt like it dragged more than the last one. Dess runs around doing math and trying to hide\keep thoughts from Melissa. She finds another Midnighter, who's been hiding out in Bixby for 49 years. Other Midnighter, Madeline, helps Melissa control ability. Jessica and Johnathan do almost nothing. Jessica whines and is clingy. Rex becomes part darkling. Melissa and Rex kiss. Exciting stuff, folks.
  
  I don't know. Interesting concept but the characters and how it plays out is just not for me. But I've come this far....
  
• 
  Fábio Ventura

  “No Limiar das Trevas” é o segundo volume da trilogia de fantasia urbana de Scott Westerfeld, “Midnighters”. Passadas cerca de duas semanas depois dos acontecimentos de “A Hora Secreta”, os cinco midnighters continuam a sua demanda para descobrir todos os segredos por detrás da misteriosa hora azul, especialmente depois da descoberta do poder especial de Jessica. Mas a complexidade e as conspirações em torno da 25ª hora, darklings e própria História de Bixby adquirem uma dimensão muito maior que poderá colocar os midnighters em perigo de vida.
  Se no primeiro volume havia uma preocupação em apresentar os cinco protagonistas e toda a complexidade da história, neste livro o autor eleva a fasquia e surpreende bastante o leitor. “No Limiar das Trevas” não se limita a igualar a qualidade do primeiro livro, mas torna-se claramente bastante mais envolvente e viciante que o seu antecessor pelo aprofundar da história e personagens.
  Um dos aspectos mais forte continua a ser, sem dúvida, as personagens. Cada uma das cinco personagens principais é bastante peculiar e cativante à sua maneira. Neste volume, estão muito mais desenvolvidas, sendo que o autor desvenda mais dos seus passados, aspirações e sentimentos. Além disso, com capítulos dedicados a cada um dos midnighters, é bastante interessante ver as dinâmicas das relações entre eles. Por vezes são tão complexas que o leitor se esquece que se tratam de adolescentes.
  Outro dos aspectos a destacar neste segundo volume é o ritmo da história que é enriquecido por excelentes momentos de suspense. Com o adensar dos mistérios em torno da hora secreta e conspiração que envolve novas personagens, quase que somos obrigados a devorar cada capítulo para saber que surpresas Westerfeld nos reservou. E durante esses capítulos o autor aproveita para apostar na originalidade que caracteriza esta trilogia, associando, por exemplo, a Matemática e o metal ao sobrenatural.
  É uma continuação exemplar que consegue a proeza de suplantar o volume anterior a nível do desenvolvimento da história e personagens. E adivinha-se que o terceiro e último volume feche a história de “Midnighters” com chave de ouro. Com uma história original e um talento natural para prender o leitor, Scott Westerfeld continua a provar que é um mestre da fantasia urbana. Segue-se “O Meio-Dia Azul” e eu estou a contar os dias para que possa lê-lo!
  
  
  (Opinião publicada no blog Bela Lugosi is Dead)
• 
  Lindsay

  Bixby, Oklahoma is full of secrets some of which come out at midnight and some which should stay hidden. As Rex, Dess, Melissa, Jonathan and Jessica try to discover the midnighters past, they discover a conspiracy that has evil intentions. They are conspiring with the darklings to replace their halfling, Anathea, who is dying. They want to use Rex as their replacement. In the mean time, Dess discovers Madeline, the only Midnighter from her generation still in existence. With her help, she gives them information that may help them save Rex later.
  "The figure was crouched in the bushes, a human shape huddled in a long coat against the autumn chill, holding some dark object up to its face. Jessica counted to ten slowly; it remained absolutely still..." -Touching Darkness
  I really loved this book! It was amazing and there was a lot of action. For those who like a book that jumps into the plot quickly and holds you there with vivid descriptions and details, it is a great read for you! It is most definitely a worthwhile read!
• 
  Megres.

  
  Al contrario del primo libro, che parte con una buona idea che poi non sviluppa bene, questo libro parte quasi senza idee ma riesce a tirar fuori qualcosa di interessante nel finale. Non sono ancora sicura di aver capito tutto dei midnighters di cinquant'anni prima, nè riesco ad immaginare come gli amici degli oscuri avessero il coraggio di rapire una bambina di dodici anni e consegnarla a loro. Jonathan è convinto che risvegliandosi davanti al suo cadavere gli verrà un infarto, ma a me sembra buonismo da due soldi. Se l'hanno rapita consegnandola ad un mostro ed hanno anche avuto il coraggio di rifarlo, allora cosa dovrebbe spaventarli? Dovevamo sapere che non volevamo lei e Rex per fare una partita a carte, no?
• 
  Amber

  I thought the first book was pretty good, but I really enjoyed this one. I read both of the books in a span of 48 hours. I'm now waiting for the third one at the library.
• 
  Kenzie Kathleen

  Jessica and Jonathan are a great pair. Love the series.
• 
  Alexander Kramer

  One thing that really has bothered me about this series so far is that we aren’t getting enough of the “extras”. The things that aren’t the direct plot, like characters and how they appear & such, world building, character building. I want to know more about the families of the midnighters. Like, what happened to Rex’s dad, what did they do to him? What about Melissa and her parents? I just want to know more.
  
  
  Overall though the book was good, a LOT better than the first one. For some reason, despite the corny nature of it, the ending sentence just made my heart so happy. It just was a great great ending.
  
  Also, the whole Melissa and Rex thing though to me is completely overrated and stupid and tbh I don’t like them together and them kissing just kind of ruined that for me.
• 
  Jessa Lynn

  I enjoyed learning more of each character’s past. I felt like it brought a better understanding to why they are the way that they are. I’m enjoying the direction the story is going and cannot wait to get into the final book!
• 
  Monica

  I'm positive I read this!
• 
  Andreia Ferreira

  
  https://d311nh4.wordpress.com/2010/10...
• 
  🐢Eliza {Bat Tziyon}🌸

  Oh, good Lord. THIS. BOOK.
  
  
  
  
  I wasn't really going to read it. I think I read the first one in the trilogy, The Secret Hour, at some point last fall, without much enthusiasm. It seemed okay, I guess, but not good enough to spark an interest and make me want to read the rest. However, yesterday I didn't know what books to pick at the bookstore, so I decided I'd give this series a go; mostly because I am rather well acquainted with Westerfeld's works, and so far his talent has always amazed me. Well, I wasn't mistaken this time either!
  
  
  
  
  Touching Darkness tells us more about the five midnighters from Bixby, Oklahoma - the only kids in the world who still continue to live and move during the secret hour, when the entire world around them freezes, and horrendous darklings come out to hunt. This story takes an upexpected turn, because our five heroes suddenly disclose a dark, dark secret behind the fact that they are the only midnighters alive. . . And at least two of them are placed in great danger they never saw coming! Let me also add that these are not the only mysteries that the kids are going to face! In this book I could see the story from a completely different angle and it won my heart over. Mysteries kept coming one after another, immersing me deeper and deeper into the incredible world of the characters in Bixby. I finished this in less than 24 hours and just didn't want it to end.
  
  
  
  
  One of the undoubted pros of the book to me are the main characters! The midnight kids are just irresistible. Each of them is a bright and inimitable personality that you trust and feel compassionate for - all expect for maybe Jessica... To be honest, I really couldn't make sure if I really liked her or really hated her. She appears kind and fairly hilarious at times, but at the same time she's also sort of boring, narrow-minded and shallow, with no real personality. Jessica is clearly outshadowed by the amazing Melissa or Dess... Idyllic doesn't really mean good, it mostly means boring. For this very reason, I am not at all impressed by the Jonathan/Jessica couple: an awesome guy with a shallow girl is so meh... For some reason I feel like Jonathan and the peerless Dess would work just great: these two would truly make a bright, lively couple. Speaking of couples though, I really enjoyed reading about the first touchingly tremulant moments that Rex and Melissa spent together, closer. As well as the little glimpses into their past... This all gave the book a romantic touch, without making it overly dramatic.
  
  
  
  
  Now let me touch a little on the plot and the setting. Westerfeld is a genius, that's pretty much obvious to me, if not an understatement. He's just one of those super rare authors who don't write cliche stuff. No, he's brilliant and individual in every sentence he pens. His story line with the disappeared midnighter Anathea and the unity between the darklings and the hunters is merely splendid. All Westerfeld comes up with is new, fresh, and really broadens the horizons of your thinking. Just think of the geographical and verbal mathematics that can save your life during the secret hour... Mind-blowing at the very least.
  
  
  
  
  One of the things I did not like at all about the first book is that there was not enough description of the world around. In Touching Darkness though it is slightly better... We can see a clearer picture of Bixby, although even that doesn't seem sufficient to me. I would love to see more! It is not at all simple to imagine something you've never seen, something that is awfully different from the culture you grew up in. I also enjoyed seeing the characters' families in this part of the trilogy. It opens a little window into their souls and lets you see the reasons behind their actions.
  
  
  
  
  Overall: a brilliant work for all aged 14 and up! Really makes you think and imparts the desire to read further! Outstanding!
  
  
  
• 
  karmania

  Well, it was good. Probably because I liked the storyline from the first book, and Westerfeld uses really interesting myths, words and details, so I was not bored with silly and cliché love stories. Besides, he uses different points of view. Jessica (in this book she is not a main character, which is a really good decision), Rex (he is the main character here, but the good thing is that his story is about life choices, scandals, past etc. NOT about feelings even if he has ones for Melissa), Desdemona (that's the girl I like! She doesn't cry the whole book like Jess, she knows a lot of cool stuff and she has her own mind), Melissa (well, her sarcastic way of thinking does make the book better) and Jonathan (whose point of view was completely unnecessary). Same old guys with brand new troubles.
  I even can't say what's wrong with "Touching Darkness". It was good, and I liked it, but after reading it I don't have those deep emotions I had after "Cinder" or "Harry Potter" (yes, I really compare everything to "Harry Potter". Deal with it). Maybe Westerfeld should have ended the story after the first book, because he invented a cool gift, gave it to Jessica, so the world was saved. Now he invented new problems, that could be solved with the help of Jess, but that would be too easy, so Westerfeld put her aside and made the others stupid and helpless.
  Perhaps that decision of his makes me put only three stars.
  Come on! The guys rocked in the first book, so why make them silly again? It was like reading the first book all over again but with a different enemy.
• 
  Jody

  Still really enjoying this series and the concept that began with "The Secret Hour". In this book, the midnighters are coming into their own. Suddenly, a stalker is found outside Jessica's house frozen at midnight taking pictures. The stalker is human and not a midnighter which makes the secret exsistance of the midnighters in jeopardy. What does he know? Who is he? Why Jessica?
  
  Rex and Melissa decided to try and find Jessica's stalker and stumble onto a darkling house that is used by darkling human "groupies". They almost get destroyed trying to get away. At the last second, Jonathan and Jessica are magically directed to the right place.
  All of this leads to a horrible discovery of a "halfling". A young seer was taken by the groupies and sacrificed to the darklings to gain oil money. This fact that the seer is still alive and blended with a darkling and let's the darklings communicate with the humans through glyph dominoes.
  The worst is that the halfling is dying and they will soon need to get a replacement which means Rex is in danger.
  There are many other plots to this story and I love the layers of lore and interactions between the players. I do think the team of 5 midnighters are coming together and learning to trust one another is becoming more developed.
• 
  Meneesha Govender

  In the first of the Midnighters series we meet the Midnighters themselves and learn what Jessica’s special power is and why the darklings and slither fear her.
  In the second of the extremely fast-paced trilogy. Jessica and Jonathan realise that others, normal people, knew about them and are stalking them.
  The darklings are a also bigger threat and appear to be growing in strength, biding their time until they are able to strike and take over the midnight hour.
  The Midnighters are in more danger than they realise and are caught up in a race to find out exactly why that is and what they can do to stay safe.
  As the Midnighters deal with this, the young teenagers have to deal with their normal teen emotions and negotiate issues of love and identity as they come to terms with their feelings for each other.
  Only Jessica and Jonathan appear to have an uncomplicated attitude about their relationship and as their bond develops, so too are Rex and Melissa forced to deal with their own feelings for each other.
  Touching Darkness is a heady mix of teenage angst and drama, coupled with almost adult issues of war and betrayal.
  And as the Midnighters negotiate their way through one minefield after another, they also meet yet another Midnighter - but this time it is an adult.
  
• 
  fenrir

  Questo libro è sulla scia del primo, cioè non è male e si legge piuttosto bene solo che manca quel qualcosa che mi conquisti quindi non gli darei più di tre stelline.
  Leggendo "L'ora segreta" mi ero convinta che la protagonista di questa trilogia fosse Jessica, leggendo questo libro però non sono più tanto sicura. Il personaggio che è stato più approfondito è stato probabilmente Melissa (con Rex come secondo) quindi mi chiedo se nel terzo non sarà dominante un altro personaggio ancora (Rex magari questa volta, vista la copertina inglese).
  I personaggi non mi dispiacciono, non riesco a trovare troppo antipatica neanche Melissa alla fin fine e ora che Jessica è scesa dal piedistallo della protagonista la trovo molto migliorata (anche se sembra quella con la personalità più piatta nel gruppo).
  La storia d'amore tra Rex e Melissa è pure migliore di quella di Jessica e Jonathan, se non fosse che è banale (fosse stato Rex con Desdemona avrei capito e non me lo sarei di certo aspettato) e anche se il libro parte a rilento secondo me si riprende nel finale. Leggerò sicuramente il prossimo, ormai sono curiosa di sapere come andrà a finire e spero solo che questa trilogia non si perde nell'ultimo capito come succede quasi a tutti.
• 
  Jessica

  I had a hard time getting into this one. I realized that I remembered very little about the first (it's been a couple of years) other than the basic details that they were kids, born at the stroke of midnight, fighting ancient evil. But it took me a bit to get back into the characters, especially because I didn't remember them being this obnoxious. I mean, sure they're teenagers, forming new relationships, and with the heavy burden of their gifts. But none of them actually seem to get along, and they're not even slightly working together. I mean, come on! Get organized, guys! EVIL. YOU. FIGHTING. I guess it's realistic that they're not taking charge and forming into a super-cohesive Justice League, but sort of shilly-shallying about being teens . . . but at the same time, it was kind of irritating. Especially when they started hiding secrets from each other FOR NO REASON. Ugh. But the ending really came together, and the peril was high. It definitely finished on a high note and teased even higher stakes and more trouble for book three. I'm just hoping they can all stop snarking at each other and work together!
• 
  Enzo

  "Touching Darkness" follows up on "Midnighters" almost immediately. Jessica having discovered she is light bringer, torch user is a powerful and deadly midnighter that the Darklings feared. But its Dess who keeps discovering more about the Midnight hour and how it affects all of them including the town of Bixby itself.
  This book never lets off the accelerator giving us almost continuous action which is very cool. Jessica is being stalked by some unknown party. Rex and Melissa are finding love and also discover that Darklings have a way to communicate with a group of humans who are not midnighters. Meanwhile Dess is finding that midnight is not uniform leaving regular pockets inside Bixby and finds an unexpected surprise that might change everything for our heroes. Rex tries to figure out if the disappearance of previous Midnighers was natural or caused by humans assisting Darklings. I literary flew through the book just forgot to post.
  
  Great read!
• 
  Naomi

  I love it! I feel bad that Melissa went through the windshield even though she's a jerk. Jess finally gets a chance to use her powers more in this book. Dess and all of her weapons. Three thirteen letter phrases. I felt horrible for Rex though, his father was so sick minded! Then he becomes a vegetable. I don't think I'd have the guts to take care of him. I would've stuck him in a box with millons of trantulas, payback buddy! Aww, Melissa and Rex do make a good couple though. And so do Jess and Johnathon! I feel horrible that Dess doesn't have anyone. But she doesn't have much to choose from in that suckish town. Then there's Beth, just leave your sister alone! But there's more action, more answers, and more thirteen-lettered words! Yeah!
• 
  Mitchell

  Not a bad followup. And given that I read book 1 months ago, pretty easy to follow. Not nearly as much to introduce so mostly it was character and story. The individual characters are recognizably different from each other. It'd be nice to see a different pov. Still is kind of a superhero book, but in this one that was a little bit more ignore-able. But nothing too impressive. 3.5 of 5.