CHASING MIDNIGHT
by Courtney King Walker
Cedar Fort, Inc.
YA Fantasy
256 pages
WISH LIST
1.
The biggest, fanciest house on Sea View Drive.
2.
Nike Flyknits.
3.
A ski-jump nose.
4.
My own car. A new BMW.
5.
Be a total pro at the piano.
6.
James Odera to like me. Be James Odera’s
girlfriend.
7.
Get Spencer’s lungs fixed.
Mackenzie Love dreams of being a “lucky one”—someone who has
the perfect life. Someone who doesn’t have to worry about money, a sick
brother, or her high school status. So when a mysterious visitor offers to
make all her wishes come true, Mackenzie jumps at the chance. But the
royal lifestyle may cost more than Mackenzie is willing to pay in this
modern twist on the classic Cinderella story.
MY TIDBITS
The main character, Mackenzie, doesn't have a perfect life. Sure, she has people who love her and the bestie best friend ever, but her popularity is on the bottom and her family is battling issues, which would weigh anyone down. My favorite thing about her is that she has a good heart. Mackenzie would love nothing more than to change her life into luck. Not only in the sense of popularity and money, but she'd do anything to save the life of her sick brother.
There is a dash of magic, and it blends it nicely with the 'real' feel of the story--just a hint and never too much. The author does a fantastic job of taking Mackenzie on the trip of her dreams while still keeping the entire thing based in a 'normal' teenage setting. The dialogue and scenery comes to life and feels natural. It's no problem to fall into Mackenzie's world and feel as if you're right beside her as she battles her way through her magical problem.
The other characters are just as easy to sympathize with, and the problems between them reflect things teenagers can easily sympathize with. I appreciated the layers (good and bad) each character had, and the way the author was able to weave secrets behind every facade. Although the book maintains a nice sense of humor, there are several serious messages and lessons worked in as well. But this never feels preachy. As in every good fairy tale, the main character has a lesson to learn, and Mackenzie isn't any different.
Although there are several hints at the Cinderella theme, they are only lightly hit upon, leaving the plot and characters with a fresh and modern tone. There's never a boring moment, and it was never clear what problems she'd run into next...or how to solve them when she did figure out what was going on.
Summed up, this is a retelling with a very modern, high school feel. I can recommend this to YA readers, who like just a tiny touch of magic in a normal, high school setting. With a little romance. A little chaos. And a lot of heart.
And here she is. . .
COURTNEY KING WALKER!!!
cardboard, hoping to make it the moon or at least Niagara Falls. But a trip across the border to Tijuana was as exciting as it ever got, so she decided writing about adventure was the next best thing. She now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and four children, and still dreams of flying to the moon. She is the author of the young adult novel, ON THE FRINGE, and middle grade novel MOLLY PEPPER AND THE NIGHT TRAIN. Her next YA novel, CHASING MIDNIGHT, will be published January 12, 2016 by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media.
GIVEAWAY!!!
Go ahead and follow the tour! So many other goodies to see.
Monday, Jan 11th – Lost in Ever After – Guest Post
Tuesday, Jan 12th – Release Day Launch!
Wednesday, Jan 13th – The Book Dragon – Top 10 & Review
Friday, Jan 15th – Worth Reading It? – Review
Monday, Jan 18th – 5 Girl Book Reviews – Review
Wednesday, Jan 20th – 21st Century Once Upon a Time – Author Interview & Review
Friday, Jan 22nd – Bookworm for Kids – Review
Monday, Jan 25th – Books are Love – Review
Wednesday, Jan 27th – Reader Girls – Guest Post
Friday, Jan 29th – A Book and a Latte – Top 10
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