Review by Alex- The Midnight Twins

The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard

After battling a mysterious fire on the night of their thirteenth birthday, identical twins Meredith and Mallory Brynn awaken in the hospital with terrifying new powers: Merry can see into the past. Mally can see into the future. But their new gifts come with a heavy price: the mystical bond the twins have shared their entire lives is badly damaged.

And now their small town is threatened by a looming danger only the twins can stop. That is, if they can harness their power before it destroys them both.

The first book in a lyrical, haunting new trilogy, The Midnight Twins explores the unearthly connection between the Brynn sisters in the same thrilling prose that has made Jacquelyn Mitchard into a national treasure.

I have to say, I was extemely disappointed in this book. I've read All We Know of Heaven by the same author, and loved it. But The Midnight Twins... did nothing for me. Absolutely nothing. I had to force my way through it actually. I was about half way through it and was getting pretty fed up, but I figured, it's a waste to read half a book and not finish it and be able to review it.

It's an interesting premise, if not completely original. A pair of twins are in a life threatening accident, this being a fire, they get super powers, they try to save their town from something horrible. It could have been good. I really think it could have.

But it fell flat. The twins are just... blah, mostly. Mostly unoriginal: identical twins who are complete opposites. They also have telepathy before the fire, and after the fire they have powers to see. I didn't feel at all linked to them or sympathise with any of the characters really.

I also found that at times, it was all very disjointed. Scenes skipped around. The narration went from head to head- though always in third person- and I was confused who was thinking what at points. And a lot of the expressions were weird, with phrases not making any sense to me. The novel was kind of like: ladeeda, we're twins with telepathy- omg, fire! we have super powers- whatever, let's do some cheerleading- wait, can we really see the past and future? I don't understand- I foresee that there is a killer on the loose- blahblahblah. I was never too sure if the twins believed in their powers or not. Sometimes one did, sometimes the other did, and it's not until the very very end that they're both like, We Have Powers To Save the World.

On the plus side, it did get pretty intense at the climax. That was well done. And I quite liked the problem the twins have to face.

Although on another bad note: The twins kept complaining how they didn't like their powers because it made them feel like grown ups. But then they complain they're too young. And just, baah. I give up.

2/6