Born at Midnight
Author: C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: April 2011
Pages: 398
Challenge: Debut Authors Challenge
ARC received from publisher. Review based on ARC text.
About the Book:
Kylie Galen’s about to spend the next three months trapped with a bunch of freaks. After getting caught at a party with alcohol, she’s shipped off to Shadow Falls Camp — a camp for troubled teens. And these new kids aren’t normal freaks either. As Kylie discovers, they’re freaky freaks — witches, vampires, werewolves, fairies and shapeshifters — and the camp is a training ground where they’re taught to harness their powers.
All Kylie wants to do is finish out her sentence at the camp… but everything changes when she meets Derek and Lucas. Derek is a smokin’ hot guy with magical powers who’s making it painfully clear that he wants to be more than just friends. And Lucas is a werewolf pack leader with whom she shares a secret past. Lucas has always made Kylie’s insides melt — unfortunately, he wants nothing to do with her.
Now Kylie’s got two boys playing tug of war with her heart — and a sneaking suspicion that she has magical powers of her own. After Shadow Falls Camp, how will she ever be able to go back to her normal life again?
My Thoughts:
This is C.C. Hunter’s debut young adult novel. She has previously published romance novels for adults under a different name.
I thought that this book was alright. I didn’t love it but I think the series has potential. By the end of the story I was much more invested and interested in what was happening.
The biggest issue for me is that I just didn’t “feel” the book for about the first third. The teen characters just weren’t “authentic” to me. I had problems with the language they used and some of the situations seemed a bit forced. The language wasn’t offensive or anything like that but it didn’t seem to fit with the characters. For example, the sixteen-year-old main character mentions her “night terrors” and says things like “dadblast it.” Also, at one point one of the teenaged boys uses the word “boner” and it has to be explained to one of the teenaged girls. As someone who works in a middle school I can guarantee you… they know what it means! Also, just a warning for all you bloggers who have said you’re sick of the one girl and two great guys love triangle… it’s here in full force! I happen to like it 🙂
There were a few things about Kylie specifically that bothered me. She seemed to latch on to something and not be able to let it go. I mean, we get it… your life is in the toilet, all you need is for someone to flush. We get it, Derek looks like Trey and you’re conflicted. We get it, your mom is the Ice Queen. WE GET IT! Kylie overuses the words “freak” and “goth” when talking about the other people at the camp. Okay, so the kid has a few piercings or funky hair… I don’t think that teens automatically classify these things as “freak” qualifiers any more. The texting shorthand was also off. “Know” is “no” but “you” is spelled out? It was little things like this that made the teen characters seem a bit forced to me. As I got further in to the book these things appeared less and the characters seemed more real to me. The book seemed to really “hit its stride” and I think the next book has the potential to pick up where it left off.
This book is worth a look and the series could be something I really get in to. I’m looking forward to reading about what happens to Kylie and crew!
Others have LOVED this book. Here is one such review.
Leanna (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
I was really looking forward to this one, but judging by your review it sounds just OK. Kylie sounds like she might annoy me a bit! I’ll probably still check it out when it’s released though. Thanks for the review – haven’t seen many reviews for this one yet.
Alex (A Girl, Books, OtherThings)
Thanks for the honest review, Kylie sounds like it would annoy me too.
The cover is lovely though!!!
Aleetha
I saw this book in one blogger book blog.
The synopsis sounds interesting but then fact is here.Thanks for always tell us clearly.
I do not mind with the love triangle, as long as the story is hooked me up. Will still put this book to my TBR