Almost Midnight

In the past I have not been a fan of short stories. I had tried a couple over the years but decided they weren't for me. Thankfully, my friend and co-worker Melissa gave me a short story intervention last week and now I'm reassessing my previous dislike of this genre.

Almost Midnight contains two stories, each with touches of humour, smart dialogue, plots that aren't overly sappy or dramatic and quickly drawn characters readers will root for. Rowell gets to the heart of the issues and emotions quickly and I appreciate how skillfully she writes authentic awkwardness. Within this wee book, Rowell gives readers snapshots into the lives of four teenagers in two different stories which are accompanied by wonderful illustrations by Simini Blocker.

Both stories were cute reads, but Midnights was my favourite of the two. I loved Mags and Noel, two friends who initially met at a New Years Eve party and whose relationship begins to change in the subsequent yearly celebrations. The second story, Kindred Spirits follows Elena and Gabe, two Star Wars fanatics whose friendship blossoms while in line for the latest Star Wars movie. Obviously, this is a great pick for Star Wars fans but unfortunately, I didn't get most of the references - my geekdom firmly resides at Hogwarts.

Short, simple yet totally satisfying, this is a sweet, warm fuzzies kind of read that will leave readers with a smile on their faces. 

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Midnights: 5 stars, Kindred Spirits: 3.5 stars

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Illustrator: Simini Blocker

Genre: Teen, Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Paperback from public library

Publisher: MacMillan Children's Books

First Published: October 18, 2018

Opening Lines: It was cold out on the patio, under the deck. Frigid. Dark.

Book Description from GoodReads: Midnights is the story of Noel and Mags, who meet at the same New Year's Eve party every year and fall a little more in love each time . . .

Kindred Spirits is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and meets Gabe, a fellow fan.

Midnights was previously published as part of the My True Love Gave to Me anthology, edited by Stephanie Perkins and Kindred Spirits was previously published as a World Book Day title.