Midnight

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I'm writing a review, which I don't normally do, because I was astonished that more people haven't come across this book. I chanced across it in the bookshop and bought it because I love a good spy novel. I was at a slight disadvantage, as this is apparently the third in a trilogy of novels, but that barely affected it at all, except some small parts where old angst was rehashed. Despite this, it was gripping from start to finish. A thriller which doesn't talk down to its readers and which looks at the human emotions behind the action. To be honest, if it was intended for adults and panned out the disturbing way that I imagined, it would probably be a pretty decent book (I'd read it). But with it being intended for kids, I just didn't really get it. As an adult, it was frightening to read, and that's what kept me hooked, but for kids, it's not one of Jacqueline's best unfortunately. But throughout young Violet's story, Will remains her number one person, when he torments her for fun. Even if he is her big brother, it's still suspect.

Al padre le odio por cosas parecidas, de Will puedo esperarme la mierda porque tiene 15 años y esta en una edad en que todo es asqueroso, pero ese padre se merece una colleja con una mesa, y lo digo más por su comportamiento con su esposa que por otra cosa. So we shared the giant pizza and ate the garlic bread and drank the Cokes and spooned up every scrap of ice cream. Will - Violet’s 15-year-old brother, almost 16, who found out he was adopted last Christmas and has become highly sardonic and antisocial towards his family, especially his father. He has an unpredictable behaviour, some moments he’s incredibly patient while other times he won’t even bother holding a conversation, but it’s consistent throughout the book that he enjoys torturing and manipulating Violet into his twisted games - admitting that ‘they’re all for [his] delight.’ He is said to be quite handsome as half the girls and some of the boys in school like Will, though he doesn’t care much for them. He is good at maths, history and French - and can sew to some extent, as he repaired Violet’s fairies at the end of the book.They were out of the door by this time. Mum cried one more goodbye like some sad calling bird with only one song. Then the front door slammed shut.

A Catholic priest with a drink problem, exiled from his parish after being accused of molesting a child. Violet in Midnight also love fairies. She’s obsessed with the fairy books of Casper Dream. Lots of children have written to me, asking if Casper Dream is a real artist. I’m afraid I made him up, but I wish he was real, too! Violet writes him a letter every day, though she doesn’t know where to send them. The character doesn’t lend itself to the plot. Instead, the conclusion of the story has nothing to do with Violet’s issues with her brother but with her obsession with fairies and a book. Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award. They work for a while and then start up 'Truth or Dare' again, where Will asks Violet who she likes better, him or Jasmine. When Violet fails to respond, Will dares her to spend ten minutes in the attic. Violet reluctantly agrees. In the attic, Violet finds out that she used to have another brother named Will, but he died shortly after he was born, so her parents tried to replace him with her Will. Violet is ecstatic and can't wait to tell her brother. When Violet comes down after her ten minutes, she finds Will and Jasmine kissing. They make fun of her and the fairies she has hanging from the ceiling in her room. Violet feels betrayed because she thinks Will is trying to hurt her and Jasmine was only friends with her so she could be with Will. After smashing up her fairies (scratching Will with her Crow Fairy in the process), Violet runs away to see Casper Dream's old house, to find some magic in her sad world. There she finds Casper Dream himself and they become good friends.

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Project Fairy' ended up being no different. But on the whole, it is a harmless little light fantasy read. Mum and Dad are going out tonight to a big dinner and dance. I’ve never been to a dance unless you count school discos and they were awful. I thought Will might come and talk to me. I knew he wouldn’t dance with me, though we used to do all sorts of crazy dance routines at home. But Will acts like he doesn’t even know me at school. A lot of the time he acts like we’re strangers at home too. It’s ever since he found out. It’s changed everything. As well as winning many awards for her books, including the Children's Book of the Year, Jacqueline is a former Children's Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. She’s a strange, dreamy girl, one of my favourites out of my imaginary girls. Casper Dream describes his violet fairy as ‘A small, shy fairy, purplish-blue, easily trampled upon.’ Certainly Violet’s older brother Will walks all over her. Will teases and torments his sister, but he can invent magical games and Violet adores him. Will is very much a changeling child, in more ways than one. Casper Dream says ‘Fairies steal away beloved babies and leave a changeling child in their place. These elfin breeds are often evil, with difficult, demanding natures and enormous appetities.’ Similarly though there are a fair number of escapades described, there was very little sense of tension; and the author resorts several times to having somebody say something supposedly of great importance in portentous tones but not telling us what it is, always annoying and all the more so when it turns out to be the same (less than earth-shattering) thing repeated, or is never revealed. In fairness it's undoubtedly difficult to convey today the sense of impending doom that was felt around the world at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, but then I'd argue that one shouldn't try and build a book around it.