It is rare when a novel that is virtually impossible to classify succeeds on all levels, but that is exactly what Ashley Winstead accomplishes with Midnight is the Darkest Hour. This book works as a mystery, as a thriller, as a romance, as a serial killer exposé, as a vampire legend, and as a bildungsroman. And that list is probably less exhaustive and more of a starting point when analyzing Midnight is the Darkest Hour. All in all, it is simply a totally unique narrative that grips the readers in a hypnotic spell and carries them along to a stunning conclusion.
That said, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is also an extremely difficult book to talk about without revealing the many spoilers that imbue it with magic. So, if this review seems vague, chalk that up to not wanting to ruin your experience. As the novel begins, a skull is found buried in the swamp around Bottom Springs, Louisiana—an ultra-conservative and highly religious community, which isolates itself from outside society. It quickly becomes clear that there is a killer hunting around town, and it falls to two of the most outcast citizens to figure out what is going on—the daughter of the local preacher and an almost-feral boy who resides in the swamp.
Despite being a member of the most revered, religious family in the area, Ruth Cornier never played by the rules. From an early age she has been sneaking forbidden books out of the local library to get a glimpse of the “real world.” Books are everything to Ruth and readers of Midnight is the Darkest Hour will delight in witnessing the power of reading to expand horizons. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight is Ruth’s favorite novel and the vampiric storyline presented within its pages becomes her role model for romantic relationships—so you can imagine how well that goes. Everett “Ever” Duncan, however, has more in common with Edward Cullen than readers might at first suspect.
In terms of novels that display the vast and horrifying legacies of toxic masculinity, readers would be hard pressed to find one as all-encompassing as Ashley Winstead’s Midnight is the Darkest Hour. This novel documents this societal stain from the angles of family, religion, and education first and foremost, but there isn’t a corner of society that escapes exposure. The constant temporal shifts throughout the novel connect past events to present dilemmas in ways that feel natural and meaningful.
The trajectory Midnight is the Darkest Hour takes is unique and unexpected, and yet readers will feel comfortable within its pages. Even as the truth gets darker and more disturbing, Ruth and Ever’s connection grounds the reader and leaves us hoping for some type of positive outcome. Most of the most burning questions do get answers—and there really are so many small mysteries throughout the storyline—but Ashley Winstead also knows when to leave things ambiguous for each reader to fill in the gaps as they want or need.
In many ways, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is a book about the power of books and reading—how knowledge can lead to freedom and how dreams can come true, though maybe not in the expected way. There is nothing predictable about Ashley Winstead’s work and readers are sure to become fans after diving into Midnight is the Darkest Hour.
BUY LINKS: Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
Disclaimer: A print galley was distributed at Bouchercon by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
