Review: Past Midnight

Title: Past Midnight (Past Midnight #1)

Author: Mara Purnhagen

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages: 216

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

(Received via Harlequin Teen Panel)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear.

All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive…."

Upon first reading the back of the book I really did not think I was going to like it. I just assumed that, like most books I've read that are about or contain ghosts, I wouldn't like it. I was very pleasantly surprised though.

The Silver family are your usual paranormal investigators. Instead of trying to contact ghosts they try to debunk them. I really liked this take on ghosts because it allowed for alternate opinions and scenarios to be presented to the reader. Everything wasn't so cut and dry.

The main character Charlotte, while not my favorite narrator, was pretty okay. She was someone who spent her life investigating the paranormal and for once just wanted to be normal. (Quite the opposite of what most books are about now a days!) She quickly made friends with popular Avery and while they're friendship seemed too quick to start and more superficial than Charlotte made it out to be, they were otherwise realistic and quite enjoyable. There really weren't any characters I disliked in this book but none that really jumped out at me either.

One thing I do have to say is, the action wasn't very... well actiony. (Not a word. I am aware of this.) I'm not saying there should have been some kind of epic battle but I never felt that there was any dire need for the characters to do anything until pretty much the end of the book.

Having said all that Past Midnight was an enjoyable, quick read that offers a new look on paranormal.