Book Review: Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Publication Date: September 2010
Pages: 216

Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: bought

Summary:

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… (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
I'm a sucker for a really good ghost story. Ghosts have always been one of my favorite paranormal 'creatures' so I was pretty excited about Past Midnight when I first heard about it.

Charlotte's family is different. Different in ways that Charlotte tries to hide from nearly every new friend she meets. Have to say, I don't think I'm cut out for the life that the Silver family has. Moving every couple of months, never knowing where exactly I'll be. For Charlotte's mom and dad though, it all goes hand in hand with being professional ghost hunters.

Past Midnight starts off right in the middle of a ghost hunting trip to Charleston. I got a really good feel for the characters we were introduced to right off the bat. It made this short read smooth - I didn't feel like I was tripping over character narratives or descriptions.

I also really liked the interconnectedness of the story. Charlotte has been granted her wish - to stay in one place for long enough to make some real friends. She's hiding her family's legacy but at the same time, she meets people with secrets of their own. I very much felt that Charlotte belonged where she was - that she was meant to be with the fiends she found. In the end, everyone needs Charlotte's help and she's more then capable of giving it. Along the way however, she discovers that true friends can be there for her when she needs them most.

Also, the romance? Not really there! Well, ok, there is romance - a couple of different kinds actually. But it in no way played a major role in the overall story. I loved this! Every relationship felt real and I loved Charlotte's friends.

Reminded me of:
The Ghost Huntress series, but I liked Past Midnight a lot more. Also, even though it's non-fiction, I couldn't help but think of the writings of Jason and Grant from the Syfy channel's Ghost Hunters. They have 2 books out on their work and I kept thinking of these whenever Charlotte would mention her parent's best sellers.

Final verdict:
A really good read. I'm very much looking forward to reading more in this series. I got very attached to Charlotte, her family and her new found friends and I can't wait to see where the ghosts will lead them next.

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Past Midnight Series:
Past Midnight
One Hundred Candles (March 2011)
Beyond the Grave (September 2011)

Linkage Love:
Harlequin Teen
Author's Website
Goodreads