Midnighters 1: The Secret Hour

Bibliographic Info

Title: Midnighters 1: The Secret Hour

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: 2004

ISBN: 978-0060519513

Plot Summary

Jessica Day has just moved from Chicago to the small town of Bixby, Oklahoma.  At first, Jessica is mainly concerned with fitting into her new high school – not sticking out, making friends, but soon she discovers that Bixby’s different.  She starts waking up at exactly midnight to a frozen blue world that belongs to her and four other teens, plus a horde of ancient monsters that seem to have it out for her.

In order to protect herself, and to understand the unusual behavior of the midnight hour monsters, the Midnighters seek to find Jessica’s place in the secret hour.  What they discover spells Jessica’s salvation and the doom of any monsters who cross her path.

Critical Evaluation

The book is captivating as readers seek to unravel the mysteries of this secret hour along with the characters who are trying to make sense of their world.  The world that Westerfeld creates is sometimes marvelous, sometimes terrifying, but is utterly unique and well established.

Reader’s Annotation

Like a dream where you wake up to find yourself in a world similar to your own, but somehow different, and something dark chases you, Midnighters 1: The Secret Hour, takes you on a journey to an alternate reality.  For the characters of the story, however, there is no escape in waking from the midnight hour.

Author Info

Scott Westerfeld is an author of adult and young adult fiction.  He was born in 1963 in Dallas, Texas.  He has held jobs as a textbook editor, substitute teacher, computer programmer, and factory worker.

Scott Westerfeld and his wife Justin e Larbalestier (also a writer) live in New York City and Sydney Australia.  He enjoys Mexican and Thai food and never wears jeans.  Never!

Westerfeld, S. (2011, March 11). Westerblog. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Genre

Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

None

Book Talking Ideas

What if you woke up in a strange world, much like your own, only none of the things you know can protect you from an ancient evil that has it out for you.

In Jessica Day’s new world, she must rely on four strangers to explain the mysteries of the midnight hour, and to save her from the monsters of the night.

Reading Level

12+

Challenge Issues

Some elements, especially weapons, resemble magic

Challenge Responses

Active listening

Refer to library’s collection policy

Provide complaint form

Refer to book reviews

Selection

Introduced through class author/genre study.