Thirteen Days to Midnight is a YA thriller written by Patrick Carman.
Jacob just survived a car accident that killed the only foster parent he ever cared for. His friend Milo tries to pull him out of the dark place he's in and introduce him to the beautiful new girl that arrived while Jacob was out of school. Her name is Ophelia Jones, and she's daring and different. As a way to make Jacob feel better about his loss, Ophelia offers the first spot on her bright pink arm cast and Jacob struggles with trying to figure out something cool to write on it. He finally settles on, "You are indestructible."
It's what his foster dad said to him just seconds before his death.
Then weird stuff starts to happen. Ophelia has a deadly accident - but she doesn't die. In fact, not even her hands aren't torn from the gravel of the ground. She is spotless and completely unharmed. No matter how Jacob, Milo, and Ophelia try to figure it out, there is absolutely no way she should be okay, let alone alive and well.
As an experiment, Jacob tells himself that he's indestructible and holds a lighter to his palm. No burn. No pain.
As the three begin to piece together this incredible ability and its repercussions, Ophelia pushes trying to save people in mortal danger. But as they use and explore the power more and more, Jacob feels like it's getting darker. Stronger. And he starts to wonder if he's messing with things that he has no right messing with...
Thirteen Days to Midnight splits the novel into days, a countdown to midnight. One of the most suspenseful parts of the book is not knowing what will happen at midnight. Even the day before, you are still wondering what is going to happen. It is intricately plotted and very interesting with dynamic, multilayered characters.
There is a darkness that Patrick Carman creates that creeps up on you, becoming darker and darker. Sometimes I was a bit frustrated with the pacing (early on I felt like there was a lack of direction, but I was happily proven wrong), bur Thirteen Days to Midnight was always undeniably original and intriguing.
Compelling and thought-provoking, the novel is not just entertaining but deep and intelligent. It is increasingly scary and psychologically chilling - a thought-out, unexpected, and twisted tale. I really never had any idea of where it was going, it was so different from anything I've ever read before.
I was on pins and needles, constantly being shocked, alarmed, and goosebumpy, especially as it got later and later into the book and more surprising revelations were brought to light. Thirteen Days to Midnight is an experience - a breathless, heady, dizzying, freaky, amazing experience that you should check out!
Wow - Thirteen Days to Midnight was quite something!!!
*I received a review copy of Thirteen Days to Midnight from Hachette Book Group. Their generosity in no way influenced, nor sought to influence, my opinion of the novel.
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