Past Midnight

By: Mara Purnhagen

Narrated by: Tara Sands

Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's 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?"

©2010 Mara Purnhagen (P)2012 Mara Purnhagen

An entertaining listen

Would you listen to Past Midnight again? Why?

Yes I would. The characters had real life problems, that they dealt with.

What other book might you compare Past Midnight to and why?

I can't think of any books to compare this with, maybe Meg Cabots Mediator series, but not quite.

What about Tara Sands’s performance did you like?

The narrator did a good job with the book, but I got the feeling that she wasn't really interested in it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing extreme, but feelings were stirred.

Any additional comments?

This is what teen (paranormal) romance books should be like. Real characters with real problems, no exessive "does he like me" whining.

Great YA Story

What made the experience of listening to Past Midnight the most enjoyable?

I had a migraine for a day and couldn't leave my room. The next day the headache slowly got better but I was so bored, lonely. I tried listening to Adult books or books that required more focus, but that actually hurt my head so that I could not follow. This i was able to enjoy and the voice was comforting. I got out of the head on this story, although I am over 50, and enjoyed it. Thank you.

What did you like best about this story?

The story line was great, believable and focused in simplicity, yet interesting.

What about Tara Sands’s performance did you like?

Clear and Comforting tones carried through the narrator's performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Family interactions, especially sisters supporting one another in a Haunted house reminded me of my own childhood. Growing up on the road without a secure home base was something personally notable for me as well.

Any additional comments?

Two sisters with paranormal psychologists, parents would naturally make an interesting story.

A good ghost story

I really like how the story ended. A couple of bits in the middle felt a little contrived, to the point that it pulled me out of the story, but it was so well wrapped up at the end, I forgave the author.
The narrator did a very good job and was easy to listen to. I would not mind listening to more from these two.

Have already recommended book; will buy sequel

Any additional comments?

This is my first book in the young adult fiction (YAF) genre since I was a YA myself, in the previous millennium. I'd bought the book in a recent Audible sale from a restricted list of titles. I hadn't read the description closely, and didn't realize its intended audience before starting the book. Even after recognizing the genre a few minutes into the book, I willingly finished it. Because this is my only adult experience with a YAF book I can't compare it to other contemporary works in the genre, but I liked _Past Midnight_ from both my perspective as an adult and what I would have liked when I was about 14-16 years old. In my opinion, Audible's placement of this book in its "Ages 11-13" sub-category is inaccurate.

The main character, Charlotte Silver, is extremely likeable. Her character is well developed: insightful about other people and about life in general, with growing awareness of self. The secondary characters also are highly likeable, especially Charlotte's sister and close friends.

The plot will appeal to many of the YAs who like novels that incorporate the paranormal. As a critical thinker, I liked the way the book handles this topic because Charlotte examines the paranormal and what she thinks and feels about it. (The parent characters are legitimate researchers [psychologists] and producers of television documentaries about the paranormal.) To me (as an adult), the plot gets thin and, frankly, trite at the end. Even so, I think YA intended readers would not find the ending off-putting.

FORMAT: I *listened* to this book and very much liked the performer's voice--both overall and as the authentic-sounding voice of Charlotte. The latter is especially important because _Past Midnight_ is written as a first-person narrative. I can't say, one way or the other, whether I'd have liked this book as much had I initially encountered it in its print form. Comparison is impossible, of course, unless someone invents a way to un-listen to a completed audiobook.

OVERALL: I very much liked the insights on life and the sense of humor with which Purnhagen endows Charlotte--so much so that I hated to say good-bye to Charlotte and I looked at Purnhagen's bibliography to see if she has written a sequel. She has, and I will buy the _One Hundred Candles_ audiobook, even though it has a different performer (Erin Farris) than _Past Midnight_ (Tara Sands).

I enjoyed _Past Midnight_ so much that I have already recommended it to two friends: a fifteen-year-old neighbor, and a professor of English whose area of scholarly expertise is young adult fiction. Neither recommendation is one I made lightly!

Great Teen read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I belong to a book group and added this series to the read list.

Any additional comments?

Great read! Enjoyed all three books in the series!

Paranormal for Young Adults and the Young at Heart

If you could sum up Past Midnight in three words, what would they be?

Lovely guilty pleasure

Who was your favorite character and why?

Charlotte Silver was the voice of the story and certainly the narrator of the tale. She was a sympathetic character and very much a young girl's voice. It was her story.

What does Tara Sands bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Tara's actual voice fits the character of Charlotte. She makes it believable - at least inasmuch as Charlotte is telling her tale.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, but the story kept me listening. Overall, it is a very nice little story - a guilty pleasure.

Beware, life lessons ahead!

Lots of personal transitions occurring with paranormal activity as a backdrop for this teenager in a new town. She isn't the only one looking to make friends and resolve some old issues... Very enjoyable.

Enjoyable light summer listening

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This is more appropriate for a young adult (teenage) audience.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Teenage girls should be a little more mean!

What about Tara Sands’s performance did you like?

Did each character well- easy to tell apart

Was Past Midnight worth the listening time?

Yes- short and sweet

Tara Sands delivers

Where does Past Midnight rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am a big fan of Tara Sands as a narrator. So that alone ranks this book higher than probably it would be if I read it on my own.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Past Midnight?

I did like the ending

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene in the pizza shop with Avery and Jared.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I am not sure. But my mom did. My mom would get so excited when we were driving in town she actually floored it through a red light haha.

by the numbers ya

the premise is so funny and unusual youd think itd be impossible for the book to turn out dull, but it is. it hits all the beats in a three act structure but in the least inspiring way possible. characters are flat, locations are never fleshed out, dialogue lacks warmth or humor. even though i love ya and i loved the premise the book was a real slog.