The Midnight Hour - by Benjamin Read & Laura Trinder (Hardcover)

About the Book

When her parents disappear, Emily stumbles into the secret world of the Midnight Hour. A Victorian London frozen in time, this is a haven for all things spooky--including monsters determined to end the world. What secrets have her parents been hiding? There's only one way Emily can find out and rescue her mom and dad: she must be brave enough to embrace her own inner magic.

Book Synopsis

For fans of portal fantasies like Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor, Colin Meloy's Wildwood, and The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, and unlike so many other fantasies that introduce readers to a world of enchantment and wonder, The Midnight Hour is one filled with beasts and monsters for readers looking to shine their flashlights under the covers.

When strange late-night letters start arriving at home, Emily's parents set off to investigate. But when her parents disappear completely and Emily is left home alone to face the weird strangers that begin to appear at her door, she takes all of the clues at her disposal and makes for the place where the letters came from -- the mysterious Night Post. What she'll discover is the secret world of the Midnight Hour -- a Victorian London frozen in time, full of magic and monsters.

Kept safe by an age-old agreement, the Night Folk have been exiled to a parallel world that can only be accessed by a selected few, including the mail carriers of the infamous Night Post that operate between the two worlds. Emily's parents are key players in keeping the Night Folk safe, but when the division of the two worlds is threatened, Emily must search for her parents while navigating this dark and unknown version of London.

Armed only with a packed lunch, her very sleepy pocket hedgehog, and her infamously big argumentative mouth, she must escape bloodthirsty creatures of the night, figure out her own family secrets, and maybe just save the world. This is a frightening and enchanting story, a world built out of creatures from our worst fears who become relatable, fully formed characters unlike any we've seen as these strangers of parallel worlds band together to save the day.

Review Quotes

"A fast-paced, amusing and endearing tale with a satisfying conclusion. Fun for fans of kooky magical adventure series like Jessica Townsend's 'Nevermoor.'" - School Library Journal"The authors create a determined heroine whose weaknesses are crucial to her quest's success, and a satisfying balance of fright and fancy." - Publishers Weekly"Fans of Nevermoor will love this quirky debut, FIZZING WITH HUMOR, scares, and vivid world-building." -- The Bookseller"A gripping and GENUINELY MENACING narrative." - The Daily Mail"LAUGH-OUT-LOUD funny." - The Times"Anarchic humor, rich imagination and poetic writing, interspersed with elegant line drawings, add up to PURE DELIGHT - with a stowaway hedgehog as a bonus." - The Guardian"Dazzling... well-balanced with equal amount of humor, HAIR-RAISING SCARES, magical mayhem, and a little bit of love." - The Book Activist"A REAL ACTION-ADVENTURE FANTASY TALE, with a great mix of the recognizable and the phantasmagorical. Being a Librarian, I was probably biased with having 'the Library' as my favorite character." - The Book Bag"Destined to become one of the chapter book highlights of our year, featuring A DEFTLY DESCRIBED MIX OF MAGIC AND MONSTERS with an ordinary girl at its center." - ReadItDaddy

About the Author

Benjamin Read tells stories, whether they're novels, comics, or films. He wrote the multi-award-nominated graphic novel series, Porcelain, and a host of other comics including Briar, Butterfly Gate, True Grit, and Super 8. He is one of the founder members of the Improper Books comics studio, and is fueled by tea. He is currently working on the next book of The Midnight Hour series, and developing a number of his projects for TV and film.
Laura Trinder is a creator of stories and illustrations. She's one half of the creative duo Trindles & Read and cofounder of the indie comics studio, Improper Books. Laura is the co-author and illustrator of the bestselling middle grade novel The Midnight Hour and is currently working on a sequel. She was a bookseller for 11 years and will give you book recommendations, whether or not you asked for them.