Heather's Reviews > Born at Midnight

I won a Born At Midnight ARC through the Library Things Early Reviewers. I really had no idea what this book was about when I got it . But I was hooked from the first page. The novel is told from the point of view of sixteen year old Kylie. She's not having a great month. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend broke up with her for the same reason boyfriends usually do -she said no, and to top it all off she's got a stalker that no one else but her can see. She's seeing a shrink, but it hasn't helped. When the police raid a party that she's at and the police find drugs and alcohol, her mother ships her off to a summer camp for troubled teens.

This is not a real camp for troubled teens. Kylie learns on the bus to camp that the kids that are "troubled" are very unique. One boy can change the color of his eyes to any color. Another girl with multi colored hair has a toad on her leg. And one very normal looking boy reminds her a lot of her ex boyfriend and she's immediately attracted to him.

Shadow Falls Camp is, she finds out for supernaturals, vampires, werewolves, faeries, shapeshifters,ghosts and anything else she can think of. Kylie doesn't believe she belongs there yet she has blood curdling screaming, night terrors and can't remember them the next morning. And her stalker she finds out is a ghost who literally gives her the chills. Apparently, no one knows what kind of supernatural Kylie is, her parents won't admit to being supernaturals or haven't told her they are supernaturals. Kylie works with the camp counselor to try to figure out if she really is a supernatural which she denies she is throughout most of the book. All the other supers can read each others brain patterns by wiggling their eyebrows (I know but it's presented better in the book) but no one can read Kylie's brain patterns and she can't read anyone else's brain patterns. If she isn't a supernatural, her other options are that she's crazy or she has a brain tumor, two not very promising options, but Kylie prefers them than to being supernatural.

During camp activities, getting to know your campmates hour, names are chosen and Derek, the boy that reminds Kylie of her ex draws her name and leads her to a magical little place near the water where they sit and talk and almost kiss. But her ex Trey is going to soccer camp just a few miles down the road and wants her to forgive him and meet him somewhere. And then there's Lucas -who used to live next door to her when she was young and killed her cat. She remembers him looking over the fence saying, "If you don't want your new kitten to suffer the same fate as your cat, bring him in at night." But this Lucas doesn't match up with the Lucas of her childhood and her memory brings back times when he saved her from bullies and walked her home from school. She has a unique experience with him on get to know your camp mate hour.

Throughout this teenage drama, lurks the FRU, Fallen Research Unit who fund the camp for supernaturals. They wear dark suits and walk around interrogating students about what we don't know until the last bit of the book but everyone is under suscipion, especially Kylie because she can't be read. Tension surmounts between the various supernaturals. Werewolves accuse vampires of crimes, and vice versa. Faeries and Witches are at odds. And FRU is constantly overheard threatening to shut down the camp.

Add in Parents Day on the weekends for some, like vampires who's parents don't know they've been turned. Or witches with pressure to pass exams. Or Kylie who's parents don't know what type of camp Shadow Falls really is. She finally learns to accept the other supernaturals, not as monsters but as friends. Her roommates are a witch and a vampire and they stand up for her when she needs them most. There is a point towards the end where I almost cried.

There isn't a dull moment in this novel. I read it fast, in one day, but it did take all day. I'm sure I'll read it again but I promised to send it on an ARC tour so I needed to get it on its way. This novel has a little of everything romance, adventure, suspense, mystery, and definitely leaves you wanting more. I sure hope C.C. Hunter writes fast because I already want the next one and this one hasn't even been released!

As far as age appropriateness goes, older teen, there is a teen pregnancy scare, talk about sex and a little bit of touching going on. Nothing below the waist!