Book Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

The Girl At Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1) by Melissa Grey
Published Date: April 28th, 2015
Format: eARC for Review

For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

There's a magical world hidden from us. We will never hear or ever see of it in our lifetimes because, well, we're human. At least, it seems, if we did we wouldn't live to tell the story. Except for one human girl: Echo.

I don't like comparing other books to new releases since, well, it feels odd. I don't like the thought of setting a new release written by a debut author up on top of the mantle right away. But it helps spread the word. But as I read this book, I felt more of 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' vibe with this than with the other two mentioned above. But I fell in love with that trilogy so that could be seen as a compliment.

We actually get to read the story in two peoples' point of views: Echo, the human trickster/ stealer, and Caius- the future Dragon Prince.

This was definitely an interesting story. I fell in love with the writing style the most, I think. It's charming in its own little way. There are many quotable moments and, honestly, I feel like a lot of people who love Echo for how blunt she is. Everyone is serious and all focus on finding where the Firebird is and hoping to use it to further themselves up. She knows when she needs to be serious but she also knows that humor is the best medicine sometimes. I think there's a good balance between seriousness and humor.

This is a whimsical story that I highly recommend. It's a simple story with a lot on the line. I look forward to the sequel of this book. Until then, I'd like to leave it off with one of my favorite quotes from this book (note- this was taken from the ARC and, therefore, may not be in the published copy, but it'll give you a little taste on what to expect):

'The Ala had once explained to Echo that the dust was the darkness of the in-between made tangible, and creating it was a highly specialized skill.'

I received this eARC via NetGalley and Random House Children's for review and was not compensated in any way for this review.