I love the concept for this book, it seems like such an original interpretation of old legend and superstition. Westerfeld's writing is clean, a little simple even, but the characters work together to create an interesting balance between morality and the darker side of human nature. ( )

Jessica Day has just moved to Bixby, Oklahoma with her family. Strange things are beginning to happen. One night Jessica awakens to frozen rain outside her bedroom window. Of course she thinks it's just a dream; that is until she finds her clothes wet. The same thing happens the next night-but eventually she gets chased by some slithers and a darkling. Jessica is saved by the Midnighters; Dess, Melissa, and Rex (minus Jonathan.) There is more to Midnight than Jessica realizes. What is the secret behind Midnight? I really liked this book. Scott Westerfeld has is so creative. He actually helps me imagine that something happens when I go to sleep at night...Ha ha ha. This book wasn't as cliche as I thought it would be either. It was an enjoyable twist to science fiction. ( )

The Little Bookworm
Jessica Day moves to the small town of Bixby, Oklahoma with her family when her mom gets a new job. At first, everything seems normal. That is until midnight rolls around and the world around her freezes. Jessica learns she is a "Midnighter," one of the handful of teens in town who can live in the blue time between midnight and 1 am. But something about Jessica is different and she attracts trouble in the form of the darklings who live in the blue time, ancient creatures who are out for Jessica. With the help of the other four Midnighters, Jessica must fight the darklings and learn why they want to kill her so much.

So this is Scott Westerfeld's first young adult book. I've read all the rest except this series and Leviathan, which just came out. It was really good and I enjoyed it. The concept is great though less original than his later books. It came across as appropriately chilling and suspenseful and occasionally funny and moved along at a nice pace. I liked Jessica and Jonathan and Dess and I'm not real sure about Melissa but Rex was okay. I've always found the idea of ancient creatures intriguing (must be why I'm a Buffy fan) and the mythology is great in this book without being too overwhelming, just enough to tantalize. I got a good image out of the book and I could definitely see it as a movie. ( )

A group of teenagers with the ability to access a secret hour after midnight face off against the feline darkings who seem bound and determined to destroy the newest addition to their crew.

THE SECRET HOUR is very much a series opener. Westerfeld introduces the series' premise, gives us a chance to get to know the characters and sets up the main conflict that'll carry us through the next two books. There's plenty of action, of course, (this is Westerfeld we're talking about here!), and there's a definite resolution to this story arc, but it's pretty clear that there's more to come.

I found it quite readable, and I loved the way the magic worked, but I'll admit that I was expecting a bit more from it. The characters are all fairly interesting, (and can I just say that I am ridiculously jealous of Jonathan's talent?), but they never really came alive for me. I couldn't really connect with them; not in the way I connected with Tally in the UGLIES books or Cal in PEEPS. It's early days yet, though, and it seems clear that Westerfeld has set this up as a cumulative thing. I'm sure that some of the stuff he's established here will pay off in a big way as the series unfolds. I'd certainly recommend this to anyone who's enjoyed his other novels.

(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

Having read the "Uglies" series by Westerfeld, I was looking forward to reading this. It was a concept that interested me and I found it was written well, however it hasn't inspired me to read the rest of the series, or even find out what happens to the characters. Ultimately I found myself wondering what was wrong with having an extra hour at night! ( )