Friday, September 18, 2015

Feature Friday ARC Review : Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski


                                      
*Feature Friday is a meme hosted by The Tattered Page to feature YA books that have not yet been released by reviewing them.*

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release DateSeptember 22, 2015
Pages: 368
Source: ARC

The Story:

The dark will bring your worst nightmares to light in this gripping and eerie survival story, perfect for fans of James Dashner and Neil Gaiman.

On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours—it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long.

Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night.

Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling—bizarre, even—but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way.

Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing—the twins’ friend Line. Marin and  Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line’s gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing.
And it may already be too late.

via Amazon

Rating
THREE Gold Stars!!!



My Review

Tag Line:


After fourteen years of fay, comes fourteen years of night.

Opening Line:

Marin walked into the wind and felt it gently push back.

Plot:

The premise of the story made me want to love the book. And while Nightfall
 was a decent read, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. I wanted to be frightened. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The presence of monsters was almost null -- even though the hint of their existence was strong. 

Nightfall was a slow start for me. I questioned whether I would be able to continue on. Luckily, after the first chapter or two the pace started picking up. This detail definitely kept me reading the novel even with its shortcomings.

The three main characters are fourteen years old which is generally a bit to young for me but I figured I still give the story a shot. Luckily, their age did not show. However, I found it bothersome that Line and his 7-year old brother were left to fend for themselves after their mother died. Like what?! Child services? Or at least the help of the island? This particular detail really did not settle right with me.

Overall, Halpern and Kujawinski's style of writing was enjoyable enough, as was the story. My only wish was that Nightfall was scarier. 


Meet the Authors:



Jake Halpern is an author, journalist, and radio producer.  Jake’s debut work of fiction, a young adult trilogy, Dormia, has been hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as a worthy heir to the Harry Potter series.  In September of 2014, Jake signed a two book deal with Putnam / Penguin for two more young adult novels.  Last, but not least, Jake is a fellow of Morse College at Yale University, where he teaches a class on journalism.  He recently returned from India where he was visiting as a Fulbright Scholar. 


Peter Kujawinski is an author and diplomat born in Chicago. His first fictional work, Dormia, was co-written with noted journalist Jake Halpern. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2009, Dormia was hailed by the American Library Association's Booklist as the next Harry Potter. The second book in the series, World's End, was released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2010. The third book in the Dormia series is tentatively titled The Shadow Tree. He also works for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. His assignments as a diplomat include US Embassies in Tel Aviv, Paris, the UN Security Council in New York City, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In addition to his fiction, his nonfiction commentaries have been published in the international edition of the New York Times.


***Check out Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski's website for more information about their and NightfallHERE & HERE

Happy Reading!


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