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Midnight, Jacqueline Wilson
Corgi
Reviewed By Tess Novak, 14, (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Violet has always been the boring one, the loner at school and the ridiculed bookworm.
It's her brother Will who creates all the interest and attracts the attention of the student population. But ever since that visit to Grandma's, things at home have been different.

Will no longer cares for his parents' feelings and sulks all day in his room. Dad has become moody and temperamental, while Mum is not sure how to make things right.

Violet and Will have an odd relationship – they used to be great friends but now Violet is often scared of Will and his horrible games. "Will is not just my brother. He's always been my best friend too – and my worst enemy." And so, with nothing stable in her life, Violet finds sanctuary in her treasured Casper Dream books, and wishes to be like the blonde fairies in the stories.

Jacqueline Wilson has always been a favourite author of mine. Her usual style is the slice-of-life genre that generally revolves around a young girl, but Midnight is a little different, a little more mysterious.

Strangely enough, many of her books have very similar themes such as divorce and death, but her writing style seems to draw the reader away from these incidents and at the end you are left thinking only of the positive.

I am always very excited when I see a new Jacqueline Wilson book in the bookstore, complete with cute little illustrations by Nick Sharratt – for a Jacqueline Wilson book is always a treat.