3.5 or 4 stars??? Hard decision. I'm not sure I "get" books like these. This was an odd fairy tale of a book w/ a cool atmosphere, but with characters that feel fictional.

This is the story of 3 teens-- Wink, Poppy, and Midnight. Midnight has been in love with Poppy for years, but Poppy is all about Poppy. Now he's moved in next door to Wink and her large, wild family. Wink is child-like and tells fairy tales, and something about her interests Midnight. He's also desperate to get over Poppy, and she's all too happy to help him get revenge on "the Wolf" (Poppy).

In this story nothing is as it seems. Events unfold, but it's unclear what intentions each of the character's have. It'll keep you guessing-- Who exactly is the hero of this book?

My Thoughts:
First of all this book was giving me MAJOR Cover Lust. It's pretty much the whole reason I wanted to read the book. I actually just want them to print this design on a dress or a pair of shoes so I can wear it. While this is the perfect cover for the story, the cover was definitely the best part of this book for me.

I'm not sure I actually "get" books like this. It's kind of just about 3 teens who run around in the woods/courtryside and in 2016, I find it a little hard to relate to. Don't get me wrong, I know there are all different kinds of people out there, but I kind of want/expect YA's to act like YA's a little bit. When I was in my prime teen years cell phones were just coming in, the internet was dial-up, and there was no social media-- but we did NOT run around in the woods. We begged our parents for their cars and drove around. We went to underage dance clubs, tried to find someone who would buy us beer, and tried to figure out where all the boys were hanging out. We sat in our bedrooms and watched MTV and called each other to talk about the newest music videos. Obviously times have changed a little bit from that, but still....

The thing about this book is it's all about atmosphere, not about plot. And it's a pretty cool atmosphere to immerse yourself in if you can let yourself go in it. I don't think I'm one of those people though. I need order and sense and explanations in my stories. I don't think I'm SUPER rigid, but I'm not as go-with-the-flow as this book needed me to be. The writing was great-- it gave the book just the right feel that it needed, but I need more than cool writing and beautiful prose to get involved in a story.

It's hard to talk about anything that happens in the book because you kind of need to NOT know in order to fully enjoy it. Because the people start out one way and by the end they supposedly change into something else?? At least that's what I got out of it. It's basically a "modern day" fairy tale where you can't trust who the good guys and bad guys are. But in the end I just ended up kind of confused, so if someone who read this wants to explain it to me, I'd be down to talk.

One thing for sure is-- I HATED Poppy. Not matter what happened and where she ended up, I still hate her and I really don't think there is anything the author could do to make me feel otherwise. Everything Leif says about her, I was nodding my head like crazy.

OVERALL: I liked reading something different, but I just don't "get" books like this. It's fairy tale-like and full of atmosphere, but I wanted more. I think a lot of people would be into this type of book because it's so different, but I need more order and sense in my books. [b:The Raven Boys|17675462|The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1459349126s/17675462.jpg|18970934] is a series that has these elements, but has a lot more story. I would more recommend that if you are looking for this type of book.

My Blog:

( )

I loved this, and I'm still thinking about it. I do feel like the ending will frustrate some of my students. ( )

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke is a quirky, whimsical young adult novel that is part mystery, part romance and part fairy tale. With cast of interesting characters and an unusual (and intriguing) storyline, this fast paced read is impossible to put down.

Wink, Poppy and Midnight are classmates whose lives become intertwined after Midnight Hunt becomes neighbors with Wink Bell. Midnight is a sweet young man whose love for Poppy is unrequited but that does not stop them from sleeping together. Poppy is a manipulative, mean girl who makes no effort to hide that she is only sleeping with Midnight because the boy she really loves wants nothing to do with her. Wink is a dreamy young woman who helps take care of her younger siblings and more often than not, she has her nose buried in book and her head in the clouds. Midnight is enchanted by Wink and once Poppy realizes his affection for her is waning, she devises a plan to exact revenge on Wink. From the novel's tagline, readers know to look for a hero, a villain and a liar, but exactly which character fills which role?

Midnight is the most grounded and normal of the three teenagers. He is going through a bit of a rough patch since his mom and older brother have recently moved to Paris so his mother can research her next novel. The separation may or may not signal an impending divorce and this uncertainty definitely weighs on his mind. Midnight is surprised but relieved by his interest in Wink but extricating himself from his arrangement with Poppy is a little more complicated and difficult than he thought it would be.

Poppy makes no apologies for her cruel streak and she embraces her dark side. She has a circle of loyal friends who are devoted to her and do whatever she asks without question. While nothing really seems to faze her, she is heartbroken that the boy she wants feels nothing but contempt for her. Although Poppy really does not want Midnight, she does not want Wink to have him either.

Wink is very a unique young woman. She is unflappable and she is unconcerned with other people's opinions of her. She is free-spirited and capricious but she has a good sense of who she is and what she wants. Wink loves to read and she tends to view the world through the lenses of the books that she reads.

Wink Poppy Midnight is written from each of the character's perspectives and their voices are unique and quite distinctive. The story itself is quite atmospheric and April Genevieve Tucholke brings the characters and various settings vibrantly to life. The storyline is engaging and while at first it seems to be a straight forward coming of age type tale, it morphs into a somewhat twisted story of revenge only to become a mystical mystery with seemingly supernatural elements. Despite a rather confused, convoluted conclusion, it is an enjoyable, if somewhat nonsensical, young adult novel that I liked and recommend to readers of all ages.
( )

Would recommend to reluctant readers who might enjoy relationship drama in high school. Very character driven. Just the right amount of tension. You can guess what'll happen. And it won't be what you think. ( )

The writing in this book is lovely. Considering YA writing is usually perfunctory and serviceable at best, that's saying something.

But despite the lyricism, Wink Poppy Midnight never seems to know quite where it's going. The plot wanders, snarls, and ultimately makes no sense. Good effort, though. ( )