Blue Noon, the last book of the Midnighters series, comes out this week. In fact, I’m hearing that it’s in stores now. Unlike J.K. Rowling’s, the bookstores don’t sweat my lay-down dates too much, so check around and maybe you can find it. (Or you can order it here.)
That means that the trilogy is complete! Color me w00t!
This is my first wrap-up book of a trilogy. Of course, Specials has already been written (arrives on May 9), but this is my first chance to hear from you guys if I’ve figured out how to make anything, you know, END.
Cory Doctorow was kind enough to Boing Boing the whole series today with these kind words and more:
The Midnighters trilogy is about a small group of misfit teens in a conservative town who all share the ability to inhabit the secret hour between 12 midnight and 12:01 AM, a secret hour when time stands still for everyone but them, when the light turns blue, when they gain special powers — the power to run tirelessly and leap buildings, even to fly.
This is pure wish-fulfillment for the kids, who are picked-on losers in their straight-laced school, harassed by the law and stuck in bad home situations. But it turns out that the secret hour is also inhabited by Cthuluesque Old Ones — ancient monsters trapped forever in the darkness of the secret hour. And these ancient ones must escape.
The trilogy tells the story of the kids’ defense of the town that rejects them, and of the ancient, wicked secrets there. If Lovecraft had a sense of plot and character, he could have written these.
Much thanks to Cory for all his support! And for his more than kind suggestion that I write better characters than Lovecraft. (Heh, heh.)
The book also got a fantastic (and starred review) in Kirkus, in which medium-strength SPOILERS appear:
But lately, the blue time has been occurring without warning during the day. Worse, the frozen hour is fracturing, and normal humans will soon be in danger from the darkling monsters that roam at midnight. The midnighters` friendship might be splintering, as well: Melissa`s new abilities frighten her friends; Jonathan thinks the coming apocalypse might be worthwhile if he can use his midnighter powers more; and Rex, now half-darkling, hankers after human flesh. Dess, meanwhile, realizes the algebra of midnight is more complex than even her polymath powers can easily comprehend. Even if they prevent the destruction of humanity, life—and the midnighters themselves—will be forever changed.
A powerful climax smoothly ties together the complexities of this original and well-drawn world.
Sweet. I hereby officially take back everything mean thing I ever said about Kirkus. Yoink.
To those of you not into the series (yet), the arrival of Blue Noon also means that the paperback version of Touching Darkness is out.
Enjoy!
I’m feeling like the Barnes and Noble here might have it…they’re not very good with release dates. I’ll run by in a bit and see if I can snag a copy.
Yes, go snag at earliest possible convenience. Well, earliest possible convenience AFTER official release date. It’s a scorcher!
“The midnighters` friendship might be splintering, as well: Melissa`s new abilities frighten her friends; Jonathan thinks the coming apocalypse might be worthwhile if he can use his midnighter powers more; and Rex, now half-darkling, hankers after human flesh. Dess, meanwhile, realizes the algebra of midnight is more complex than even her polymath powers can easily comprehend. Even if they prevent the destruction of humanity, life—and the midnighters themselves—will be forever changed”
Notice how they completely and utterly left out Jessica? Granted, of all the character’s she’s not my fave, but still! So, so psyched about this book coming out! I ordered off Amazon but…I should check the book store and see if I can post-pone my order! Great reviews, Scott.
Yoink? Boing Boing? Insane author theory slowly becoming real. Anyway, yay on Midnighters front, and even bigger yay on SPECIALS front. My birthday’s on May 20, but no way am I waiting until then.
Have youu ever noticed that when authors say the book will come out in May, it actually comes out in early March. Curiouser and curiouser….
I just checked the online inventory at the closest Chapters, and they’re showing several copies in stock.
I guess I know what I’m doing on my lunch hour now.
I can’t wait to get it… I’m finishing Touching Darkness now… I’m sure my Barns & Noble has it… And I have to go a.s.a.p ’cause I’ll never find it once they take down the display… And everyone there is uber lazy and just so… Missing.
Hey Scott,
Thank you VERY much for helping me with my project!! Your Scott’s Facts Page helped me alot! It gave me all the info I needed and more! I also really like reading your blog. That hoverboard thing is really cool. I can’t wait to read Specials either! Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you!
I am looking in the phonebook as I type for the phone number for Barns and Noble! I really hope that its there, it will give me something to do while im home sick. I really love your books and cant wait for blue noon, or specials! Im so excited! Yay i found the number, I will post again if i get the book! Thanks!
Midnighters rules!! Im so excited blue noon is out. And for anyone who likes the Midnighters series, you might also like “Threshold” by Caitlin R. Kiernan. Though the book wasnt writen for young adults, you might want to check it out.
It arrived at the store yesterday. YAY.
I called, and they have it in stock! my copy is reserved! i cant wait to pick it up! im so excited, im finally going to read it! but i am sort of sad too, because that means there are no more adventures with dess, or melissa (my 2 favorite characters). That is always the worst part about finding books that you love, the story has to end somewhere. I dont know if i can handle the Uglies series ending, i think i will cry……*tear*
Yay for book stores that don’t pay attention to release dates! I got the last midnighters, so stoked. And Specials comes out soon too…ahh. You are going to write new series, right?
I can’t get it until Friday *sigh*
Hm…does this mean I have to wait a year for the paperback Blue Noon?
I’ll just have to get the hardcover…
Maybe a library will have it, and I can read it that way, and then buy the paperback when it comes out.
Not that I want to prevent you from money or anything, I just have the first one in paperback, and the second one is coming in paperback, so I want them all to go together properly.
But my stupid library doesn’t get new books in very often, so I dunno… >:(
I can’t wait for my library to get it in, so I’ll probably buy it sometime this week. Some libraries let you request books, though I think I do that way too often.
And is there an excerpt of Blue Noon anywhere? Or at least something with more spoilers?
Spoilers *grins devlishly*
Thanks for all your enthusings!
Korbe: Yeah, I get sad at the endings of books too. It’s worse when you’re writing them, because you go from Master of the Midnighters Universe or whatever to an onlooker.
Hannah: YES, I’m starting on a new series fairly soon. One word: airships!
Bailey and Kaylen: You know, librarians don’t mind if you go bug them for a book. It helps them know what they have to buy. (Which helps me, you know, eat.) But yes, Bailey, Blue Noon comes out in paperback in a year.
Spoilers: Heh. Okay, just for you guys.
If Specials comes out early in some places someone needs to alert me like, asap. I’m not even playing. I’m about to re-read Uglies and Pretties and you know you’re getting desperate when you’re doing re-reads.
I haven’t read the Midnighters series but I think I’ll pick them up for something to do until Specials. 🙂
I hope I can pick that up soon… maybe the library has it… my bookcase is a bit crammed and I’d rather have a paperback anyway…
wow, a spoiler, no i mustn’t, i will wait for the book to come out, but maybe just a little peek…NO! *slaps hand away from mouse* bad Kha! bad Kha…
yeah i am gonna get it in paperback, its alot cheaper,but i dont think i can wait that long!!!! i never read spoilers, it SPOILES the book(what a shock), hence the name ‘spoiler’. but i am very temped this time. i will be reading it soon anyway…. but on another topic, scott, anymore news about the so yeaterday movie,or midnighters series?? i am interested in stuff like that.
I was thinking I could request it at the library…except I’ve done that before and they are lazy and never got it. I’ll try anyhow.
If someone dies in the Blue Noon Mr. Westerfeld me and you are going to have issues.
LOL. Just kidding
Poor Rex *sighs and shakes head* I cant wait until Friday.
Barnes and Noble works in strange ways. I went, and there was a display of the three books, but the place where Blue Noon should have been was empty. So, I naturally assumed that they hadn’t put them out yet. Wrong.
Turns out that the hole was left by the book’s selling out, as I was told by the fatigued customer service lady. She made her way to the stock room and opened up another box, from which my copy was the first to be purchased. I almost don’t want to read it just because I know the series will be over in just a day or so’s time.
I feel you pain Jonothan *gets teary eyed* I’m going to miss Melissa
Midnighters is really going to be a show or at least a pilot I hope they dont change alot of stuff. Read This http://www.dangerousuniverse.com/2006/2006_tv_pilots.asp
I read the spoiler. (Thank you!) Nice coffee joke. Wow… now I *really* want that book. But I have to wait until my birthday, the tenth, because I was stupid and spent my cash on several other books. 🙁
What’s this about airships?
Yes, a spoiler. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Airships are the best. One of my favorite YA science fiction books is about airships filled with this wierd gas that’s supposed to be like helium, but smells like fruit, and it’s in some alternate world where they don’t have airplanes. So are these like the old helium airships from the 1900’s? Or something way cooler?
I’m curious and I haven’t seen it addressed her: why did you start writing books for younger readers (at least as the targeted demographic)? After reading your earlier works, I was excited to hear that you were writing more. Then when I heard they were “kids books,” I was disappointed.
I got over that and bought a copy of the first Midnighters book recently because, heck, I’ve enjoyed Potter and other kids books as an adult but I’m curious about the reasons for your shift.
Oh, and if it’s a part of the book that’s just the begining, isn’t that just an excerpt, not a spoiler? It’s not like it will tell you the whole plot of the book, it’ll just make you really want to read it, and buy it if you can’t wait for the library. Aha! Oh I see the evil plan, Scott.
Hey Scott, i have a question, are you going to add that spoiler to the exerpt section of the Midnighters page? Or will you be putting a different part in there? Thanks for reading B^)
I have to wait until the eighth for Midnighters 3, because I have to use cheap shipping. Then I have to wait until the sixteenth, same reason, for Specials.
But waiting’s half the fun. …Right?
YAY!
i think thats all that needs to be said..
to default,
yup, your totally right, the longer it takes, the more your tension will grow, and the more you want to read the book.
Ahh… Finishing a good series is like quitting TiVo. It has to be slow and gradual.
(Sorry for the comments so close together.)
I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday like guilt tripped the guy to look in back for me took 30 mins but I got the book a day early made me so happy….
*deep sigh*.. I just finshed the final book.. and it just leaves me wanting more… Why can’t there be another one seemed like there are grounds for it but I do understand why you ended it. It just makes me sad for it’s another end of a great series….*begs you to write another book just one..* Please tell me there will be something new.. oh please…*sobs*
AIRSHIPS? AWESOME! I love Airborn! Not the medicine, though, the book! I love books about airships! Give more info!
Kaylen, yeah. Airborn is the one where the gas smells like mangoes.
IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE!
I’m a bit hyper. Yesterday I asked my mom what time the bookstores opened and she got this look on her face and told me that I was not going to be driven around before school to buy a book, so I have to wait (it’s lunchtime right now). I’m just dying to read it, so I found your excerpt and read it between classes. I’m a bit nervous, too, because it’s the end of the trilogy *sobs*. After two weeks of torture, FINALLY I’m going to get it.
it is sooooooo cole. i don’t beleve the end!!!!!!!!!!
the end.. *sobs*.. why….
no dont say it, im still trying to get it
Sensing an impending need for comment-space about the end of Blue Noon, there’s now a special Spoiler Zone.
Do not go there unless you have read all three books!