Editorial Content for Wink Poppy Midnight

April Genevieve Tucholke’s WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT is an odd, mysterious novel from the author of BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. Told in the alternating perspectives of three vastly different high school students, it tells of the secret created between them and its deadly consequences.

Midnight is slightly naive when he first gets mixed up with controlling Poppy. Despite several attempts to break it off, he keeps being pulled back into a relationship built on use and harassment. When his father moves the family to the outskirts of town, Midnight sees it as his chance to be free of Poppy for good. What he doesn’t expect is to become friends with his neighbor Wink, the misfit psychic’s daughter who may have secrets of her own. As Wink and Midnight grow closer, Poppy’s grip on him tightens and the two devise a plan to scare her off. However, the prank goes horribly awry and Poppy disappears without a trace. No one knows if she is dead or alive.

"WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT is a perfect read for anyone looking for an off-beat story with a paranormal twist."

Tucholke walks a fine line between cliche and uniqueness. Each narrator has a common type --- the weird, unpopular girl; the well-liked boy who doesn’t quite fit in; and the mean, popular girl. However, delving into each character’s head gives a new perspective on their actions and gives them personalities of their own. I was surprised most by Poppy’s perspective. I was expecting her to be good at heart and have some sort of justification for what she did to others. In reality, she was just as cruel and awful as she appeared, and she knew it. Despite this, Poppy goes through a remarkable transformation due to the events of the novel. By the end, I was still irritated with how she treated the people around her, but also proud of the progress she made.

I really enjoyed Tucholke’s small town setting. It is evident how close her characters are to each other and how well they know the land they live around. The town has its own urban legends and opinions on certain characters, and I loved seeing this personality played up throughout the novel. It gave the story an authentic feel and accentuated the strange plot that played out within it.

I would like to point out that this book is very creepy and dark. No one is who they seem, and a lot of events that take place are shocking, but I won’t spoil anything. However, it is never overly gory or disturbing in any way that isn’t primarily psychological. WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT is a perfect read for anyone looking for an off-beat story with a paranormal twist.