Wink Poppy Midnight is original and utterly enchanting. April Genevieve Tucholke casts a spell over readers that will hold them in thrall until the last page.
The author reminds the readers that, like soups, all stories start with the same key ingredients. Every cohesive story has a hero, a villain and a secret. In this dark mystery, readers are never really sure who is who. Each chapter is alternately narrated by the three title characters and, as the story progresses, readers are less sure of who to trust.
For far too long, Midnight has been in love with Poppy, the gorgeous girl next door. Though he knows all too well that she is as cruel as she is beautiful, he has never been able to shake her control over him. Now that he and his father have moved to an old house outside of town, perhaps he will truly be able to get over Poppy. Midnight now finds himself living next to the eccentric Bell family. Everyone in town whispers that their mother is a witch because she tells fortunes from tea leaves and reads tarot cards. The kids run wild, and Midnight is drawn to their stories and games. Wink Bell, with her crazy red hair, freckles and overalls is the exact opposite of Poppy, and perhaps that is exactly what Midnight wants after all.
Don’t be tempted to label Wink Poppy Midnight a teen book with a mandatory love triangle. The characters feel variations of love, but it is more of a dark, mysterious fairy tale than a romance. The characters are complex and quirky. The writing is beautiful and smart. Tucholke seems to be spinning us a yarn with a sly smile on her face, trusting that her readers will get it and be delighted in the strangeness of it. Needless to say, I was.
