Midnight Showing by Megan Shepherd
Publishing: October 3, 2023 by Hyperion Avenue
Reason I chose to Read this Book: This is the second book I’ve read by this author, the first being Malice House…and now I find out that this is a series. Not impressed, but since I absolutely loved Malice House….this was a no brainer. That all being said, this one slipped through the cracks, and I fear I will be left behind.
Midnight Showing by Megan Shepherd is a horror novel, and the second in the Malice Compendium series.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hyperion Avenue (for granting my wish – sorry I’m late in my review) and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Series Background: (Warning – Contains spoilers from previous books)
Haven Marbury, an artist, inherited her father’s estate (Malice House). Haven found a bizarre hand-written manuscript entitled Bedtime Stories for Monsters in her father’s house, and decides to publish it herself, with her own illustrations. But she finds that she is bringing those monsters to life. Her father’s pictures also came to life. Haven is proof of that. She also found Kylie, her half-sister, and Rafe, the handsome man from next door (who her father called The Harbinger –herald of dark times, in the Bedtime Stories book. He, too, is a monster.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Haven and her sister Kylie are trying to find family, hoping for answers about the curse. Everything Haven draws, and everything that Kylie writes, seem to be coming to life. Although Malice House burned to the ground, there are plenty of monsters roaming the area, most of which are from the book. Her biggest fear is Uncle Arnold, who, with a few whispered words, can make you do anything he wants.
While they are trying to hide, they ask for help from Haven’s friend Rob, the film-maker who she has done work for in the past. They stay with Rob and his fiancé Tyler, while still searching for family ties. Rob is rather strange, but knows people everywhere — in particular Hollywood, and dark films. They soon find some ties to Sigil, an old horror film company, who, urban legend has it, has their characters coming to life.
Haven is still getting to know her sister. She has found out that Kylie is into astrology, crystals, and aliens. She’s also a wannabe author. But they have both agreed not to write or draw.
Rafe, (the Harbinger in her dad’s book), is everything Haven could ever want in a man. On the downside, he’s a monster. But Haven is not having a whole lot of luck staying away from him
Together, they find more of the Acosta family, and they find more monsters.
My Opinions:
Well, I had wished for a sequel, and here it is. However, I struggled to get into this one, because it has been a long time since I read the first (entirely my fault). This is definitely a book that demands you read the first before attempting this one.
I really didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first. It seemed to drag….until it didn’t. The author writes well, but the implementation was a little off. I didn’t particularly like that each chapter started with parts of the old Hollywood horror films that contained the monsters. The chapters kept going back and forth between all of them, and it was just a little confusing, and frustrating.
I love Haven, but have had problems with Kylie right from the start. Rafe is a good side-kick, and I like the addition of Miracle. The monsters….well, they were well-written.
Basically this is a continuation of nightmares coming to life, but this time it’s not just Haven’s. It is also a book about family. I think one of the underlying themes is the fact that “art”, whether written or drawn, can have a huge impact on people.
Although I was a little disappointed, and had some problems with this book (the length, the drag, the style) ….I’m still looking forward to the next one. — I’m hoping the 3rd one will be back to the 5 stars I gave the first.
Read: May, 2024
Favorite Quotes from Midnight Showing:
“Don’t Draw” …. “Don’t Write”
“We knew that our family curse required two things: first, that someone with Acosta blood create a written story, and second, that the same person or another family member give the story physical form through artwork.”
About The Author: Megan Shepherd is an American best-selling author, who grew up in her family’s independent book store in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She was interested in foreign languages, joined the Peace Corps, and ended up in a small village in Senegal, where she found her interest in telling stories. She has also worked for a book publisher, an environmental nonprofit, a raft guide, a nanny, and a park Montana. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, children, beehives, chickens, cats, a dog, and “according to her website”, a couple of ghosts. *** Photo Taken from GoodReads
Check her out:
I have also reviewed this book on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5656222205
Have you read it? Do you plan to? Tell me your thoughts…do you agree or disagree with my assessment? These are only my opinions – and it would be a boring world if we all thought the same. Either way, I’d love to know.