Midnight on Beacon Street: a banner with a spooky design and gold stars

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Introduction

I’ve been going through a thriller kick lately, so I jumped when my library recommended Midnight on Beacon Street. It is a simple book, especially as far as thrillers go (no crazy twists like in The Silent Patient or Gone Girl). It’s also short (179 pages!), so it was a two-sitting read for me. However, despite this brevity and simplicity, it keeps your attention throughout, and I would recommend it.

Summary of Midnight on Beacon Street

The tagline “one night, one house, one dead body” summarizes this novel pretty well.

Seventeen-year-old Amy is babysitting for a single mother on an October night in 1993. The two children–Ben and Mira–are familiar to her, and she generally enjoys babysitting for them. However, on this night, everything goes wrong. Amy’s boyfriend comes over and brings a rowdy crowd with him. They’re all on the lookout for the burglar who keeps breaking into houses in the neighborhood. A shadowy figure threatens to interrupt their night. And the entire time, we’re wondering who the dead body at the beginning of the story is, and how did they get there?

Context

Midnight on Beacon Street is Emily Ruth Verona’s debut novel. As she states in the author note and her website, she is a New Jersey-based writer who primarily focuses on horror and suspense. She has been featured in several other anthologies previously. In the acknowledgements, she mentions that this book took five years to get right and that it was inspired in part by her own experiences with horror movies and babysitting.

Midnight on Beacon Street Review

Overall, I enjoyed Midnight on Beacon Street. It was simple, and while I was waiting for it to become more profound, it also took me back to the stories I used to read. You know–stories from the 90s and early 2000s where it was a simple plot, with a neat ending and without too much weight. It was a novel for enjoyment, with touches of nostalgia and fun references to an easier time. For me, this was just the kind of novel that I needed at the moment.

What worked well

First, I want to commend Verona on her use of time. I am always skeptical when authors play with time, as it can completely destroy the structure of the book and confuse the reader. This novel primarily focuses on one day in 1993, although it does have some flashbacks from the other characters to build backstory. It can be a bit awkward at times, and it definitely helps to read what time of day the chapter starts out with, but overall, I enjoyed the unorthodox use of time. It added more suspense and kept me engaged. It might take a second to get used to, but I felt that it worked well for the story.

I also loved the shoutouts to the 90s. As I read this book, I was transported back to the early 2000s. Not the same thing, I know, but it put me into a simpler time, and it felt like a book written during that time. Like I mentioned above, its simplicity and focus on the plot worked very well for it. From horror movies to viewmasters to pizza delivery boys, it had all the elements of a story from those times. I loved the interactions amongst the teenagers. Again, they talked about simple things: sex, relationships, TV…everything that fit the vibe and gave a level of authenticity to the novel.

The characterization was also fun. I enjoyed learning more about Amy, and I thought Verona did a great job capturing the mind of a five year old through Ben’s perspective. There were some compelling backstories to both characters (Ben especially), and all of the dialogue felt very realistic. Throughout the story, I did find myself smiling because of how familiar these characters felt. They weren’t overdone or stereotypical, but once more, they were a shoutout to tropes typical of the genre.

Finally, I appreciate the fact that Verona opened with Ben standing over a bloody body. The story is a little slow for a thriller because it does focus so heavily on characterization. I think this was a smart choice on the author’s part, and it also felt like a nod to classic thriller/mystery/horror.

What didn’t work so well for me

I don’t have much that didn’t work well for me, as I believe the author served her purpose well. One thing that I didn’t love was how the writing was at times. It could be very choppy, using many short sentences in a row without varying the syntax much. I understand that this serves thrillers better to drum up the suspense, but I did think it was a little overused. However, this has also always been a pet peeve of mine.

Another picky thing–I didn’t love “M” and “B” as nicknames for the kids. Again, it’s personal, but it felt strange to read, and it would have flowed a lot better if she’d written out their names when not using them in dialogue.

My main critique (sort of spoiler) is that a certain character shows up between the 50% and 75% mark of the novel. I thought, okay, this will be interesting. This is going to add a new layer and increase the stakes. But then nothing happened. It was a red herring that was essentially forgotten for the rest of the story. Verona could have done so much with this–or at least closed out that plot line. Yet it remained irrelevant and open at the end, and ultimately felt like an idea that she abandoned.

The final reveal, which I won’t spoil, could use some more backstory. It felt a little bit random–or rather, it was logical in the context of the story, but could have used some development. The pacing itself was fine.

My final comment is that the book was predictable. It wasn’t one of those thrillers that had me on the edge of my seat. I had an inkling as to who was the villain the whole time. Most readers probably will. If I’d gone in with high expectations, this might have frustrated me more. For me, it was part of the book’s charm. For those wanting a shocking twist, it might be frustrating. 

Recommendations A La Carte

      • Drink: pink lemonade–a classic babysitting favorite

      • Music: anything by Nirvana, Backstreet Boys, or Green Day

    Takeaways/Conclusion

    If you like soft thrillers, 90s vibes, classic horror, and stories that take you back to a simpler time, this is for you. If you’re looking for a psychologically gripping and complex novel, you’re not going to find it here. However, I’d argue that it’s worth your time to dive into this fun and nostalgic story.

    Photo Credit: Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

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