Good Morning, Midnight

by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, refuses to abandon the research center in the Arctic when he receives news of a catastrophic event. Soon after, he discovers a mysterious child and realizes that the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone. Meanwhile, Mission Specialist Sullivan and her crew, the first astronauts to delve into deep space, discover that Mission Control is no longer on the air. Sullivan's career has cost her her marriage, and she has left her daughter behind. Will she ever get home? As Augustine and Sully face the uncertain future, their stories gradually intertwine towards a profound and unexpected conclusion, which raises questions: What endures at the end of the world? How do we make sense of our lives? A captivating meditation on the power of love and the bravery of the human heart. --

• ISBN10: 0812998898
• ISBN13: 9780812998894
• Publish Date: 9 August 2016
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: Random House
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[jamiereadthis]

By the end, I’m not sure which one was aggravating me more, the Augustine parts or the Sully parts. It could have been so good too— the ingredients were there. If the story hadn’t found the big reveals necessary. Or had so much repetition within so few pages. Or if just one person on The Aether had a personality. It did almost give me a panic attack about being stuck in space with those people, so well done on that score.

Some of that fault lies with me; I was spoiling for a story instead of a meditative parable, so I should have picked a different book.

[lisacee]

I listened to this book because I couldn't find anything to read from my tbr list. The description said it was named one of the best books of the year by Shelf Awareness, so I gave it a go.

I lucked out, finding it to be a hauntingly beautiful story about family and the end of the world.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

*Review to come!*

[Artemis]

Follow the The Artemis Reader for more reviews!

Good Morning, Midnight was a genuine surprise. Drawn in my the cover and the premise, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect out of this apocalyptic tale. Dalton weaves the story through two characters, Augustine and Sully who both experience the uncertainty of the end of the world. If you are looking for a unique perspective on the apocalypse genre, look no further than this book.

Augustine, an aging astronomer who refuses to be evacuated from the Arctic complex, remains and discovers a young girl left behind int he wake – Iris. Through his time with Iris, Augustine reflects on his life and the opportunities he’s missed out on. Sully who shares a similar disinterest in relationships and has left behind an ex-husband and daughter to pursue her dream. The characters started off a little slow and you are not a fan of long descriptive prose then you might feel a little bogged down in the details. But it’s in the details where this true character expose becomes a very strong story. How the world came to a “catastrophic end” doesn’t ever come into play, but the story is so rich with Augie and Sully’s character reflections that you almost forget you don’t know all the details.

Good Morning, Midnight is a slow moving, highly descriptive story told through two people who are not only physically distanced from the end of the world but have also emotionally already separated themselves from humanity. Dalton manages to capture the beauty of a silent world. The resolution was handled well, and all-in-all I feel the story has been fulfilled. This book definitely isn’t for everyone, but is worth a shot if you’ve got the time.