Review of East of Midnight

[Ekezie1998]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "East of Midnight" by Karen Humeniuk.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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She had always loved him, always waited for him, but he never noticed. He saw her as nothing more than a little kid until she drifted away. It takes a rift between them for him to realize he loved her. Could he ever get her back?

Held back by a tragic past, father complex, and his disbelief in God, Cameron Asher is utterly convinced that his dreams of going to med school, happiness, and love, Lydia carpenter, have never been farther away from him. Against his Grandfather’s wishes, he indulges in alcohol in a bid to forget his problems, and very quickly, this decision threatens to ruin his life. He is forced to spend his summer in Wyoming. A summer there kicks off a transformative journey that would slowly unite him with God, his dreams, love, and family. In East of Midnight, Karen Humeniuk captures two college students finding love and God amidst their chaotic teenage lives.

There are so many things the author did right in this book that ensured a pleasurable reading experience for me. They are the positive aspects of this book. East of Midnight is a slow-burn narration that features incredibly detailed sceneries, character development as well as emotional conflicts they experience. It was no surprise when I learned that the author had masters in landscape architecture.

Sceneries in the book were so vividly described that readers could visualize them clearly in their minds. The author’s attention to detail also manifests effortlessly in capturing the emotional turmoil most of the characters went through from their respective point of view. Marrah Carpenter, Lydia Asher, and Valerie Asher are perfect examples, with Cameron Asher being my favorite. The slow-burn approach to writing her story blesses readers with the privilege of partaking in each character’s growth.

Karen writes about scarred individuals needing God’s healing, love, mercy, and assurance. While Cameron struggles with gaining Randy’s love and acknowledgment, Eliana struggles with accepting the fact that she has been sexually assaulted. Marrah struggles with getting over her drug addiction, and Lydia has her faith in God tested while Cameron is unconscious. For those who believe already, Karen strengthens our resolve in God.  For those who had lost trust and faith in Him, Karen draws them nearer to Him. East of Midnight is a story of redemption, healing, and love.

Featuring three major families: Carpenters, Ashers and Sloanes, the author runs a thread through them, making them all connected or related in some way. It is almost like one big extended family. She also showcased great wisdom in broaching topics like the relationship between a man and a woman, how men think, religion, and faith. I definitely stumbled in the first feww pages trying to understand the dynamics of the story. Starting out the book, I never expected it to be so emotional and heart-warming. One thing is for sure; I cannot wait to start the second book of this series.

There are negative aspects to this book as well. There were a few grammatical mistakes and errors. This proves that the book was properly edited. Though the author also made a minor mistake of designating chapter 48 as 44. Regardless, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was beautifully written. I would have loved to rate this book higher. I recommend this book to lovers of romance fiction, teen fiction, and Christian fiction.

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East of Midnight
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[Micah_1]

I love how detailed your review is and I enjoyed it. In regards to your first paragraph, there is this saying that you never realize how much you love someone until you loose that person.