Smetana's debut is ambitious but thoughtful, especially when it comes to Susannah's knowledge and intuitive understanding of music and lyrics.”

“ The Midnights follows Susannah through a sort of in-between year, one in which she loses someone precious and perhaps gains something priceless. “Susannah’s first-person narration is punctuated with evocative descriptions of the Santa Anas and the wildfires they bring-characters in their own right. A touching story about the painful process of moving on.” “An atmospheric voyage through grief and self-discovery perfect for fans of Julie Buxbaum’s Tell Me Three Things and Tim Federle’s The Great American Whatever.” Fans of character-driven coming-of-age stories will find all they could want and more.” Jeff Zentner, Morris Award winning author of The Serpent King “THE MIDNIGHTS is a fiercely beautiful song of a book.

Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be “A stunning, beautifully-written debut, THE MIDNIGHTS explores the complex nature of loss, grief, secrets, and family, as we follow one girl on a poignant journey of self-discovery.” Set against the scintillating landscape of Southern California, The Midnights is an evocative coming-of-age debut about loss, creativity, and finding your voice while you’re still finding yourself. But Susannah is not the only one keeping secrets, and soon, harsh revelations threaten to unravel her life once again. There, Susannah realizes she can reinvent herself however she wants: a confident singer-songwriter, member of a hip band, embraced by an effortlessly cool best friend. While Susannah struggles with grief, her mother uproots them to a new city. As senior year begins, she’s more interested in composing impressive chord progressions than college essays, certain that if she writes the perfect song, her father might finally look up from the past long enough to see her.īut when he dies unexpectedly, her dreams-and her reality-shatter. Susannah Hayes has never been in the spotlight, but she dreams of following her father, a former rock star, onto the stage. This voice-driven coming-of-age YA novel is perfect for fans of Katie Cotugno and Playlist for the Dead. Read an exclusive excerpt from the midnights on Bustle. HarperCollins | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Book Depository | Amazon THE MIDNIGHTS Out now from HarperTeen/HarperCollins

The midnights by sarah nicole smetana