Elizabeth’s Midnight

FANTASY:  Sixteen year-old Elizabeth Meyers lives a miserably unhappy life.  Overweight, teased and ridiculed, her only joy is in escaping to the nursing home where she reads to her beloved but catatonic grandmother.  That is, until her grandmother suddenly awakens and frantically insists that Elizabeth get her out, accompany her to France and help her solve four puzzles that will reunite her grandmother with her one true love.

Believing her grandmother has completely lost all sense of reality, Elizabeth instead tells her mother, a huge mistake that leaves Elizabeth heartbroken and determined to remedy.  Still, can one underage girl accomplish the impossible?  Can she really get to France and uncover the mystery of the stories her grandmother tells?  

This story is one that any teenager who has questioned their ability to accomplish great things will adore.  The plot is exciting and full of adventure that keeps the reader engaged. Snippets of understanding are left out throughout the entire book, however, that leave one stuck on the surface.  The reasons and meaning for many of the character’s actions are not always clear and Grandma and Phillip’s love story is frustratingly incomplete, as is Elizabeth’s character.  There is a richness and depth waiting but one is never able to actually experience it, there is just too much left out.  Still, for those just looking for a fun, easy tale of fantasy and adventure who don’t mind ignoring the improbable or questioning the purposes, this really is a delightful experience.

Ruth Lynn Ritter