The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

Living in the Ward is Nerrim. It’s a neighbourhood of restrictions, peril, and tedium. Her life is almost completely colourless, but it is made bearable by her new family and the covert job she does to enable other Half Kith to live free. One day, the Elysium bird emerges, bringing with it change and setting off a chain of events that would forever alter Nerrim’s life. She is surrounded by an uncertain and deceptive world. So you explain to me what would cause a good, quiet girl to end up in trouble, especially given what was at stake. Tell me.

The writing in The Midnight Lie is by far its most striking aspect; the author alternates between using poetic or straightforward language. Each statement is skillfully written and exquisitely evocative, emphasising the mood of the situation or striking a striking contrast with it. It contains sentences that make you halt in your tracks. Rather than the strangeness of this made-up universe, it is the magic of the words that transport you.

This novel stands out because of its literary tone. Naturally, it’s impossible to read about this particular type of dystopia without thinking of the many, many other YA books that begin with the same idea and are characterised by their rule-bound, stratified society and victimised group. It’s a highly competitive genre, but despite the slightly artificial names used here, the overall world-building is successfully completed. Even while it doesn’t feel brand fresh, it still works, especially since, at least to me, it seemed to be just the backdrop against which the characters might shine.

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And what personalities they have! The book never stops asking what it takes to be who you are since identity is at its core. Unlike the usual heroine who is frequently presented as the protagonist in these kinds of novels, Nerrim is an intriguing creation. Her speech is reflective, innocent, and rather institutionalised, but she is becoming more and more driven to seek answers and navigate the world. Her journey is nothing less than a quest for identity. It’s a believable slow process for a girl entangled in a web of emotional manipulation, duty, and expectation to come to grips with the truth.

The reality of the universe and the character are purposefully obscured, muddled, and clouded by Nerrim’s knowledge and by visions that leave her confused of what is real. While the reader travels the same route to enlightenment as Nerrim and gains an understanding of the majority of crucial story and setting information at a similar rate to her, there are some issues that are hidden from her that we see with piercing clarity. Her troubled relationships are portrayed in exquisite detail, creating an uncomfortable gap between us and her. That is, until Sid shows up and inserts our knowledge into the narrative, telling Nerrim what we are unable to.

Sid, however, is not who she appears to be. Nerrim and Sid both follow different courses and face different obstacles as they negotiate between their own goals and what other people expect them to be. Their romantic relationship is wonderful, flirtatious, and enjoyable. My interest in the book was sparked by its promise, and it more than delivered. When daylight came, it seemed as if you had been robbed and had had what you wanted most taken away from you like a bloody tithe. I pondered what type of night could be so precious. Never experienced a night that was worth stealing.

There is absolutely NO chance that I won’t learn the outcome of this tale. To describe the conclusion as a cliffhanger would be to undersell it. I still haven’t recovered after my jaw fell to the ground with enough force to leave a bruise. This book would appear as a gradual upward ascent on a graph, with action, emotion, and character developing over time. The epilogue, though, is so intensely impactful that it wouldn’t even be on the same chart. I went through the “you cannot be serious” exercise of reading the passage twice since there is so much happening in such a short amount of time that it seems unbelievable.

However, it had a significant effect and was quite cunning because what happens next will lead to a great deal of suffering and strife. My heart will ache… I am aware of that. And I’m eager. One more thing It’s feasible to begin your trip here, as I did, even if her earlier series, the Winner’s Trilogy, appears to be situated in the same planet. There are connections, but this may and should be considered on its own merits, according to other reviewers who have made this observation. And now that I’ve discovered this author, I have a whole new list of novels to add to my wishlist. I am prepared to be amazed.