“INHERIT MIDNIGHT,” by Kate Kae Myers, Bloomsbury USA Childrens, Feb. 10, 2015, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
“Inherit Midnight” starts out like a lot of YA novels — a teenager who hates her boarding school sets out to run away — what follows, however, is unexpected, turning into a “National Treasure”/“Indiana Jones” type adventure.
Avery is one of THE VanDemeres, a rich family led by a matriarch who is obsessed with family history and keeping up appearances. Avery has always felt like the black sheep of the family. The product of an affair between her father and her brother’s nanny, Avery’s very existence is an embarrassment.
The school from which Avery is trying to escape in the opening scenes is where Avery ended up after being caught sneaking out to visit a friend’s house. Just when you think this story is going to continue school wise, it takes a sharp turn in a completely different direction. Riley, the son of the family lawyer, whisks Avery away from school. There’s family business that needs to be attended to, and Riley needs to be there.
Avery’s grandmother has decided that all of her progeny may not be worthy of inheriting the family fortune, so she’s created a competition to flesh out the bottom feeders and settle on a sole heir. Her children and grandchildren are eligible — the tests will be hard but the reward will be everything.
The competition takes eight competitors across three continents, introducing them to history and danger along the way.
I really liked “Inherit Midnight” for a number of reasons — Kate Myers’ characters are believably flawed and compelling; her writing is fast and addicting; and the history mixed within adventure adds meat to what could have been a lot of fluff.
The book has its problems, though. The whole school element just doesn’t fit. Yes, not going back is an important motivation for Avery to win, but other parts of it just don’t work. This whole plotline feels like it was tacked on after the bulk of “Inherit Midnight” was written. It just feels disjointed. It’s unfortunate, because the rest of the story feels cohesive and flows quite well. Despite this flaw, I still recommend “Inherit Midnight,” because the majority of it is very strong.
