Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.comBlended families, a deadbeat dad, religion, sibling rivalry, abandonment. These are all issues that Caroline B. Cooney tackles, quite deftly, in A FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT. When eight-year-old Michael decides to go live with his father, it's a strain on the entire family. His mother pretends as if it's not happening. His stepfather, Kells, attempts to placate his wife. His oldest sister, Reb, doesn't have a lot of time to deal with it, as she's preparing to leave for college. His baby half-brother, Nathaniel, doesn't understand what it means until after the fact. And his fifteen-year-old sister, Lily, knows that it's destined to end badly. And badly it does end, when dear old dad drops Michael off, alone, without any money, luggage, or a plane ticket, at the airport to go back to his mother. In his father's words: "You're not the son I had in mind." What happens next involves a fraudulently-obtained credit card, a teenager and a toddler on an airplane, a brush with airport security, and a quick trip back home -- all before Mom and Kells arrive back home after dropping Reb off at college. The next year is filled with changes, for everyone, but especially for Michael and Lily. Younger brother has promised older sister to absolute secrecy, and Lily's finding it harder and harder to keep the matter quiet. No one else knows how horrible their father is; no one knows the terrible thing he did to his youngest child. But Michael refuses to tell the truth; in fact, Michael refuses to hold a grudge against the fathers he loves so much, even though everyone sees that Michael is not the same since he's returned home. When things come to a boiling point, it will be up to Michael to let the truth be known. It will also be up to the entire family to deal with the resulting fall-out, and with learning what it means to forgive -- and, even more, what it means to really be "a friend at midnight." Ms. Cooney has written another emotional winner that will have you glued to the pages until the end. This is a sad, heartbreaking tale that still manages to be uplifting, and everyone will find something in it that they can relate to.
I finished the book "A Friend at Midnight" by Caroline B. Cooney. I really like this book because it was a realistic story on how some people can be cold-hearted and growing up can be tough. The story is in third person that is told mainly about a girl named Lily, and her bother Michael. Lily is a middle child, she has an older sister named Rebecca, or Reb, her younger brother Michael, and her baby stepbrother Nathaniel, or Nate for short. Lily's parents had got a divorce, so Lily's mom married a new husband named Kells, which also resulted having baby Nate. But then Michael decides he wants to live with his dad, but soon ends up back at home. The reason? Only Lily knows the truth, and she made a promise to keep it hidden from everyone in her family. Now they have to deal with keeping Michael's secret, planning Reb's wedding, managing Nathaniel, and talking to her friend Amanda and maybe Trey too. When reading the book, it displays how cruel some people are in this world, how they can be so heartless and abuse someone's life and crush everything they love. It got a little confusing in the beginning for me to identify the characters, but I still really enjoyed reading this story.
What do You think about A Friend At Midnight (2006)?
15-year-old Lily gets a phone call one night from her brother Michael. Their father dropped Michael off at the airport, after indicating that he is not the son he wanted; Michael is left alone with no luggage, no money, and no ticket. As their mother and stepfather are out of town, Lily makes the ultimate decision - to board a plane with their infant half-brother and meet Michael at the airport.Michael makes Lily promise that she won't tell anyone...and Lily finds herself losing faith in God.There was a bit of a cheese factor in this book...felt a little too preachy or something for me.
—Erin
Lilly, 15, now lives in a blended family. Her parents are divorced. She and her siblings live with their mom, new stepfathers and new baby brother. Lilly is adjusting to her new life, but her 8 year old brother, Michael, is struggling and goes to live with their father. After 2 short weeks, Michael is back and only Lilly knows the reason and is sworn to secrecy. Lilly's faith is tested, her family is tested, and Lilly carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. Lilly has very strong shoulders! I could not put this book down.
—bjneary
The title of the book I read was A Friend at Midnight by Caroline B. Cooney. It is fiction. This book is about a girl named Lily trying to get used to life after her parent’s divorce. Her little brother Michael has decided that he wants to go live with his dad, but soon Lily gets a call from Michael at the airport saying that his dad has dropped him off and left him there saying he wasn’t the son he had in mind. Lily has to find a way to get herself and her little step-brother to the airport to pick him up and bring him home before her mom and step-dad get home. Michael does not want to tell them about what happened at the airport, and neither does Lily. They both realize that if people found out, they would think there was something wrong with Michael that his own dad would abandon him. The theme of the book is forgiveness. Lily had to keep all the hurt and anger toward her dad to herself and was having a hard time forgiving him. I really like they way the author told the story from Lily’s point of view, that way you could understand how Lily was feeling.
—Emily Kehler
