This was a book that I Really enjoyed this read and I would recommend to others easily, I will be looking out for other titles by this author.

I requested this book mostly because of its cover. The synopsis also sounded good, and that was my second reason to request it.
This book was, unfortunately, not one that really grabbed my attention. It was enjoyable enough to keep reading to see what happened next, but on the whole, it was kind of forgettable to me.
I think other people will definitely enjoy this one, though.

The book is a really interesting piece on prejudices arising from social class and on parochial hatred that blooms between different communities as they try to assert their dominance and notions of betterment over the other.

The MC Emer is a compelling character to read about. She’s at times incredibly naive and at others deeply perceptive. It’s really fascinating to read about her relationship with her parents and how she doesn’t actually realise how constrained her life is until she falls in love with someone that her father would not deem as suitable. And she doesn’t become the stereotypical rebellious type when she does begin to see how her life has been mapped out for her, she instead quietly finds ways to express who she is but yet by the book’s end she’s gone on a pretty massive journey character-wise. I really enjoyed her character arc and felt so keenly for all the emotional turmoil she went through throughout the book.

I absolutely loved the character of Seth “Dog” Cullen. His character is loosely based on the mythological character of Cú Chulainn and I really think that author Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick penned him perfectly. He was this juxtaposition of sensitivity and aggression, and it was very easy to see how Emer could fall for this boy with so many mysterious depths to his personality.

A gripping YA novel written with so much passion and heart the worlds practically beat on the page. Inspired by the Táin Bó Cuailnge – the Cattle Raid of Cooley - it re-imagines the ancient story from the Táin, recasting legendary warrior, Cú Chulainn as ‘Dog’ Cullen, as a teenager in 1976 who fights to defend his village from another village who are trying to steal ‘their’ dolphin, Rinn. The story is told through several eyes, including those of Emer who works in her family’s shop and falls hard for Dog. 
It’s the hottest summer in years and the dolphin is bringing tourists and prosperity to Carrig Cove. But Maeve Grogan, whose father owns the hotel in neighbouring Ross village is not happy. She wants the dolphin in Ross waters and will do all in her considerable power to make it happen. When she unleashes her plan, all hell breaks loose. A cracking read for older teens and adults alike which deserves to become an Irish YA classic. Age 15+.

A dolphin rocks up in the bay of an impoverished Irish town in the hot summer of 1976, transforming the lives of the local community. For the adults, it's a chance to cash in, selling ice creams and boat trips but for Emer it's a chance to conenct with a wild creature, a means of escape from her restricted life at home - and a link to local badboy loner Seth "Dog" Cullen. But the town's good fortune enrages kids from the upmarket town nearby and a bitter feud rips the two communities apart. Emer, Dog and their friends find themselves trapped in the crossfire.

Although based on an Irish legend, On Midnight Beach feels gritty and real and although it's soaked in the hot, stifling details of the summer of '76 (tarmac melting, plagues of ladybirds) it's modern, fresh and compelling. I started the book slowly and hesitantly because I wasn't sure where it would take me but as I read on the characters (mainly Emer and noble outsider Dog) pulled me in. I was desperate to find out what was going to happen, but knew deep down that this kind of feud escalates, and unless Emer can stop the fighting, there's only one way it can end...

On Midnight Beach follows a group of teenagers who bond with a dolphin that enters their shores. It also follows the story of a boy from the rival town, and the conflict between the two towns because of this dolphin. I didn’t love this book, but it was still a nice read. I liked some of the characters, but found the story a bit over the top, I really enjoyed the friendships and all of the relationships between the characters. I did love the ending though. I would have liked to see more of a connection with the dolphin as they fought so hard for it, but there didn’t seem to be much of a connection there. I also would have loved more emotion, and to feel more, but the writing style didn't do that. Overall, this book nice, but I wouldn't rave about it.

I 100% requested On Midnight Beach from NetGalley because the MC and I share the same first name and I thought it would be interesting to read about another Emer. 

But I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! 

I tore through this story as quickly as I could so desperate was I to get to the end and to see how the story would pan out. 

And what made this more interesting to me is that this 1976 set story is a loose interpretation of the great Irish mythological epic Táin Bó Cuailgne (Cattle Raid of Cooley). I’ve always been fascinated by that story of Cú Chulainn and how he shares many similarities to Achilles in Homer’s The Iliad. FYI the manuscript from which the epic comes dates from the 12th century. 

But never fear, you need not know anything about the Táin to enjoy this book. 

The story follows the events of one baking hot summer in a bay in the north-west of Ireland when a magnificent dolphin swims into the cove and the lives of two bay-front communities are irreversibly changed. 

The dolphin seems to take a shine to one village over the other, that of Carrig Cove, and an ethereal sort of connection between 17 year old Emer, her best friend Fee and this dolphin takes hold. Together with two boys from the community, Dog Cullen and his friend Kit, this group of four takes to night swimming with the dolphin and love blossoms between Emer and Dog. 

Carrig Cove experiences a boon due to the presence of the dolphin but teenagers from neighbouring community Ross become jealous and long simmering hostilities between the two villages erupt...

The book is a really interesting piece on prejudices arising from social class and on parochial hatred that blooms between different communities as they try to assert their dominance and notions of betterment over the other. 

The MC Emer is a compelling character to read about. She’s at times incredibly naive and at others deeply perceptive. It’s really fascinating to read about her relationship with her parents and how she doesn’t actually realise how constrained her life is until she falls in love with someone that her father would not deem as suitable. And she doesn’t become the stereotypical rebellious type when she does begin to see how her life has been mapped out for her, she instead quietly finds ways to express who she is but yet by the book’s end she’s gone on a pretty massive journey character-wise. I really enjoyed her character arc and felt so keenly for all the emotional turmoil she went through throughout the book. 

I absolutely loved the character of Seth “Dog” Cullen. His character is loosely based on the mythological character of Cú Chulainn and I really think that author Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick penned him perfectly. He was this juxtaposition of sensitivity and aggression, and it was very easy to see how Emer could fall for this boy with so many mysterious depths to his personality. 

What was a great choice in the book is that the author chose to give us a perspective of life in the rival community of Ross through the eyes of the character Gus. Gus had moved to Ross from Carrig Cove as a child and due to this he wasn’t fully welcomed in either village. In Carrig Cove he was thought of as a traitor for leaving and in Ross he was always that Carrig Cove boy. So this dichotomy meant that he had insight into both communities. Therefore his chapters really helped to expand the narrative and really gave the novel a much needed wider scope. 

I didn’t always get behind some of Gus’ character motivations...let’s just say he thought with his hormones quite a bit but then again what teenager doesn’t give into their rampaging hormones when a pretty girl flirts with them. But his relationship with Maeve was compelling to read about because they were both clearly using each other rather than emotionally connecting and I thought that was a fresh take for YA. It was just nice to juxtapose the true love style story of Emer and Dog with the almost friends with benefits style relationship of Gus and Maeve. 

Another great choice of the book I thought was the decision to set this in 1976. It was fascinating to think about what an Ireland of 1976 was like for teenagers and how insular their worlds would have been. It also was interesting to read about the prejudiced attitudes of the time and how those attitudes affected teenage girls in particular especially regarding female sexuality. 

Other things I liked:
[1] Present parents - a disproportionate number of YA books suffer from an absence of parents but this book made Emer’s relationship difficulties with her parents a key part of the storyline which I think many people, both teenage and older, will be able to empathise with. 
[2] A positive female friendship - I liked how Emer and Fee were there for each other at all times. I especially liked how Emer assisted Fee in looking out for Fee’s younger brother who was a victim of bullying. It just gave me strong “found family” trope vibes. 
[3] Interesting cast of side characters - there were a number of featured side characters which really added to the village feel of the setting of this book. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The style of the narrative was incredibly engaging, the pace was pretty great and I was never once bored with the storyline. I thought it was an incredibly original take on an old Irish myth complete with vibrant characters and a storyline of love and hate that would speak to anyone around the world. 

A very positive four stars 

*An e-copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher, Faber & Faber, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I received this book from Netgalley in an exchange of a honest review

What drew me to this book was the description. I really wanted to love this book but it just didn't grab my attention, I also found the writing style stayed the same through the book, even when exciting things happened. I did really like the characters as they all had their own personalities and were all very likeable. I did like this book but it didn't captivate me how I wanted it too. 3 Stars

'On Midnight Beach' is a young adult story about Emer who, together with three other teens, got obsessed over a dolphin in the bay. The four teenagers try to get closer to the dolphin. It's an adventure that brings up lots of other feelings. Love, friendship and growing-up are large themes in this book.

I adored the cover and the description of the book grabbed my attention immediately. When I started reading, the story didn't grab my attention. It wasn't boring, but it didn't feel exciting either. Emer is a fun and bubbly character which made me think that this wasn't her story.
I found the writing style not so pleasant. The story reads smoothly, but it stays that way. I found the writing method very monotonous.
The book did contain nice sub-themes such as friendship. They contain a lot of lessons for the reader. As a reader, you notice that the writer wants to tell more than just a story. 
The characters and setting were also very well developed. The characters had their own unique character and therefore stood out of the group. Their personalities matched perfectly with the role they played in the story. The setting went with the atmosphere of the story.

I didn't think it was a bad book, but it didn't conquer me either. The story itself did not grab me enough to adore this story.

I loved this book. Not at all what I was expecting and kept changing and twisting until the very last pages. The main female character of Emer - what a girl. You feel for her at main points and for such a long girls and to go through so much in the space of only a couple months would make anyone stumble. The little town i feel won't ever be quite the same. I would love to see a follow on book and where her life goes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick for allowing me to read this advanced copy. Can't wait to see what you publish next.