"You don't know what's going to happen... But I'm ready for it."

This was cute, and honestly all of the Taylor Swift & Schitt's Creek references added to the youthful feel and overall high-school vibes that the book was trying to portray.

My biggest annoyance I suppose and what kept me from being fully invested in the story and giving it more stars, is just that I already knew what was going to happen. The synopsis basically lays the entire plot out for you, and nothing is really left to be "revealed." Which is fine in a sense, but it really took a lot of the excitement out of the story for me, which was a bit of a bummer.

What Happens After Midnight was published on June 27, 2023. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for an electronic advanced readers copy!

What Happens After Midnight is a young adult novel that takes place at a boarding school in America. The plot revolves around an elusive prankster, who is responsible for pulling a major senior year prank. This prankster has previously been in a relationship with our main character, and there is hope for a second chance romance to occur. (this is all on the back of the book so don't worry! no spoilers!)

Let's start with what I liked. I felt fully immersed in the setting of this book. The elite boarding school had extensive grounds that get explored throughout the plot. The way the story was set up stood out to me as well. There was a "before" and "after", which felt unique to the plot and what the author was attempting to convey.

Unfortunately, a few things kept me from fully loving my reading experience. Nostalgia was a major element of this book, yet I felt it wasn't effectively portrayed. Instead of yearning alongside the main character, I felt like I was trying to follow along with an over-the-phone conversation between a person sitting next to me and the elusive person on the other side of their phone. In addition, the pacing felt inconsistent across the novel. Parts felt fast while other parts dragged on.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy YA books that take place during senior year of high school, dark academia settings, and second chance romance.

What Happens after Midnight is the newest book by K.L Walther.

It tells us a cute, adventurous story about Lilly and her ex-boyfriend Tag. They are in the last 2 weeks before summerbreak at the boarding school and are planning an end-of-year-prank. We follow them in their of discovering their old love and planning and doing the prank.

It was a fun summer read. For me it was a bit boring at some points in the book. I didn’t feel the vibe of the story at the beginning. That makes this book a 3 star read for me. Bonus points: I loved all the Taylor Swift references :)

The Taylor Swift quotes and references were the highlight of this book for me. As a feel Swifty, I love seeing characters use these quotes to describe how they feel during the story. K.L. Walther's books are a warm hug in the best way! I did enjoy Walther's other book (The Summer of Broken Rules), but this was amazing all on its own!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC! I also bought myself a finished copy.

Given how much I enjoyed Walther's sophomore novel The Summer of Broken Rules, it's no surprise that What Happens After Midnight was a highly anticipated read for me. Like in Broken Rules, this story features a fun cast of characters involved in a game and a romance at its center. My favorite thing about this story has to be the setting: a boarding school! I'm a sucker for boarding school stories (see: my obsession with House of Anubis c. 2011). I felt like I was pulling a prank along with the characters as Walther took us from one location to another. If you're a fan of second chance romance, mother-daughter relationships, and games, this is the book for you!

Lily Hopper has two weeks left of her senior year at her boarding school. She’s starting to worry she didn’t let herself have enough fun. When the anonymous jester invites her to be part of the senior prank team, it’s her chance to let loose and break some rules for once. Just one problem, he turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Tag.

This book is so much fun that I suddenly wonder why I never wanted to go to boarding school. I love the campus, the faculty, the mismatched pranksters, and the annual hijinks.

Although the students are the main focus, I couldn’t help but adore the relationship between Lily and her mother. It’s very Gilmore Girls-ish and I couldn’t get enough. This type of thought always makes me feel old, but I would love a book about the adults from the school!

I can’t forget to tell you all about Tag and Lily and their second chance romance. Teenagers that were once in love and are now broken up? Of course, there’s going to be a lack of communication at play. However, they actually acknowledge it and own up to their mistakes. It was so nice to see.

Read this book for:
-teenage love
-Schitts Creek references (if you like that sort of thing)
-middle of the night escapades
-diabetes rep
-boarding school
-mother/daughter relationship

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I feel like K. L. Walther's technical writing has improved since her last book, The Summer of Broken Rules, What Happens After Midnight missed the mark for me. It lacked the immersive atmosphere that made The Summer of Broken Rules so special. I felt like the plot dragged on and was a bit slow paced for my taste. I also never got attached to the characters. Nonetheless, I would still recommend this book to a young adult reader who is looking for an adventurous story.

Thank you Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, and K. L. Walther for the digital ARC.

What Happens After Midnight is available out now.

You know me: I’m a sucker for a good boarding school setting. I had so much fun with this one! I could feel the campus’ atmosphere and loved how the author used it for the book’s plot, as well. From the teachers’ houses to the forests, from the beach to the buildings, I just felt transported and really really enjoyed that setting, overall.
Set over the course of one night, What Happens At Midnight is a highly entertaining YA contemporary book overall. I had no time to get bored, always wondering what would happen next and if this senior prank would get done well, as well. It was a super fun read!
If ex-best friends to lovers to exes to second chance romance sounds like your thing… well, add What Happens After Midnight to your TBR! The romance was, for me, one of the highlights of this story. I really enjoyed Lily and Tag’s chemistry, their interactions, their messy feelings… obviously, they’re teenagers and it was filled with misunderstandings, at times. Yet, I could feel for them and really, really rooted for them.
Another highlight of this story was the relationship between Lily and her mother. Even if I kind of wish we got to spend a bit more time with them two, I got some kind of gilmore girls vibes from them and I really loved that!
The friendships were a wonderful addition to the story. I loved their little group so much, exactly the kind of fun squad goal I like to read about in my contemporary reads.
If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you should LOVE all of the references in the book… I know I did!

If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining YA contemporary book, I’d recommend What Happens At Midnight. Loved the boarding school setting, the characters, the romance and the lovely mother-daughter relationship, as well. Can’t wait, once again, to read more from this author!

This was a fun second chance YA romance between two former flames, Lily and Tag who team up to help plan and pull off an epic senior prank. I really enjoyed the disability rep in this book. I hadn't realized there was such good Type 1 diabetes rep and loved how well that was depicted in the book. Full of adventure, romance and just overall tons of fun. Another hit from K.L. Walther. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed her last book, The summer of broken rules. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was SUCH a fun read! Lilly reminds me so much of my high school self. I was definitely the good girl afraid of breaking the rules in case her parents found out 😂 Tag is so much fun. And the rest of their crew is great too! I loved all the shenanigans they got up to in their effort to leave a scavenger hunt of clues to the stolen yearbooks for their senior prank. I love group pranks and I love scavenger hunts so this one was right up my alley. There is also some solid diabetes rep in here and I feel like that’s something that doesn’t happen often so that was great too.

If you’re looking for some laugh out loud lighthearted high school fun with a second chance romance you have to check this one out!

Reminiscent of Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Solomon, What Happens After Midnight is a fun and cozy read about two main characters looking for a second chance -- at their relationship, at their legacy, at what they wish high school would have been like. Between the Taylor Swift and Schitt's Creek references, I was already sold. However, the characters were so great that I would have been anyway. I loved how they were exploring who they were alone and together. I loved the scavenger hunt they were putting together. I loved that it happened all in one night. I love that it was a second chance for the characters to reconnect. I adored the Diabetes rep. I loved the mother daughter relationship (also reminiscent of Gilmore Girls!) and the fun of living near the beach and the school campus. Was there anything I didn't love about the book? I think a few aspects were a bit unrealistic but I don't think you pick up a book like this to be realistic -- you read it to have fun, to imagine the suspense, to laugh, to read a cozy, feel good read. If that's what you're looking for, you'll love this book as much as I did. Definitely the perfect fall or end of spring read!

Lily has always felt like she follows the rules too closely and wants to end her senior year with a bang. So, when she's asked to participate in the much-anticipated school prank from the unknown "jester" she takes that leap. What follows is a night that she certainly won't forget...

I think this is a story that my students would enjoy - drama, angst, and comedy are rolled into the novel. There was some language choice that I can see my students rolling their eyes at because they would never use it but I think they'd get wrapped in the story and the "will they/won't they" of Lily and Tag's relationship. I also really appreciated the diabetes representation. Overall, it was a cute story, but I did know everything that was going to happen based on the synopsis so there weren't any real surprises.

Adorable YA second chance romance !! The plot was so fun and full of mischief and I couldn’t help but giggle along the entire time ! I was annoyed with Lily at times, yet I couldn’t help but feel that I probably would’ve (or have) acted similarly when I was her age. I enjoyed the summer of broken rules but this one was even more fun for me!

where do i begin with this one? there are so many things about this book that i just love inexplicably, and while i’d love to be able to lag behind and name every single one, it’s just not feasible. i suppose i should start at the beginning.

when i was a kid i always dreamed that school would turn out to be like i saw in my favorite shows and movies. unfortunately, that was a scam, but this book would fit right in with my boarding school fantasies alongside zoey 101 and the like.

one thing that i know i have to comment on is the constant taylor swift references. each time i found one, my expression would just light up. usually they were in the form of song titles or snippets of lyrics, which would often lead to me humming or singing the song in question. it was so much fun and felt as much like a scavenger hunt as the actual scavenger hunt the characters were sending the class president on.

i also wanted to point out the amazing disability representation in this book. while i don’t have type one diabetes, i am disabled. it honestly struck a chord with me when tag mentioned how he wishes he could just be spontaneous like his friends could but how at the same time he knew life hadn’t afforded him that luxury. it’s a feeling that i’ve often had, wondering why i couldn’t just make a spur of the moment decision when everything i carried with me had to be carefully calculated. he also indirectly mentioned how some people you’re friendly with won’t take your health as seriously as you wish. they’ll push your boundaries and your buttons, all while telling you that you’re being dramatic and need to chill out. it’s something that disabled people, myself included, are intimately familiar with. even though we shouldn’t have to be.

as much as i liked this book, though, i couldn’t help but feel the main issue was incredibly childish. the whole reason why lily and tag break up is because she was insecure and they were unable to properly communicate. maybe through the lens of autism i can’t see why this would be an issue when they could just, ya know, talk about it, but i digress. j had to constantly remind myself that, though they were 18, they were still teenagers. they were going to be childish and a bit dense. it’s kind of a teenager’s MO.

in the end of the day, this book gave me all the nice and warm fuzzy feelings. the romance was really nice, and while i think there are some bits that could’ve been handled better, it’s still a really nice read. i will say, though, that i agree with many people’s opinions about how the synopsis reveals too much. it’s basically like reading the sparksnotes of the book.

Portions of this book were super cute, but I was left wanting more overall! I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan, but the constant references felt like a bit much to me. I also thought the frequent use of “shit balls” as an exclamation was a little distracting lol. I enjoyed the plot, pacing, and setting of the book, as well as the sweet cast of characters. The resolution of the book was also great (I love a good second chance romance). The biggest thing that kept me right around the three star mark was that Lily herself didn’t feel very well developed outside of her identity in Tag. Overall a cute read that I’d recommend to some!

I loved this! Lily is about to graduate from a posh boarding school on the Rhode Island coast when she gets wrapped up in senior pranks.

The person who conducts them is the anonymous Jester, and to her surprise, he’s… Tag, the boy she loves.

The boy she lost.

This could be their second chance, or it might ruin their chances to graduate.

Love, prom, graduation, and teenage antics are on the line, and I was sucked in from page 1.

Maybe it’s Lily’s deep way of loving, the boarding school setting, or the late-night mischief feeling that *permeates* this book, but I’m all in.

The back to school supplies are out at Target, and this is the book you read to get the feeling of taking high school risks while keeping to your couch.

Not to mention our second chance romance, sweet friendships, impressive self awareness from our characters, and diabetes rep.

The romance could hold its own among adult romances in its depth.

There’s also a cat named Puck, and that alone would’ve sold me.

I see myself rereading this incredible story! It’s a contemporary YA favorite.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of What Happens in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely adored The Summer of Broken Rules and was eager to read more by K.L. Walther. This one did not disappoint! While I didn't love it*as* much as TSOBR (likely because the characters felt younger), I did love the second chance romance and boarding school setting. Overall a quick fun YA read!
(3.5 rounded up).

What a fun read! I loved The Summer of Broken Rules, and I was so excited for this. What Happens after midnight involves Lily Hopper finishing her senior year of high school. She feels like she’s missed out on being a rebellious teen, and get invited to partake in a mysterious prank along with her ex-boyfriend Tag. This book is filled with Taylor Swift and Schitt’s Creek references. Sometimes I felt like the references bogged down the writing style, but I ultimately flew through this story so quickly and happily. I highly recommend this fun book!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for a free arc download!

Rating 4.5/5 stars

This book was so much fun! I adored TSOBR last year and was so excited when Walther announced WHAM. I caught so many Taylor Swift references in TSOBR and I just couldn't wait to see what I would find in WHAM! When I tell you this book is so Taylor Swift coded, I am not over exaggerating AT ALL. I've never encountered a book that has had SO many references to her songs. Every time I found a new reference, I squealed haha. The book itself is already so much fun with the prank and scavenger hunt and I felt like I was doing my own scavenger hunt as I was reading.

I took off a half star on my rating because there were so many characters and at times it was a little difficult to keep them all straight. But nonetheless, I loved the relationships between all the characters and how some of them even had their own side plot.

I truly believe Tag and Lily are tied together with an invisible string because their relationship is so cute and they fit together so well. They had their own inside jokes, could communicate with each other without saying a word, and their friends wholeheartedly supported them.

WHAM was quick, easy, and fun to read and it's the perfect option for a classic young adult read.

I really enjoyed this!! Such a fast paced easy read that was so much fun! I definitely wish more was left to figure out in the book rather than spelt out in the synopsis but I still really enjoyed the whole jester scavenger hunt! I also was pleasantly surprised by Tag being a type one diabetic. As a diabetic myself it was so nice to see this representation and I have to say it was very accurate and well done for the most part!