This is a hard book to rate. Much of the prose is lovely and evocative, and early on I was very invested in Orabella’s life, hoping she would find safety and happiness despite everything. That said, the middle part of the story was difficult to parse and felt incredibly repetitive. I can handle ambiguity and chaos in narration so long as enough things keep happening to hold my interest, but that wasn’t really the case here.

The prose was pretty and promising enough that I will check out the author’s future works, but this particular book just did not land for me.

(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This Gothic tale transported me to an Alice in wonderland feeling place with a darker more sinister vibe. There was an oddness and an offness to the story. Certain aspects at times led you to a sense of security but there was always something itching that wasn’t quite right.

Midnight rooms also had a flavor of sensuality to it. The romance between Orabella and Elias being passionate, but also carrying an offness under the surface.

After reading this book it felt like waking up from an odd and macabre dream. It even put me in a state where I questioned what I read and if that it had happened the way I had read it. Making me feel that I was in that not quite awake not quite asleep state.

Midnight Rooms is fascinating, creepy, and atmospheric. If you love stories like Alice in Wonderland and Crimson Peak this is a perfect book to dive into!

Midnight Rooms was a very interesting historical fiction, paranormal/horror story.

Orabella has been living on scraps most of her life - after her parents died. Her aunt and uncle seemed embarrassed of her and did the bare minimum for her because she was Black.

Now, Korringhill Manor was such a dilapidated place. The descriptions of the house, the smells, the clothing, the decay... I was able to see it in my mind and experience Orabella's first walkthrough with Elias. This book had me questioning reality. Wondering why Orabella kept convincing herself that Elias and this "Family" was the best thing to happen to her... Like sis, this is beyond impoverished.


This family was warped, wicked and more. All of the people that helped keep Orabella trapped and all of the lies they were telling her in that house.. Even down to Elias. The way this book ended, pissed me off so bad. Because how is that the last sentence?

It took me a second to get into this book but to be honest once I did it got really good. The gothic vibes, the story building the character development was okay. I was disappointed in how fast the book went after we got to the plot of the story, it felt too rushed. But other than that it was a good read.

Bizarre, gothic, and insane. I'm still deciding if I loved it, or if I truly understood it in the first place. There is a lot to take in with this book.

Took a little while to truly connect and get into the story, but overall an okay read. Multiple fairytales in one to compare to. Almost like a “fever dream” maybe Alice in wonderland?!

THIS! OMG. The gothic vibes, the story, the ending! The ending was predictable but I still really enjoyed it. It was everything I was craving in a book. I wish it hadn't moved so fast once the secret was out though. I would have liked to see more.

Loved this. One of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen and I wanted to add a copy to my home library. I think I’ll wait for the paperback because of my tactile issues with the dust jacket material

Midnight Rooms was absolutely amazing and I absolutely devoured it holy sh*t this was an amazing book. I absolutely love the way this is written; the way it completely absorbs you until YOU are Orabella, and you’re in this huge strange house where nothing makes sense and everyone has sharp teeth. I can’t wait to see more of this authors work, truly. 💗

Wow, I loved this! It was an ethereal, almost dream-like quality to the story and writing that I just could not get enough of. I loved the creepy, Gothic vibes and the overall sense of building dread from what was happening. Even though parts of this were a bit confusing, that only helped deepen the dreamy quality and made it even stronger. Loved it, this would be surreal to see on screen as a full movie!

I gave this a good try and I do enjoy a fever dream book but as this started out good it lost me in the second half. Not even sure what I just read.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this
2/5

This was a wild ride. An Absolutely poetic, chaotic fever dream of a novel that left my spine tingling and my mind reeling. Orabella was an interesting character with a big personality. Pacing and plot was steady for the most part, and my interest was continuously peaked.

I loved the gothic feel of this story. I really enjoyed the suspense and the creepiness! I felt like there maybe could have been a more direct plot, but all-in-all, well done!

I love a good fever dream book. I actually love reading books where I feel like I'm walking through a dream or nightmare. This book hit the spot and the atmosphere was beautiful and spooky. You definitely feel like you've taken some hallucinogens. It's kind of like a trippy version of Alice in Wonderland, meets Jane Eyre, meets Snow White.

"Midnight Rooms" left me feeling disengaged and ultimately led me to set the book aside at 74%. Despite a chilling atmosphere and an eerie manor setting, the novel failed to capture my interest. The protagonist's passive approach to the unfolding mystery—simply reacting to events rather than actively engaging with them—rendered her character lackluster and unremarkable. This reactionary stance, coupled with a stagnant plot, made it difficult to remain invested in the story. While the unsettling vibe of the manor and its enigmatic family were intriguing, they weren’t enough to compensate for the unremarkable character development and lack of narrative momentum. I’d be interested in reading more from this author in the future to see if they’d be able to create a more dynamic protagonist.

Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles is a mesmerizing YA fantasy set in a Gothic mansion that blurs the line between reality and madness. Coles skillfully weaves together elements of Gothic and fairy tale genres, creating a seamless and complementary narrative. The fusion of these genres enhances the story, allowing them to enrich each other rather than clash. I was intrigued from beginning to end with this one.

I was excited to read a new author and cleanse my literary palette with a different genre. Midnight Rooms was billed as a historical thriller steeped in horror, set in 1840’s England. I jumped in with great expectations.

The first third of the book started solidly, the characters were introduced with enough background and substance for me to like and understand their positions and enough mystery to keep turning pages. A young (and reluctant) bride, Orabella is betrothed to Elias, and once married, is whisked wavy to his decrepit estate. It does not take long to discover that things are not quite what they seem and Orabella finds herself physically bruised and compromised mentally and emotionally. It sounds intriguing; however, the story meandered and I never regained the same interest I had initially. By the third act, I just wanted to complete the story - which I did with questions remaining.

I suppose the “dreamy” episodes and creepy settings will appeal to fans of Gothic stories with a pinch of weirdness.

Thanks to the publisher, Amistad, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

In England in 1840, newlyweds Orabella Mumthrope and Elias Blakersby arrive at Korringhill Manor. Black, orphaned, and exchanged by a disinterested uncle for gambling debts, she has married Elias within 24 hours in the enticing opening chapter but now looks upon his stately home, sprawling ominously before her, with trepidation. Its gloomy interior hints at a former magnificence long-lost to history. Miserly light diffuses into dark hallways through filthy ivy-clad windows, gloomy rooms house ancient dust-grimed furniture, rotting floorboards and mushrooms lie in dank corners, all spectacularly drawn to pull the reader into an alarming sense of unease. The new bride’s room shows some attention. A fairy-tale wall mural is a touch of bright fancy in this decrepit mausoleum, where a rigid housekeeper holds sway. Orabella is dutifully bathed, dressed, fed, never left alone, coddled like a favourite pet, and forbidden to wander or leave the house. Her obedience is rewarded by her preternaturally beautiful husband, who showers her with gifts and sweeps her into irresistible carnal pleasure during his seductive nightly visits, which confuse her all the more.

Characters and scenes are drawn with grotesque and foreboding strokes—the mute doll-like sister-in-law, the terrifying skeletal patriarch, and a ghastly wedding feast, which fills the air with shrieking laughter from the Blakersby family, all experienced through Orabella’s eyes. Confused by what she sees and hears, she tries to be an obedient wife, but as she sways between reality and macabre dreams, and slowly learns to fight back against her horrifying circumstances, is there even one person she can trust? Expositional crumbs are scattered along the way, leaving the reader groping in the darkness for explanation, along with a courageous wife whose determination to defeat this ghastly nightmare is heroic and unusual. This is a relentlessly creepy, spine-chilling debut well worthy of its title.

This book for sure was what I describe as a fever dream. I felt like I would have totally been tripping if I was high while reading it.
It gave me Crimson Peak and Get Out Kind of vibes. I don’t think I was in the target audience cause I don’t really vibe with books that I have me seeing the main character slowly unravel and start to question everything they are seeing and hearing. It did have one scene that absolutely gutted me and that was the high point. After that I was kind of speeding to see how it would end. Which I guess is good thing.
Overall it left me feeling kind of in the middle. It was for sure a unique take on fae that left my mind spinning.
So about a 3 star read.
Would I recommend it? Hmm yes and no. If you like books that make your mind feel like it’s going in acid trip. You’ll like this book.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

This is the type of read for the historical fiction girls that love a gothic theme. I like to think of this book as perfect for the whimisgoth lovers out there. Both meaning and relatable, this read is one you won't soon forget.