Member Review

David Carew has a list of things about his eccentric roommate, Meredith Schwarzwelder, that he thinks are just wrong. Yet he's managed to live with him longer than any other and can't bring himself to look for a new place, even as the magic of the Midnight Wood starts to seep out and a dark being sets its sights on Meredith. There's also the fact that Meredith's brother is now engaged to David's boss's daughter and the potential for career growth that presents, and David finds himself getting closer to his eccentric roommate than ever before. David soon starts to see that there's a lot more to Meredith than meets the eye, and the vexation he feels might be leaning more towards affection than he'd like to admit.

It's a slightly weird story, in that I never managed to figure out if magic is real and something everyone knows about, or if it's just that eccentric people tend to find each other and accept everyone's quirks. But there's something comforting in the manner that David's staid ways are flexible enough to make room for Meredith's eccentricities, the same way that Meredith pushes David out of his comfort zone without making him feel pressured. They're an odd couple that becomes a perfect pair when they actually discuss things.

Another thing to enjoy about this is that while the story does touch on some dark topics and uncomfortable moments, it's somehow done in a cozy manner that lets you know that even as you're going through Meredith's darkest memories, there is a light that will help things work out in the end. It's a story about connections and how they can be positive or negative, and it's up to you and the people around you how you let them affect you. It makes the magical elements of the story give the story a fairytale-like feeling that you don't find much these days.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the emotional read!