Despite having a beat-up paperback edition of THE MIDNIGHT CLUB (published 1994) sitting on my shelf for years, I never had the inclination to read it until after I finished watching the Netflix series (which I loved btw). Naturally I had high hopes that the book would deliver in spades, given that's the way these things generally go, right? I mean, the book is almost always better than the screen adaptation... So, how was it?
Well, different. A lot different.
The characters (only 5 in the book) live in Rotterham House, a hospice for young people. Just like the TV series, each are terminal and are engaging and deep characters with their own unique story to tell. The sad feels from the TV series is prominent here too - as is the main theme; storytelling - which, just like the TV series, is a real highlight, only this time, Ilonka's midnight stories are retellings of a former life, one which involves some of the other characters. This added a fantasy element to the narrative which provided a nice distraction from the generally somber tone of the book.
The horror element is distinctly lacking; The cult, the ghosts, the horror stories told by the characters in the TV series aren't here, and that's ok, the book is a different story and is equally as enjoyable.
THE MIDNIGHT CLUB reads more as a heartfelt teen drama, a character study resilience and the power of imagination. The horror, as mentioned earlier, isn't in the creepy crawlies or bumps in the night, rather, this is real world horror and it's damn right scary.
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