Midnight, Good Morning

Good Morning, Midnight is a very good post-apocalyptic novel. It took awhile for me to become engaged as it was slow and I had expected it to be a gripping story of survival. It was not. It is a thriller in which the protagonists find themselves in danger from the start but it is a slower-paced story than what I expected.

The author knows her characters inside and out. The focus is on two of them; astronaut Sully and scientist Augie, their thoughts, relationships, regrets and motivations. Sully, a woman on board a spacecraft called Aether, is 200,000 miles from earth, headed home from a deep space exploration project when they lose contact with Mission Control. Augie is a scientist working in a research facility in the Canadian Arctic. When his fellow scientists are evacuated amidst war rumors, Augie decides to stay behind. He thinks he is alone yet finds an 8-year old girl named Iris who was also left behind. Augie and Iris find themselves completely isolated in this cold remote icebound habitat with no communication channels. In the midst of uncertain futures, each is on a separate journey to self-discovery.

I want to make note of favorite character Iris, a special 8-year old girl who was left behind with Augie. She is mysterious, quiet and unusual. I couldn’t wait to find out what her story was; why she was left behind, where did she come from and why had Augie never seen her until after his team evacuated? That piece of the puzzle preoccupied my thoughts.

At times I found myself skimming pages as things could get a bit tedious with descriptions and character reflections, but I am glad I read on. This was a good character study with some beautiful writing and an unexpected and thought-provoking ending.

Even though my title describes this as reminiscent of Station 11 and The Martian, it's really a unique story.

Augustine is a man living in an arctic science station. He's alone, because all the other scientists fled when rumors of war and chaos in the rest of the world became a concern to them. He hasn't been able to make contact with anyone for a year.

A parallel story shares about astronauts on a long mission experiencing a similar predicament. They are heading back home to earth, but they also have had no communication, so they aren't sure to what they are returning or if they will even ever make it back. The long time in space always takes a physical toll on a person, but this uncertainty is wearing them down psychologically as well.

Each of the astronaut characters is well-developed, but it's Sully who we get to know best. Her predicament and possible near return to earth leads her to examine her life, from her estranged father to her distant mother to her own abandonment of her daughter.

I was at first far more interested in the astronaut story than the one in the arctic, but when he decides to move from one camp to another in the subzero freezing conditions hoping for better satellite reception, I became equally or more interested in his story.

I would love to read more about the characters. The way the book ended, there could be a sequel, though I doubt there will be. It was satisfying enough, but I would love the story to keep going.

I was astounded to find myself weeping as I neared the end of this book. It was such a quietly moving and unique story I did not expect the deep feelings it evoked. This was not a "boo hoo, how sweet (or sad, or fill-in-the-blank.)" cry. I felt it originate from my core, a surprisingly poignant, tender and yet painful mix of emotions that seemingly came from out of nowhere, but had been building throughout the book. The only previous books I can recall doing this to me in recent years were The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and Peter Heller's Dog Stars. This is a book not to be missed or forgotten

A haunting tale of disconnection, Good Morning Midnight touches on the feeling of aloneness that every individual faces in life. Communications all over the world suddenly cease for unknown reasons. Alone at an artic research station, an elderly astronomer struggles with his history of disconnection from others. Coming back from a mission to the outer reaches of the solar system, a young astronaut ruminates over her own disconnection from family. Radio communication between the two becomes very meaningful through the course of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.. The author did a masterful job of depicting the emotions that the individuals in the novel experienced. The characters' back stories and interactions were also very well presented. The writing style flowed well and the story was compulsively readable. HIghly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a complementary eARC for review purposes.

If you need an action packed adventure, DO.NOT.READ.THIS.NOVEL. If you would like a thought-provoking, soul searching look into the heart of two individuals, this might be your cup of coffee. I was intrigued by the premise of a two year mission to Jupiter. I admittedly found the first of the novel slow until I realized that this is exactly what the characters were experiencing. What would you be experiencing in a space ship, built with today's technology, on a round trip to Jupiter. I also found it interesting that whether on the Earth or in space, two of the characters experienced the same inner turmoil. I was disappointed at the ending, until I understood that like the entire story, we don't often get the answers to the big questions. It is the solutions and resolutions to several little queries that make us full and satisfied. I borrowed this book through the Sacramento Public Library via the Kindle the store program.

I absolutely loved this book! In many ways it was quite different to most of the books where a lot of the action revolves around dialogue and the interaction between characters. This book is very descriptive. Its main theme is isolation.

Augustine, a world renowned astronomer refuses to leave the Arctic base when the rest of his colleagues are evacuated due to an international emergency. He is astounded to find a child who has also been left behind. Their environment and their lives are brilliantly captured. I was totally captivated by the beauty and the harshness of their lives.

Sully is the communications specialist on two year research mission to Jupiter. On their return to Earth they lose all communication to Earth. The way this impacts on her and the other members of her crew, again captures the isolation they feel.

I want to thank Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this stunning book

A lone researcher in the Arctic and six astronauts returning from a mission to Jupiter's moons find themselves without contact with others on Earth. No answers on radio or satellite, no Mission Control. And no idea what has happened or what awaits them.

The parallel stories come together in a surprising and moving way, told in one of the most exquisitely plotted books I've ever read. Each fact that's revealed seems essential to the story and is dropped in at exactly the right moment. The characters are real, and their responses to possibilities they can only guess at seem true and so human. I can't recommend this book enough: for the writing, the story, and the gorgeous way the author brings the book to a close. Just - superb.

I liked this book. It was refreshingly unique, and the small number of characters made it seem very intimate. There are two clear plot threads, with interesting and unexpected events in both, but for the most part this story is character-driven. The plot is clearly deemed secondary to the characters, as evidenced by the ending. If you like a book that neatly ties everything up in the end, this one isn't for you!

The one thing that I didn't like about the book was the large "coincidence" which was revealed at the end (although I guessed it midway through). I don't think it was necessary to build connection between the characters or between the story and the readers. Frankly, it struck me as trite and a little silly. Still, that was really the only let-down for me, so I am happy to recommend it to anyone interested in a good, quick read.

Lily Brooks-Dalton makes an impressive debute with "Good Morning, Midnight." The author displays a professionalisnm and talent which would otherwiose suggest years iof excellence. As a fan of well-written SF, I look forward to her next works. Without giving away too much of the story here, the plot imagines an earth suddenly depopulated. We focus on two groups of survivors: a 78 year old astronomer in the far Arctic (with a misterious young girl as his sole companion) and a crew of 6 astronauts on a return trip from the moons of Jupiter.

What makes the book so gripping is the focus on the back story of the individual protagonists, richly drawn and beautifully detailed. Brooks-Dalton has obvious knowledge of both featured environments, and as the story slowly unfolds, one cannot imagine the conclusion that awaits. It makes for page-turning..... slowly, so that one appreciates the wonderful prose. A definite winner, and not only for SF fans. It's a great novel.

This is more a literary novel than a straight sci fi novel. It is quiet and doesn't reveal many details about the disaster that silences earth for both the astronaut or the lone scientist in Anartica. Even as a shorter than average novel, I wanted it to move a little faster, but more importantly get somewhere, which mostly happens outside the novel. If you are interested in a mostly internal novel, check it out.

For some reason, we all know reasons like this , this book didn't catch with me. Catastrophic event on earth sets the stage for GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT by Lily Brooks-Dalton, a better than average debut novel. The story just didn't grab me. Augie refuses to leave the Arctic station when it is evacuated, so very alone, and no communication at all with the world. Sully is on a Jupiter space craft with a small crew returning to earth to no communication. Through the air waves they finally talk . The story was well written and slow, and I just wanted something more to happen. I would tell you to try it for yourself but for me. It didn't work.

This is a well written and intriguing mystery/science fiction/thought-provoking novel. The story is conveyed using prose that often borders on poetic style. The descriptions of Space and of the Arctic show that they are in a sense "full" yet desolate; even as the characters, themselves are fully developed yet desolate in many ways. Having been "called" to their respective careers, the characters are shaped by their choices and environments. The author emphasizes contrast of the snugness of living in a small spaceship with the Universe as the backdrop for part of the story. Then the same contrast is made with the tight living arrangement in a research camp within the vastness of the Arctic tundra. The novel is a masterpiece in bringing the two distinct adventures together. I am always interested in how it is possible to "write" a book. I am totally amazed that the author was able to combine so much action and character development. Indeed the author was able to create unique self-contained stories within a vastness of thought that surpasses the 253 pages. I am pleased that Random House sent me such great literature.

This book did not move particularly fast, and it was not action packed, but it was so beautifully written and evoked such an emotional response in me. I almost didn't read it due to a review I read saying that nothing happened it, but I am so grateful that I did, because it blew me away. If the world is ending, what is important? The book doesn't answer all the questions the reader may have, but it answers the important ones. I don't want to say anymore except that I loved the characters, the writing, the settings, pretty much everything about it. There was even a poignant twist. I highly recommend this novel.

“But you are a scientist. You understand how this works. We study the universe in order to know, yet in the end the only thing we truly know is that all things end—all but death and time. It’s difficult to be reminded of that”—he patted her hand where it lay on the table—“but it’s harder to forget.”

###

The basic premise of GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT immediately reminded me of the opening scenes of THE WALKING DEAD: protagonist Rick Grimes awakens from a coma, only to be greeted by a world he barely recognizes. Entire buildings, blocks, cities, all in shambles. Radio, internet, and satellite communication (mostly) down. His wife and son missing. The dead come back to life; zombies (sorry, walkers!) as far as the eye can see.

Ever since the show’s premier (not a huge fan of the comics, sorry!), this idea has fascinated me: what must it be like to return to the world after a prolonged absence – whether voluntary (a cruise) or not (a coma), mundane (a hiking trip) or the truly spectacular (terraforming Mars!) – only to find it radically transformed? To the stuff of nightmares? And you’re the last woman standing?

GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT plays with this idea in the form of two survivors, both of whom exist – by chance or by choice, for a time or permanently – in the margins of humanity.

Augustine is a brilliant scientist (astronomer?) in the twilight of his career – and his life, which are one and the same in his estimation. In his late seventies, he came to the Barbeau Observatory, situated at the top of the Arctic archipelago, to commune with the stars one last time. About two years into his stay, an evac team descended on the outpost, bringing with them rumors of war and catastrophe in the outside world. Augie’s fellow scientists evacuated in a hurry, but he chose to stay: everything he needed was right there in the observatory.

Yet fate threw a wrench into his plans in the form of Iris, a mysterious little girl seemingly forgotten in the dormitories. With someone other than himself to consider for the first time in a long time, Augie decides to try and make contact with the outside world, for the girl’s sake. An old man, he’s not likely to survive many more polar winters.

Meanwhile, the six-person crew of the Aether is halfway through its mission to Jupiter when they lose contact with Mission Control. At first, they don’t think much of it; equipment failures happen, and besides, they’re so preoccupied with exploring Jupiter and its four moons that it’s hard to care about anything else. But as the days stretch into weeks and then months, communications specialist Sully and her colleagues grow more and more terrified of what they’ll find when they finally return home.

This seems like a book I should have loved, and yet it mostly fell flat for me. I think the main problem is this: GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT is a character-driven story…driven by two very boring characters. Augie is flat-out unlikable. To be fair, this is kind of the point: make adult Augie horrible so that elderly Augie’s redemption is that much more complete. But I think the plot would have been better served by an Augie who’s an emotionally unavailable, mildly misanthropic curmudgeon instead of the irredeemable, emotionally abusive womanizer we get. His exes have it right: Augie is a sociopath, at least where emotions are concerned. He treats women like scientific experiments, mistreating them simply to see how they’ll react. A Dexter who wields passive-aggressive asides and one-night stands in lieu of a scalpel and Saran Wrap.

Sully, on the other hand, is just exhausting; an overdone example of the nope, sorry dear, you cannot have it all career woman trope. She’s long since divorced from her husband Jack – who presumably married Sully knowing full well of her brilliance and ambition – and estranged from her daughter Lucy – who she doesn’t seem to have wanted in the first place. Rather than be proud of their super-awesome wife/mother (like Sully was with her own mom Jean), Sully’s family seems to resent her success. And, yes, the prolonged absences it necessitates – but men have been juggling families and careers for generations without being judged and shamed for it. So what if Jack assumes responsibility for the domestic sphere? He’s clearly better at it, and women have been doing the same for years. Get with the future, yo!

Sully internalizes this rejection and, rather than taking it out on Jack – who clearly married Sully expecting her to magically transform into something she’s not – comes to the conclusion that she is a bad wife and mother – and, by extension, a bad woman. A horrible person, a failure as a human being. Never mind that she’s found a family on the Aether – one that accepts her as she is, loves and values her as a person, and nourishes her in ways that a domesticated existence clearly couldn’t. Nope, clearly the problem is that she’s broken and incapable of love. *snort*

Nor did I much care for twist #1 (at 67%), which I saw coming from Chapter 1. In fact, it’s so painfully predictable that I kind of wonder if it’s even supposed to be a twist at all? Like, are we all on the same page here or what? Either way, it’s also ridiculously improbable. My credulity does not stretch that far, okay.

Tragically, the final two chapters – one each for Augie and Sully, since they alternate perspectives – were actually kind of lovely. It’s too bad that I’d long since stopped caring what became of Augie and Sully by then. *shrug*

Also, I bet Thebes is feeling pretty silly for bringing a few bulky paperbacks instead of a fully loaded Kindle. Just saying. What year is this, 1996? Egads.

** Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through NetGalley. **

This beautifully written debut novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world where everything has gone mysteriously quiet. The survivors inhabit remote locations in the arctic and on a spacecraft returning from Jupiter, and are left with plenty of time to ponder the fate of humanity and their own ambitious lives. What was once important may seem meaningless as the world comes to an end. This engaging book is a wonderful addition to the post-apocalypse genre.

This might be the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read. I can hear the silence of the empty airwaves on the radio, see the endless blackness of outer space, feel the subzero temperatures of the Arctic, taste the fish caught in the lake ... every sentence brings us into the story. I can’t imagine anything I will read in the weeks to come will top the beautiful narrative in this book.

This is an extraordinary book. Two parallel stories converging in such an ethereal and profound way. I sat in my kitchen and cried. I love the adventure and "other-worldly" feel to it... and the symbology was very powerful. One of the best books I've read in a long time!

This book is about what happens to two characters after everyone else on earth are probably dead. One is a scientist in the Artic who chose to stay after the other scientists were evacuated the other was on a space ship that has been on a mission to the moons of Jupiter. Neither is entirely alone as the one at the Artic had a little girl named Iris with him and the one in space had the rest of her crew. This is what happens when the earth goes silent. Good book.

I found it ponderous, sad, and very slow paced. At times I liked it, but I had a hard time getting through it because the story takes so long to move, and the descriptions are so drawn out. It reminded me of Thomas Hardy, and I'm not used to that any more.

For what it sets out to be, a lyrical story of isolation, of loneliness, and of the need for human connection, it succeeds. By genre I classify it more as literature than science fiction.

I can totally understand why this book will get - and probably deserve - polarizing reviews. Lily Brooks-Dalton avoids easy answers, doesn't provide any big set-pieces for the reader's attention, and basically asks the reader to work through a very slow, thoughtful, intensely described book without giving much in the way of the payoff. It's an epic - going from Jupiter to Earth - but doesn't read like it.

On a different day, I probably would not have liked it - but on THIS day, I was taken along for the ride and could suspend disbelief in all the ways that mattered. I read it over two nights; it's not a simple read but because it's so focused on just a handful of characters in small locations, it doesn't feel like a big exhausting sprawl of a "bigger" novel. This is a visionary and creative effort - and Brooks-Dalton deserves a lot of credit for refusing to compromise her idea - there are SO many places where a writer could have surrendered to audience's conventional expectations. There might be a couple places where it gets a little cute, but by the end I could forgive that.

As the synopsis describes, the world has ended and the characters don't know what's going on - we have a scientist at the pole, and an astronaut crew returning from Jupiter. While this is "science fiction," Brooks-Dalton wisely does not move this too far past our own understanding. It's not focused on technical knowledge or anything.

The two isolated locations - space and the arctic - come alive in their claustrophobia and also solitude. Because there's nothing really going on, she devotes all her energy to bringing the personality of the locations to the forefront. The space crew gives her more opportunity to have characters engage with each other, and the two people at the arctic have a helpful relationship when an older man is pushed into an unexpected position of responsibility.

I think readers of conventional, plot-driven sci-fi would dislike this very much. But this is a bold attempt that on the right day with the right frame of mind will prove a compelling story I guess about what any of us might feel at the end of the world.

I loved the title - it actually was the reason, more than the plot synopsis, that I wanted to read the book. When a title evokes that sort of feeling, I'll trust the author enough to give the full book a chance.

Audiobook

This book was soooo sllooowww mooovvvinng. The narrators did a great job but they had to work with a lot of - I awoke - I went to bed. Over and over. I think if the author could have cut some of those down I would have enjoyed the book more. If this were a physical book I was reading, I probably wouldn't have finished it. Which I feel is a shame because I loved the ending.

I read a lot of apocalyptic fiction, but this novel is stunningly unique. Writing so assured it's hard to believe it's a first novel, a driving narrative I found myself devouring in one sitting, and a complex protagonist I won't forget. The ending was hard to swallow, but by that time it still made me cry.

I didn't know what to expect. However, the author tells two parallel stories that are not so outlandish as to be improbable in the near future. The book is well written, though necessarily a bit anticlimactic.

Lily Brooks Dalton will transport you to the near future and breakdown of civilization with this book. Essentially, the characters come to grips with the end of the world as they know it. The ending is a bit of a surprise and it left me wanting more. I finished the book during a 6 hour flight.

Haunting, heart wrenching, and reflective; this novel leaves you with many questions about the inevitable end we all face, and the hope to which we cling in our darkest moments.
It would seem the story isn't meant to be a grand space adventure, or a tale of apocalyptic chaos, but rather a glimpse into humanity in our final moments.

Haunting, heart wrenching, and reflective; this novel leaves you with many questions about the inevitable end we all face, and the hope to which we cling in our darkest moments.
It would seem the story isn't meant to be a grand space adventure, or a tale of apocalyptic chaos, but rather a glimpse into humanity in our final moments.

MEDIUM: eBook
MY RATING: 2.5/5
Full disclosure: I did not finish this book, I quit reading at 55%.
The two story threads did not hold my attention, and although the writing was beautiful and the descriptions amazing, there simply was not enough happening to make me willing to spend the required time to finish the book.

The plot revolves around two main people, Sully and Augustine, as they struggle through day to day life in their own unique ways at a time when it appears all life of Earth has ceased. Augustine is at an abandoned observatory in the arctic, and Sully is on a spaceship headed home from a mission to Jupiter. At 55% through the novel, the two threads had not crossed, though everything seemed to be hinting that contact between them was eminent.

Being character driven does not immediately turn me off from a book, as these books often allow the writer’s ability to paint beautiful word pictures to shine. This is the case with this book, as well. The descriptions were lovely, but I could only take so many descriptions of the cold, dark, bleak arctic, and the silent, monotonous, lonely life on the spaceship.

Ultimately, if you love character driven novels and fancy a character driven sci-if novel, you may love this, it just wasn’t for me.

I received this ebook for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Augie is an old astronomer at an observatory in the Canadian arctic. The government informs the astronomers and staff that they are being evacuated in just a few hours. Augie refuses to leave and watches everyone else fly south. A few days later Augie can no longer contact any communication satellites. Sully is a communication technician with 5 other scientists and engineers on a space craft that has just finished exploring 4 moons of Jupiter and is returning to Earth. She can no longer communicate with Mission Control, the International Space Station, or receive any other signals from Earth.

The book alternates between Augie and Sully. He waits during the winter for the return of the sun, listens to wolves howl, and sees an old polar bear. He also reminisces about his family, going to school, and the early years of his career. She reminisces about her parents, her daughter, her ex-husband, her childhood, and the early years of her career. She also describes the shifting moods of each of the other 5 crew members and herself.

There are a few incidents in the arctic and a few incidents on the space ship. I did not enjoy the book. But readers who might like descriptions of arctic scenery and might like reading about the shifting moods of different characters worried about what might have happened on earth might enjoy this book.

Augustine is an astronomer who loves the stars. He’s in the Artic, stuck. Sulivan (Sully) is aboard the Aether on a returning mission from Jupiter with her crewmates. These two astronauts find themselves stuck in remote area’s. They’re separate stories slowly start to snake together throughout this book. When all else in life is gone and you left in an outlying area alone, then what? This book is the story of a silent apocalypse. When I chose it, had I know it was yet another mediocre novel written about the apocalypse, I would have skipped it.
This book was hard to read, hard to follow at times and seemed like a bit of a rip off from “The Martian” to me. I loved “The Martian” and this one fails to even come close. In this book the world goes silent leaving Sully and her crew wondering and also leaving Augustine and a found child alone.
Augustine ends up with a child in tow and this storyline led me to think of The Snow Child. A kid magically appears, a bit of a stretch here, but the relationship they have is nothing short of beautiful. Well written novel, just not my topic of choice.

Good Morning Midnight, by Lisa Brooks Dalton (c) 2016

Copy of message to Lisa Brooks Dalton's website:
Before you let another book out, get help with the serious 'had' problem that shows itself in Good Morning Midnight. In the first 21 pages of text, the word 'had' appears 98 times. I could be off by one or two, but no matter. Count 'em yourself.
Of the 98, 14 are used correctly and 84 are not, which is a lot by any standard. An error rate of 86% is not a record but it is, let us say, on the "plentiful" side, certainly worth having you pay attention.
(In "Modern Love": Google counts 17 'had's, of which 12 are incorrect.)
There is NO question of whether you have a Had Problem. You do.
You might get me to correct a new text for you, or you could do it yourself if you think you can see them. Set your computer to show the word 'had', and then try the sentence without it and if it works without the 'had', 99 times out of a hundred, it will be correct without it.
The most common 'had' error is to put it in front of what are, BY THEIR FUNCTION, regular past tense verbs, where they NEVER belong.
Next most common error is to put 'had' in front of irregular past tense verbs, which forces the irregular past participle.
Next most common error is to use 'had been' where 'was' or 'were' belongs. Without counting, which is tedious work, I'd guess that this error is number one for you. There are lots and lots of 'had been' errors.
Some lesser offenders included "had-for-did", but that's fairly rare. Don't worry.
But DO worry about the blizzard of common 'had' errors. They peg you as an amateur and they make it hard for readers who know better, which is most people educated in the English-speaking world.
I hope this helps you and that you'll let me know what you think about it and – I hope – DO about it.
Don't worry about what is already in print; heck, it's already in print.
Unless, of course, your books are POD. Then WHEE, no problem. Fix it and let 'em fly.
.brad.sunday.18september2016. -bradvines-at-gmail-dot-com-