Midnight for Charlie Bone

Jenny Nimmo

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

Since his father died, Charlie Bone has lived with his mother and her mother, in the house of his other grandmother, Grandma Bone. Looking at a picture of a couple with a baby and a cat, he suddenly discovers he can hear their voices. Although he tries to hide his new gift, Grandma Bone and her scary sisters soon find out, and send him to Bloor's Academy. Charlie quickly finds life at Bloor's pretty tough, with its strict rules and the malevolent head boy, Manfred, set against him. When Charlie discovers that the child in the photograph is being held, hypnotised, against her will, he and his new friends with 'gifts' try to awaken her. But can they overcome Manfred's sinister hypnotic gifts?

Review by M. Mallop (010608) Rating (7/10)

Review by M. Mallop
Rating 7/10
A bit lower than my other ratings but I do have good reason... Don't let my rating put you off these books are truly charming and I am hoping as I work my way through the series Nimmo will develop her characters and develop her style for the older reader… but what am I complaining about? These are children's books and do exactly what they say on the tin (or should that be blurb): Charlie Bone (fatherless) is thrust into Bloor's Academy by his horrific Aunts, Bloor's academy where you board all week and are bullied by teachers and pupils alike, but Charlie isn't at Bloors because of his academic abilities, Charlie is descended from the mysterious Red King. Charlie is descended from a great line of people who have fantastic abilities, abilities like entering photos, becoming invisible, hypnotism... magic.

Nimmo creates a fabulous world, I just wish the story was a little more advanced, but as I said before this is certainly worth a read, if you need a little magic in your life then read on good sir, read on... I certainly will, after all I just need to know Uncle Paton's secrets, I need to see the Yewbeam aunts get their comeuppance and most of all I want to catch up with Charlie!
M. Mallop (1st June 2008)