A Midsummer's Nightmare [Hardcover]

Kody Keplinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorce dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Whitley is a vivid, flawed, loveable protagonist and this novel isfilled with relatable characters. With honest, authentic language, Keplinger deals deftly with the raw emotions affecting divorced and blended families." (VOYA )

Praise for A Midsummer's Nightmare:

"There's a lot to love about this story. Whitley's...a smart, assertive girl and a refreshing change from the passive, wryly observant heroines of non-paranormal fiction...

With her third novel, this young author continues to evolve; a talent to watch."

(Kirkus )

About the Author

Kody Keplinger was only 17 when she wrote her debut novel, THE DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend), which was an ALA 2011 Quick Picks selection. She grew up in a small town in Kentucky, where she began her writing career. When she isn't writing, she enjoys going to the theater, hanging out in bookstores, and eating Thai food. Kody currently lives in New York City, where she can do all of those things regularly. You can find out more about Kody and her books on her website: www.kodykeplinger.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Poppy; 1 edition (June 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316084220
• ISBN-13: 978-0316084222
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kody Keplinger is a TV buff, a Converse tennis shoe enthusiast, and a self-proclaimed hippie. She's the author of three Young Adult novels, including THE DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend), SHUT OUT, and A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE. She wrote THE DUFF during her senior year of high school in small town, rural Kentucky. Now, she lives in New York City, eats way too much Thai food, and lives in fear of the day when she is buried alive by all of her books. You can find her online at kodykeplinger.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Keplinger Is A Hit! May 29, 2012

By Kristin Feliz

Format:Hardcover

I love Kody Keplinger. #FACT.

I love her not only because she's one of the SWEETEST authors EVER (She allowed me to bombard her with fangirl love a couple of weeks ago at an author event) , but because she's not afraid to take risks and write the sort of books that other YA authors would shy away from. You know...the kind that bring up real teenage issues. Like...well...sex.

With A Midsummer's Nightmare, Keplinger wastes absolutely NO time in getting things started. We begin with a questionable hook-up and shiz hits the fan shortly after. Guys, I LOVE it when shiz hits the fan!! Our main protagonist, Whitney, is introduced to her father's shiny new family and she's left to pick up the pieces of a very imperfect life. While it was incredibly heartbreaking to see Whitley struggle with the idea of her father moving on and leaving his old life (including her) behind, I loved watching those relationships develop.

Whitley's future stepsister, for example, was a gem, but the real charmer was Nathan (Oh, Nathan!) who won me over with his geeky and incredibly charming personality. He's not the typical bad-boy I fall for (*cough* Adrian Ivashkov *cough*) but he's innocent, patient, kind AND let's face it, the kind of boyfriend I hope for in real life.

Swoon worthy? OH Yeah!

But cute boys and character development aside, this wasn't your typical, one-dimensional novel. There were layers and layers of issues that Whitley dealt with honestly and realistically. Keplinger should be praised for the way she handles topics like divorce, sex and self-esteem. She has a way of making it empowering...if that makes any sense. Don't get me wrong, these characters are usually flawed and a little messed up, but they rise above it because they're strong enough to admit that they're flawed!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it takes a HELL of an author to pull this off and Keplinger does it wonderfully.

Ms. Keplinger, I'll be there for your next book and the one after that! You're a young and spectacular talent that can't be missed!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kody Keplinger Has Done It Again June 3, 2012

By Erica

Format:Hardcover

I love that when I open a Kody Keplinger book I always know I am going to get a fabulous contemporary novel. This was just the case with A Midsummer's Nightmare - it was a page turner to the boot and had a drama filled story that I read straight through.

I loved the story - it was so easy to get caught up in. I loved the characters and each of the stories they had to tell. Several characters from The Duff make a cameo appearance, which was so much fun to see!

Kody Keplinger really has a way with words. And she writes the best boys. Nathan was such a hunk and such a sweetheart. I just loved Harrison. He is so funny and is the sort of friend everyone wishes they would have. I wasn't as crazy about Whitley as I was the other characters, but she definitely had her moments. That being said, Whitley was a character that was really easy to connect with, as I felt like so much of what she went through was things I could connect with in some way.

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is a must read for anyone looking for a great contemporary. It was the perfect summer read and now I am sitting waiting for the next Kody Keplinger book to be released.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Midsummer's Nightmare August 28, 2012

By Mundie Moms/Mundie Kids

Format:Hardcover

n true Kody Keplinger fashion she delivers another brutally honest, realistic book that tackles tougher issues that teens will both relate to and understand. Kody is an author who doesn't sugar coat her book's messages, and she creates stories that are gritty, emotional, and true to life. A Midsummer's Nightmare introduces readers to Whitley, a teen girl who's just graduated from high school and has been on the brink of self destructive course, as she acts out in hopes to get some sort of attention from her divorced parents, both of whom seem to be preoccupied with other things vs their own daughter. On top of that, Whitley is defiantly trying to figure out her place in the world, and most importantly her father's new family.

Whitley's story is one I had a hard time with at first, because Whitely is a tough around the edges girl who just doesn't seem to care, about anything. She parties way too much, has had one too many one night stands, and is all around angry character. BUT, there's a reason for why she's doing what she does, and the hurt and pain that are behind these actions broke my heart for her. There's something about her that made me want to find out how what lied behind all those layers she built around herself. The mom side of me wanted to fix things for her and the other side of me knew she could find her way, no matter how long it took her. Lucky for her, she's got a few new people in life her help her come to her aid with things as well as help her get a handle on her new life. This book's secondary characters stole the show for me!

Nathan, Harrison and even Whitley's soon to be step mother Sylvia were all characters who kept me hooked and invested with this story, when Whitley's character at first turned me off of the story. Which sounds silly right? I mean Whitely is the main character after all and this is her story. Huge props to Kody for creating such a complex character who I started out not a huge fan of, and by allowing me to see her change and grow as the story goes on through these other characters, she had me rooting for her before the end of the book. I truly enjoyed getting to know Nathan, Harrison and Sylvia, and seeing all they do for Whitley. They're brutally honest, realistic, loyal characters who shine during Whitley's less than stellar moments, which made me love them that much more. They genuinely cared for her, and helped her find her clearer path and come to turns with some pretty crappy things she has had to cope with one her own for the past few years. They're the kind of people you'd hope you had in your life.

My favorite character by far in this story is Harrison. I adored him and admired the person he is and became in Whitley's life. The book's big turning point for me was during Whitley and Nathan's talk towards the end of the book. I felt like it was during this conversation that all of Whitley's walls finally started to crumble, allowing me to really see her and understand why she acted the way she did. Though I didn't agree with how she channeled her feelings, I understood her reasoning for doing all she did. I got a glimpse of that girl that Nathan saw weeks before. Despite Whitley being a very hard character for me to like or connect with up to this point, this book is full of some in-depth, well written secondary characters who's presence in Whitley's life kept me hooked on reading this book. It's through them that I got to see the Whitley they all loved. Oh Nathan.... what an amazing guy he is. He puts up with a lot, but like Harrison, he's another steady constant in Whitley's life. Talk about a twist! Kody throws in a surprising twist with him at the beginning of this book!

If you're a fan of Kody's books, I'd highly recommend picking this one. If you're a fan of realistic contemporaries with a bit of romance and a ton of character improvement, I'd say pick this one up. There is language, the f word, underage drinking, bullying, an attempted rape scene and a tastefully written sex scene in this book. I do want to note that Kody does such an awesome job with the way she tackles tougher subjects and most importantly bullying and labeling someone. She doesn't sugar coat the effects of such hatred, the importance of having someone/others there to talk to. She also doesn't shy away from describing the consequences of these issues, and her most important message centers around the attempted rape scene and labeling. Though this scene is horrifying, Kody wrote this scene in away that will effect each of her books readers in one way or another. I feel this book's messages are ones a lot of people will take to heart and pick up on.