Customer Reviews

The Color Midnight Made : A Novel

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While it's true that coming-of-age stories are not infrequently found in literature, the way Andrew Winer treats his subject is fresh, engaging and relevant. This tale of young Conrad Clay butting up against the painful realities of adulthood broke my heart, but then the story knitted the fissures and gave me hope.

Having no first-hand experience at being a ten-year-old boy, I was grateful for the guided tour into this young man's heart and head. Evenso, Conrad's story brought up a flood of memories -- being a girl child isn't really so very different. This is what makes Winer's book, and Conrad's tale, the reader's own: being ten, having to deal with the fallibility of adults, living in a tired ol' neighborhood, or watching your parents split up are experiences that many, many people can relate to intimately; but connecting into this man-child's heartaching experience, and watching him survive, made me think I can, too.

I am astonished at the dexterity of Winer's wordsmithing, and the wickedly funny (the morgue scene!) and heart-wrenching dialogue. The way he draws descriptions was nothing short of extraordinary, and some of the scene settings left me gasping. This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to upcoming wordsmithing by Andrew Winer.

I met the author of this novel, who spent much time in New York City, and writes with the passion of experience and the knowledge of life in the streets. The hero of this novel is a young white man living in a primarily black community in a shipyard town near San Francisco. He goes from foster home to foster home and attends Christian churches attended by blacks. While its about identity, its also about friendship (he befriends a blind man who draws a new color thats symbolic of the soul). It's also about tolerance, humanity and a boy's journey into manhood. It's a modern coming of age novel. It's well-written and soulful. Dickens, while not in an obvious way, directly influenced some of the characteristics- the waif who is taken in by a "family" and taught good values. The book is very modern and contains language that is very realistic and down-to-earth, like its tone. I look forward to a sequel if it is ever written.

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of some aspects of my own childhood (parents not getting along, father getting drunk and swearing, feeling alone in the world, unhappy about family life). At first I thought it was a bit slow but then it picked up (not too far into it) and never lost my attention after that. The author keeps an even pace between hardship and humor so one does not get depressed reading the book. The part I remember the most (and still gives me a chuckle) is when Conrad is in church (forced to go my his mother who does not attend with him). Apparently the church choir is predominately white (if not all white) and a black church choir comes to visit. Conrad is bored and not very interesetd in the strained singing of the white church choir but when the black church choir comes in with their own unique way it makes Conrad sit up and pay attention and he thinks to himself "We have a situation!" If you didn't get a chuckle out of that you'll have to read the book and see how the author described it. It is poignant.

I recommend this book. It is an easy and relativly fast read. I loaned it to my 15-year-old nephew. He has to do several book reports for school and needs something that he can read that isn't too long. I felt this was a good balance between not too long but would also hold his attention and be a pleasure to read.

Conrad Clay, the ten-year-old protagonist of "The Color Midnight Made" is the center of his own universe...one that's slowly but inexorably going to pieces. Growing up white in a predominantly black area of San Francisco isn't easy--but "Con" is adaptable and trusting. Perhaps too trusting. As he watches his family crumble, and his relationship with his best buddy "Loop" (a derivative of "Froot Loops")grow distant, Con moves through the world like a lost soul.

Andrew Winer has created a character in Conrad equal to Holden Caulfield--a rebellious, naive and innocent young man searching for truth. "The Color Midnight Made" is darkly poetic, moving, and wonderfully told. This is a story that stays in your mind long after you've finished reading it.

Winer tells a fascinating tale of a young boy coming of age just outside Oakland, California. A young white boy living in a black neighborhood searches for his identity while trying to hold his world together. Conrad Clay, known to his friends and family as "Con" reaches from the pages and touches the reader's heart with humor, empathy, and innocence. He labors to be accepted, struggles with his feelings of disparity.

Strong secondary characters like Loop, Con's best friend, make The Color Midnight Made an undeniably worthy read. Con's parents play significant roles in the flow of the story, as does Midnight, Loop's blind brother. An anomolous story and premise, even the title of this book seeps with poeticism and profundity, and once you read this wonderful book, you too will be able to see The Color Midnight Made.

~ Reviewed by CandaceK

Conrad Clay, the boy through whose eyes this story is told, will stay with you. The same way you sometimes meet a person only to find out after a while that you have gently and effortlessly become best friends, so does Andrew Winer's first novel grow on you. At first, curiosity prompted me to read...but when we share an experience at a car wash, the book becomes a page turner and we're with Conrad all the way. This is coming-of-age at its best.

The author is uniquely capable of seeing and sharing with us astonishing beauty in decidedly challenging environs -- transcending race, class and culture. A reminder to us all that we can choose to see the beautiful, no matter what the circumstances. This book feels like James Taylor and Frankie Beverly together in concert...

So, if you're still looking for that summer read that gently washes your soul and brings some simple beauty into your life, I wholeheartedly recommend you pick this up and spend a weekend with Con, Loop, Mary, Slow-Drive, B.L.T. and, of course, Midnight.

This is a wonderfully poignant and funny portrait of childhood. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Those who demand an intricate plot in all their stories may be disappointed, but those who enjoy colorful characters, honest emotions, and witty prose will find this book endearing.

With "The Color Midnight Made", Andrew Winer gives us a clear look at the harsh realities of life through the experiences of Conrad Clay, a ten year old boy living in a poverty stricken, dysfunctional home. Winer is brilliant in capturing the confusion young Conrad feels as he is exposed to illicit interactions at the home of his best friend, Loop. But, interestingly, this is the only place where Conrad finds comfort, unconditional love and acceptance. Sadly, the confusion is escalated in his home environment where his father an abusive alcoholic has lost his job and his mother, a self absorbed almost cruel woman, denies him the love and attention he craves.

In Conrad Clay, Winer has created a character we would not soon forget. Conrads instincts for survival, independence, sensitivity, and intelligence are reminiscent of Huck Finn; but, here Winer trumps Twain who looses touch with Hucks voice when the adult voice emerges throughout the novel. Winer does not give in to political temptation and masterfully maintains Conrads youthful voice consistently throughout the novel. We never stop believing a ten year old is speaking.

We are also introduced to an array of colorful characters. Mary, Loops strong, enduring mother, is more sensative of Conrads needs and pains and offers more love and nurturing than his own mother. Bobby, Marys smooth talking boyfriend who we want to dislike as a "good-for-nothing, do-nothing" we never would trust within arms length of our own children. Nonetheless, we are cajoled to feel otherwise. We are made to see him through the accepting, non- judgmental eyes of Conrad who seems to redeem him. We see the human side of Bobby in his unconditional acceptance of Conrad for we realize, we are sometimes quick to form conclusions based on class biases.

As the characters, the prose is colorful and comical. When Conrad said that "Gramma talked funny" he was not referring to her description of their street that "reminded her of a boxers face after fighting with Mike Tyson. Houses missing like knocked-out teeth." Gramma had lots to say about their neighborhood, so much so, that when she snidely remarked on a neighbors garden, the man looked up intending to respond, but when he "saw that Grammas face looked like one big opinion, he turned back to his dying plants and shook his head."

Winer continually entertains us with this witty, easy to read book. The charm and humor does not end with the characters and the poetic prose. The names of the characters will forever stay with us. Imagine, Chocolate Chip, Slow Drive, B.L.T., Termite and of course, Midnight.

I love this book. It moved me in ways I did not expect. At times, I was alarmed. Other times, I laughed out loudly. Many times, I wanted to weep for the gut wrenching pain Conrad experienced. For me, Conrad was too real. I wanted to hug him, love and comfort him, give him the home he yearned. This story, after all, is about a 10-year-old, desperately trying to find his place in the world, wanting desperately to belong.

I fell in love with the protagonist of this novel, a ten-year-old boy named Conrad Clay, who has all the charisma, poetry, and singularity of Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield. Conrad confronts many of the challenges facing youths today, but never seems to feel sorry for himself. In fact, he has a magical way of infusing the bleak and the tragic with humor and with beauty. I cried and laughed in scene after scene. THE COLOR MIDNIGHT MADE is a contemporary classic-- a must read for anyone seeking beautiful, entertaining writing that is also timely.

Read this book! If you don't, you won't get to know Conrad or experience his adventures. An amazingly well-written book that I didn't want to end. Took me back to some of my own adventures. It is refreshing to see life through Conrad's naive and unique eyes. During one scene, I laughed so hard that I kept having to wipe away tears in order to keep on reading. However, it's much more than just humorous. It's moving, it's interesting, it's insightful.