Review: Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh

Burning Midnight
by Will McIntosh
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Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780553534108
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Fantasy
Source: For Review

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Seventeen-year-old David Sullivan’s life is about to change—all because of one tiny, priceless item found in the murky bottom of a Brooklyn water tower.

Sully is a sphere dealer at a flea market. It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make rent.

No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the more expensive—and the greater the improvement.

When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen. And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them.

There’s no question the Gold is worth millions, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
When I was first approached to review Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh, I was curious. I had no idea what the book was about, but the storyline sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a read.

The main character in the story, Sully, is a dealer of spheres. He once found a rare sphere, one that was worth millions, but he was cheated from his prize by ruthless businessman. Now he sells spheres at a local flea market just to help his mom pay the rent. When he meets Hunter, a girl who has a special ability to find spheres, they come to an agreement to work together, and find a sphere so rare, it will change the world forever.

I thought this book was really unique; I can't really say that I've read much like it before. The idea of there being spheres that could give you abilities and make any changes you'd possibly want is intriguing, although, to be honest, I was suspicious of them to begin with, and for a good reason! I was curious enough to keep turning the pages, but  while it was interesting, it was also a little slow paced. The first half of the book is a lot of information to take in, while the last three-fourths of the book is where the action kicks in, and then it's super intense. The book ends in a good way as well, I was very satisfied with that.

The book has some interesting characters in the story, including the main character, although I never really formed a connection with any of them. Sully did work well with his group of friends for the most part, when they weren't arguing, which seemed to happen a lot, but when they did work together, they made a good team. That's always something.

Overall; Burning Midnight to be an intriguing read. The characters were interesting, and the storyline felt unique. While I didn't love the book, it was a refreshing read, and I'd consider reading more by this author in the future.