The Midnight Club

I discovered this book through Mike Flanagan’s mini-series The Midnight Club on Netflix — something I couldn’t miss given my love for Flanagan’s work and horror as a genre.

First, about the series. It’s a short 10-episode adaptation that draws not only from Christopher Pike’s The Midnight Club but also from 25+ of his other stories, which is a pretty interesting approach. The series isn’t bad, but it’s my least favourite of Flanagan’s work. It has, as always, a nice cast and visuals, and the themes are handled well. I also liked that Flanagan brought actual horror elements into it, which gives it a nice edge. Just be aware that the series differs quite a lot from the book. If you’re a fan of horror — including jump-scares — I’d recommend it.

Now, the book. If you watch the series first and then expect the same from the book, you’ll be disappointed — because the book is more of a drama than a horror story. It’s about teenagers coming to terms with the fact that they’re going to die in the near future. It’s about support, friendship and love — the kind that may not heal the body, but can heal the soul and bring peace of mind.

I think this book would have hit harder if I’d read it as a teenager. The dialogue, the language and some of the characters’ problems feel a bit childish to me now, but I think it would be perfect for a young reader.

The main theme reminded me of A Monster Calls, which affected me more deeply — but this book is also quite good in its own way.

The synopsis is intriguing, but unfortunately the reading experience doesn’t quite deliver on that promise. Even the central “mystery” fizzles out and never really goes anywhere. The stories the characters tell each other aren’t particularly scary either, despite what the synopsis suggests. For anyone who isn’t sure about the book, I’d highly recommend Flanagan’s series instead — the teenage stories are handled much better there.

The book is scary not so much because of the horror stories the kids tell each other, but because of what they’re actually going through.