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Midnight's Choice (The Switchers Trilogy) Kindle Edition

by Kate Thompson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 18 ratings
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Switcher Tess is about to discover her dark side
Tess is a Switcher, able to change into any creature at will. She believes she has experienced everything her powers have to offer—until she meets Martin, another Switcher, who seems to have a mysterious power over the Dublin rats. Martin has found a use for his gift that Tess could never have imagined. It is dangerous and terrifying, but also exciting, and Tess can’t resist the temptation to explore Martin’s dark and thrilling world. Will she find the strength to resist, or will she be pulled permanently into darkness?
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 14 years
  2. Book 2 of 3
    The Switchers Trilogy
  3. Print length
    173 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    6 - 9
  6. Lexile measure
    880L
  7. Publisher
    Open Road Media Teen & Tween
  8. Publication date
    June 18, 2013
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  13. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-As a Switcher nearing her 15th birthday, Tess faces an enormous decision: whether to assume an animal form permanently or to remain human with her modern-day Irish family. This premise, introduced in Thompson's Switchers (Hyperion, 1998), is further complicated when Tess realizes she can also become immortal, either as a vampire, the embodiment of evil, or as a phoenix, the personification of good. At first, the choice seems clear, but the girl comes to see the vampire's bitter appeal, and the phoenix strikes her as lonely in its golden calm. Like many teens, Tess feels that "[t]o either side, eternities [are] pulling at her and she [is] stretched between them, standing on a razor's edge." If the subtext of Switchers was the limitless possibilities of life choices, then the underlying theme of Midnight's Choice is teens' perception of the urgent need to choose, and choose correctly, and the inability to change direction once a choice is made. But Tess's eventual decision and the surprise climax that follows suggest that choosing is never clear-cut and that some choices, once made, can still be undone. Full of action and depth, this story stands alone, but is better still when read along with Switchers. It is a mesmerizing and respectful look, through the lens of fantasy, at young people making the decisions that will shape their adult lives.
Beth Wright, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, VT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Full of action and depth . . . A mesmerizing and respectful look, through the lens of fantasy, at young people making the decisions that will shape their adult lives.” —School Library Journal

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D00WAI2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Teen & Tween; Reprint edition (June 18, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 18, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2478 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 173 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

About the author

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Kate Thompson

Kate Thompson

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Kate Thompson was born in Yorkshire and has lived in the West of Ireland for most of her adult life. She has published fiction for adults and children, and has won many awards, including the Whitbread (Costa) Children's Book Award 2005, The Guardian Children's book of the Year, 2005, and the Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year Award four times.

Her latest novel, Provenance, was published in November 2019.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
18 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

AntKathie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great YA story, or anyone else!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
This series has been lots of fun , and excitement. These young people are proving that kids of all ages are under rated when it comes to what they can do. With some good encouragement and faith in themselves, they can do a lot more than society expects from these days. Too many namby, pamby parents "protect" their children to the point of lunacy, instead of encouraging them to be more, and do more. Not these kids! Great, and interesting characters, with some fascinating storylines. I enjoyed every minute of their adventure. I think you will too!
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R. M. Fisher
3.0 out of 5 stars "Where-ever There's Light There Has to Be Darkness."
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2004
"Midnight's Choice" is the second book in Kate Thompson's Switchers trilogy, concerning fourteen-year-old Tess who has the ability to change into any animal at will. It begins right where the last book ended, several months after Tess and her Switcher-friend Kevin have destroyed the terrible krools, with Kevin alighting at her bedroom window in his last (and now permanent) form: a glorious phoenix. It may be necessary to have read "Switchers" beforehand, just to sort out the characters, the background history and the abilities of Switching, as it is an important point to know that at the age of fifteen, a Switcher's powers disappear, and whatever form - human or animal - that they choose is theirs for the rest of their life.
But Tess's fifteenth birthday is not for a while yet, and instead she is enjoying the exhilaration and endless peacefulness of being a phoenix alongside Kevin. But there is another force at work - Tess's pet rat Algernon is being called forth by an unknown master, to dig alongside hundreds of rats in uncovering a mysterious stone artefact. Investigating in rat-form, Tess discovers a fellow Switcher named Martin, who has very different ideas on how to use his powers than Tess and Kevin ever had. Tess herself is intrigued, even attracted to Martin's interpretation of a Switcher's power, but is just as pulled toward Kevin and his newfound glory.
And then the zoo captures Kevin, and the phoenix becomes an instant attraction. People line up for hours in order to glimpse its beauty, rendering them almost drugged by its influence. But with the phoenix set to be sold to an American collector, Tess has only a limited time to release her friend before he's lost forever. With some enigmatic advice from a visiting Lizzie (the old woman who previously helped Tess and Kevin on their trip to the Artic), Tess must find a way to save Kevin and subdue Martin, all the while torn between them and the alternating choices that they embody.
"Midnight's Choice" is a good followup from "Switchers", though I must admit enjoying the first book a lot more. Kate Thompson continues building on the mythos of the Switchers and of Tess's internal growth, but for me at least all of the characters remain quite detached - I could never feel particularly close or sympathetic toward them, and slow pacing in some areas doesn't help. Tess's parents in particular are confusing; I can't imagine any parents of a young teen letting her get away with half the stuff Tess does.
However, Tess is likeable enough, and unlike the krools of the previous book, the enemy she faces here is inside her own self. The duality of the phoenix and Martin is put to good use in examining the light and dark side to Tess herself, as is Tess's final decision on the matter. Although "Midnight's Choice" is not essential reading, those that do pick it up are likely to be interested enough to continue with "Wild Blood", the third and final book in the series.
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Salutations!
5.0 out of 5 stars Kate Thompson's best book.
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2011
I've read 8 books by Kate Thompson. This is the best of her books. I look forward to finishing the 3rd book in this series.
Ms. Thompson delves deeply into the inner struggle the main character has between choosing good or evil.
It's her best work that I've read so far. I'd put The Missing Link and then The Last Policeman right after this one.
You have to read Switchers first to understand where this book is coming from.
All of Kate Thompson's books are worth your time.
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Winter moon
4.0 out of 5 stars I Enjoyed it.
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2006
I actully Read the Swichers books in third and Fourth Grade. I had no problems understanding it and it was one of the many books I discovered that actully helped me with real life. I was Deeply sad when It was stolen From Me.
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pcarrow
5.0 out of 5 stars great book, ending made me crave more
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2000
i didnt read switchers, i need to, yet this book was good, i read it in a day, and was disappointed by the ending, i thought it was totally unfinished and i wanted to scream til i came online and saw there was a 3rd. i have to get the book. if you're looking for a good short series, i recommend this one because it draws you in and you must get more!
3 people found this helpful
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chandler lynch
3.0 out of 5 stars Not Very Good
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2002
I really did not like this book. The book was really boring.it had some good parts to it like the character Alemgon. She is a girl that can photosynthesisized herself into a Phoenix and a vampire. I think thats very cool. When I first saw the book, I was like wow this book is really great, because the cover attactched me to check it out. So now I know not to ever judge a book by its cover. I think you might want to try it if your older than me, and by the way i'm 13 and couldn't get into it. So that is what I really think of the book.
One person found this helpful
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Equine Phycopath Gurl
4.0 out of 5 stars Great but not nearly as good as the first.
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2000
I popped into this book expecting the same marvelous thrills and excitement as in Switchers and was rather crest-fallen to find instead mystery and good vs. evil fluff. Oh sure it was really good and all but it didn't have the same snap to it as Switchers had. The only real word to describe it waa a little transparent and flimsy. I liked the new character, (the bad guy sort of) just fine, she really let you like him before showing his nasty side, but I still like Kevin WAY better. The vampire/phoenix thing was okay but I think she could've done soooooo much better than this. The first book was much more origonal and had alot more suspence and excitement to it then this one. The one MAJOR fault I give this book is the end. It just lets you drop instead of letting you slide down and coast to a stop. One minute it's just rolling along and the next it's gone, POOF! It's a good light read 'cause you don't have to focus very much, and the storyline is really easy to follow. Its worth a read.
2 people found this helpful
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A.Niles
3.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2001
I found this book to be nothing special. The the plot and storyline weren't very exciting, and to top it all off, the author's vocabulary and wordplay didn't do much of a job in helping to grab the reader's attention. The characters weren't deep, and this particular book failed to hold my attention for long. This is, like said in another review, a good light read, perhaps if you're waiting for your favourite book to come out, or just need something to look at. But I don't suppose this'll stay in your memory for a long time.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

l zajac
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
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