Past Midnight (Past Midnight, #1)

May 10, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-read-maybe, reviewed-3-stars, reviewed-2011, song-reviews, about-ghosts, genre-young-adult

The truth is that the paranormal is normal. It's just a normal that we don't understand yet.

So the main character of this book, Charlotte, composed a song and wanted me to sing it to you.

*cue Fresh Prince music*

Now this is the story of about how
My life got spooky turned inside out.
I'd like to take a minute - so sit right there.
And I'll tell you how I became the princess of Ghost-busters extraordinaire.

In deeply haunted houses where I was born and raised,
A ghost's playground was where I was filme...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ghosts, october-2012, boring-as-shit

Read for Richard Denney's Book Club.

When Charlotte moves to South Carolina, she hopes that she can finally live normally for a little while. But that doesn't seem possible when her parents are paranormal investigators. And this time, their work follows Charlotte home.
An old family mystery is uncovered and Charlotte is the only one to help the ghosts demanding her aid.

Unfortunately, this is yet another slow paced and excruciatingly boring book that I had to force myself to read. The characters...more

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Nov 21, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte’s parents are ghost-hunters who travel the country investigating (and debunking) the paranormal. In the past, Charlotte’s peers have treated her like a freak when they learned about her parents’ profession, so when Charlotte starts a new school at the beginning of senior year, she keeps it a secret. Avery, a popular cheerleader, lives across the street from Charlotte’s new home, and the two girls become fast friends. Finally, Charlotte thinks she’s going to have a normal life —that is,...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-release, y-a-paranormal

*Rating* B-
*Genre* YA Paranormal

*Review*

Past Midnight is the first book in the duly named Past Midnight series by Mara Purnhagen. The rest of the books in the series are named at the end of this review.

17-year old Charlotte Silver hasn't been able to stay in one place for long periods of time because her parents are world famous paranormal investigators Patrick and Karen Silver who debunk ghost sightings. Charlotte and her older sister Annalise, even though they are part of the crew, have never...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Reading Teen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: clean-read

I really enjoyed reading this book! Charlotte was a fantastic main character! She is smart and funny, and just seems like the girl-next-door; like someone that you would want to be friends with. The storyline was interesting and fun to read. Once I picked up the book, I only set it down once (because it was midnight) and looked forward to picking it back up the next day. There were so many different little mystery nuggets in this book. I love books that make you wonder what's going on, where you...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Elizabeth Marie (A Chick Reading) rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review: Charlotte Silver and her older sister Annalise have spent the majority for their lives traveling with their parents for their paranormal TV show. But their parent's are not your typical "ghost hunters". They are actually professors who have made a career out of disproving hauntings. They claim these "hauntings" are just predictable forms of electrical energy. On their latest research trip to Charleston, SC; the Silvers encounter something very strange. It seems a real ghost has follow...more My Review: Charlotte Silver and her older sister Annalise have spent the majority for their lives traveling with their parents for their paranormal TV show. But their parent's are not your typical "ghost hunters". They are actually professors who have made a career out of disproving hauntings. They claim these "hauntings" are just predictable forms of electrical energy. On their latest research trip to Charleston, SC; the Silvers encounter something very strange. It seems a real ghost has followed Charlotte home! Which freaks out all the family, especially Charlotte, who is being plagued with nightmares.

There are 2 different plot points in this book. Plot #1: Is of course, the ghost who has followed Charlotte home. The entire family scramble to figure out who these ghosts are, and what they want. Plot #2: Is Charlotte trying to fit in at her new school. Her older sister Annalise, had persuaded their parents to stay in one place for Charlotte's senior year. Every school Charlotte has been too, has figured out her parents' job. She always becomes a freak after that, but luckily they didn't stay in one place for too long. But this time it's different. If her peers find out about her parents they just can't leave this time.

I really loved this book, when I first read the synopsis for it, I thought it sounded a bit like the cartoon Danny Phantom where their ghost obsessed parents drag them around while hunting ghosts. But it's way more and way different than that. It's not too scary that the younger teens can't read, but it may be too uneventful for older readers. But I found this is book to be good medium.

Positive Elements: Charlotte is accepted. She and her family help the ghosts. Two characters become friends again after a horribly experience. This is a perfect young adult read, there are no drugs, no alcohol (but Avery does talk about going to a party), no swearing, and very little romance.

Negative Elements: Most of the school is against one character, not talking or wanting anything to do with him. The secret Avery, and basically the entire school was keeping from Charlotte got a little old. I was glad when it finally came out.

Spiritual Elements: Ghosts play a pretty big role in this book.

Other Thoughts: This is a great book to put you into the Halloween spirit no matter what time of year. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!(less)

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Sep 18, 2011 Dana JH added it

to see my full review and others like it go go my website www.danadoesread.com

I'm Not really one for a ghost story, but Past Midnight was really quite good :) From the start the book intrigued me. I liked how Charlotte's parent had an anti-ghost show, instead of those losers who are like, "the level of paranormal in this corner of the house is much higher then the heat waves we went ac cross as we entered the threshold of the house, this ghost is obviously pissed off where here." Ive never belie...more to see my full review and others like it go go my website www.danadoesread.com

I'm Not really one for a ghost story, but Past Midnight was really quite good :) From the start the book intrigued me. I liked how Charlotte's parent had an anti-ghost show, instead of those losers who are like, "the level of paranormal in this corner of the house is much higher then the heat waves we went ac cross as we entered the threshold of the house, this ghost is obviously pissed off where here." Ive never believed those BS-ey shows. I did find it interesting how Charlotte kind of gave us a behind the scenes look at how those kinds of shows are made, and how the equipment for that stuff works.

Charlotte's sister Annaliese sticks up for Charlotte and is the one who convinces her parents to stay in one place for Charlotte's sake, which is nice of here. I really loved her, and wish she was in the story a little more. once Charlotte moves she meets her next-door neighbor, Avery, and they have instant friendship. I find it a tad hard to be live that the most popular girl in the school, and head cheerleader, can suddenly become best friends with someone who's.... never had a best friends before. I get that she wants someone fresh that doesn't know about what happened to Adam. But the fact that she was a non-cheerleader, and everyone in Avery's inner circle were completely accepting and not the least bit jealous is a bit far-fetched. Remember, I am in high school and trust me, becoming one of the most popular girls in the school is not that easily. Non the less that flaw doesn't change much in the book, and is easily overlooked.

The mysteries going on in the book kept it rolling at a steady rate, It wasn't predictable, and once you got tired of the pickensens troubles, you were swept back in with a clue to the thing with Jeremy. The plot was intertwined just enough, and all the loose ends were tied up.

Charlotte does have a love interest too. :) the all too adorable Noah, who edits the A/V clips with her. the only problem is that he's a year younger. --GASP-- *scandal*

lols. over all I really enjoyed it :P, and it was strange, because before harlequine teen sent it to me, I had never heard of it, to all you who have never seen it before, go amazon it, and you can also get the next book 100 candles also!(less)

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Sep 05, 2011 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

I received this book for free through the Harlequin Teen Panel.

To start, I'm not really a fan of YA books anymore. I used to be but now every YA book ever seems to include some dumb girl crying because her love triangle makes her depressed. I'm not saying people don't cry for reasons like that in real life, I'm just saying that if two guys who were super attractive liked me, I'd probably be happy about it. (/end rant)

Lucky for me, this is NOT the standard YA "I have a love connection and now I'm...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Amy (Books, College, and Other Random Things) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Charlotte Silver and her family don’t stay in one place for long because her parents are ghost hunters. Instead of proving ghosts are real, her parents try to prove that ghosts are NOT real. They are trying to prove that it’s residual energy that is left behind places where they’ve lived or have emotional connections to.

Charlotte and her family are spending the summer in Charleston, South Carolina so her parents can make a documentary about old hotels and restaurants that are supposed to be haun...more Charlotte Silver and her family don’t stay in one place for long because her parents are ghost hunters. Instead of proving ghosts are real, her parents try to prove that ghosts are NOT real. They are trying to prove that it’s residual energy that is left behind places where they’ve lived or have emotional connections to.

Charlotte and her family are spending the summer in Charleston, South Carolina so her parents can make a documentary about old hotels and restaurants that are supposed to be haunted. Charlotte’s sister, Annalise, a college student, is helping as well. Charlotte feels inferior to her sister because she’s everything she’s not. Annalise is short, beautiful, and all that most people talk about when both of them are around. She also feels inferior because Annalise is used as the “chum”, someone used to try to lure out ghosts. Some people believe that the person needs to be beautiful. Her parents always ask Annalise to and she is always stuck doing something in the background.

All of them go to the Courtyard Café to investigate a haunting. It doesn’t go as it usually does. Annalise claims that she felt overwhelming sadness and freaks out. Charlotte convinces her to go in the restaurant again to see if they can figure out why it happened. Annalise feels the sensation once again. This causes her to get her parents to agree to three things. One of them is to live in one place for a year for Charlotte because it’s her senior year. To Charlotte’s luck, the parents agree and also agree that they can live in a new house instead of an old Victorian house like usual.

Charlotte is actually looking forward to it because she never got to feel like she could leave a mark on a place because she was never around long enough to have best friends or join a team or club at her past schools. She meets Avery when loading stuff into their new house. Avery also has a pet dog with her named Dante, which immediately starts to growl at her. Charlotte says to herself that she hates that dog and learns later that the dog is sick. Could this be a coincidence? Apparently, it’s not. Something is someone won’t leave her alone. Will she find out why she’s being paranormally stalked? Will she ever understand the dreams she’s been having?

I didn’t think I’d like this book a lot, but I really enjoyed reading this. There were times when I guessed what was going on with the story and was right for the most part. There was something that happened that I never thought happened. I really felt bad for Jared. The whole school is against him. There are several times that he talks to Charlotte. At times, I wanted to shake her and tell her to talk more to him. She doesn’t though because of Avery. Right away, you can tell she’s hiding something. I didn’t hate Avery for it, but I didn’t like how she would act about James. There’s always more to a story than meets the eye. I loved reading this and finding out what happened. I do wish there was more development between Noah and Charlotte, but I think they'll have more of a relationship in the next books in this series. Can’t wait to read the next book!
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Jun 25, 2011 Sarah W rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Past Midnight introduces the reader to Charlotte Silver, a relatively normal teenage girl who does not have a typically normal life. Charlotte is used to living in the shadow of her beautiful elder sister Annalise. Yet both sisters are accustomed to living under the glare of the spotlight of their parent’s fame. As well known paranormal investigators the Silver’s travel the country – jumping from one location to another in an endless search for footage worthy of their documentaries.

It is during...more Past Midnight introduces the reader to Charlotte Silver, a relatively normal teenage girl who does not have a typically normal life. Charlotte is used to living in the shadow of her beautiful elder sister Annalise. Yet both sisters are accustomed to living under the glare of the spotlight of their parent’s fame. As well known paranormal investigators the Silver’s travel the country – jumping from one location to another in an endless search for footage worthy of their documentaries.

It is during a summer investigation in Charleston that everything begins to change for the family. Annalise has long come to be relied upon as a paranormal trigger, being called in to draw a response from residual energy. It is in one such experiment that set the chain of events into motion – however, this time Charlotte is right beside Annalise when something strange occurs. Something that apparently decides to follow them home...

Whilst a new town, a new school and a new start would be overwhelming for some, this is all that Charlotte knows. She has never really stayed in one place long enough to establish herself, as such she is more accustomed to running from, than facing her problems. However her sister has convinced their parents to stay in one town long enough to give Charlotte some stability, to allow her to complete a full year at a single school. Her senior year of high school. Even so, things just are not that simple.

Whilst trying to settle in to her new life, adjusting to changes and maintaining new friendships, Charlotte also has to confront her own feelings on the existence of the paranormal. The mysterious occurrences are enough to force the family to question the way they have always looked at their investigations.

Charlotte’s new friend Avery is perky, bouncy, and friendly – everything a popular cheerleader is expected to be. Yet Charlotte soon notices that people ask after Avery with sympathetic concern. She also has a strange tendency always to drive the scenic route, avoiding the town’s main streets. It soon becomes evident that Avery is avoiding something, hiding something – a problem she has not yet been able to face. Yet she is not alone, Past Midnight is full of well-developed secondary characters with their own lives to live and problems to confront. From the mysterious bad boy outcast, and the vindictive school journalist, to the intuitive AV club boy – each character has a complex history that is interwoven throughout the narrative.

Charlotte reads as a remarkably mature character, (probably as a result spending so much time around the production crew growing up) with reasonable and believable reactions to the problems she faces. The novel is also free of snarky drama, or unwarranted angst, which makes the fast-paced narrative a pleasurable read. Whilst the ending gives the reader enough closure to be able to walk away happy, it also leaves a few ends open for the next in the series – which I am really looking forward to reading.

Disclaimer: e-ARC provided by Net Galley for purpose of review. (less)

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Jun 01, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice fluffy book masquerading as paranormal. And I liked it. It was easy to read, the plot was intriguing enough that I kept turning the virtual page, and I enjoyed how it ended. The "ghosts" were semi-scary, but everything came together so easily! The friendships were so natural with no conflict, but I honestly kind of appreciated it. Right when you think the main character and her new bff are going to have a big huge blow out over semi-secrets, nothing happens. The bff understands....more

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Apr 29, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2011

I read this series completely backwards and the one thing I kept coming back to with the short story and book 2 was that the events in Charleston were skirted around but really explained. Well, as it turns out, if I had managed to read the books in order I would I have had all those niggling questions answered. In fact, there wouldn't have even been questions because all the answers would have already been offered up before the questions even formed. It would have been magic!

This was a fast, fun...more

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Feb 05, 2011 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because it was set (at least in the beginning) in one of my favorite cities in the U.S.--Charleston. This area is the perfect setting for this novel with just the right amount of creepiness and charm. Plus, when you walk down the streets of Charleston, you come away with the feeling of being steeped in history and culture.

But Charlotte doesn't appreciate all that. She's had more than enough history and creepiness to satisfy her for the rest of her life. In fact, she wants t...more I picked up this book because it was set (at least in the beginning) in one of my favorite cities in the U.S.--Charleston. This area is the perfect setting for this novel with just the right amount of creepiness and charm. Plus, when you walk down the streets of Charleston, you come away with the feeling of being steeped in history and culture.

But Charlotte doesn't appreciate all that. She's had more than enough history and creepiness to satisfy her for the rest of her life. In fact, she wants to stay in one place for more than a couple of months and to live in a brand-new house that no one has ever lived in before. Luckily for her, she has a sister who completely understands and who convinces their parents that's exactly what they need to do.

Except, during their trip to Charleston, Charlotte picks up a ghostly visitor who follows them to their new house and grows increasingly aggressive. The ghost needs for Charlotte to do something and it's up to Charlotte to find out what or she might have a poltergeist on her hands.

Charlotte was a great character--I totally felt for her, being dragged around from historical place to historical place, never her parents' primary focus, afraid the people she meets will think she's a freak because of her parents' job.

The main story, the one involving Charlotte and the ghost, was the story that captured and kept my attention. However, there were multiple story lines running through this novel that, to me, were just distractions. I had a hard time with Charlotte's new high school life, her making friends with the popular kids, her attraction to the loner/bad boy because I wanted to know more about the ghosts. The main plot was unique and interesting, and I really wish that had been explored more, instead of the more cliched high school plot lines that popped up after Charlotte and her parents settled down.

Despite that quibble, I really enjoyed this paranormal, so different from the vampires, werewolves and zombies that have been roaming the YA shelves these past couple years. (less)

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Dec 05, 2010 Murphy's Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

(from Murphy's Library - http://www.murphyslibrary.com/ - rated 3 and a half)

This story is a little creepy, but it gets you in a way that is “haunted.” Charlotte is the daughter of a couple who produces a show about haunted houses, and she never stays at the same place for too long. When she moves for the sixth time in three years we start to read her story.

When she finally got to stay at one place during eleven months, after her sister gave her parents some problems, she started being haunted b...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Charlotte Silver just wants to be known as a normal teenager. Unfortunately for Charlotte her wish will never come true. Her parents host a television reality show like “Ghost Hunters”. They travel from place to place investigating. Because Charlotte is not old enough to be on her own yet, she gets the pleasure of being dragged along and sometimes pitches in when her parents need an extra crew hand. Charlotte is known as Princess of the Paranormal, thanks to her parents thinking it would be cute...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, owned-and-still-own

Mara Purnhagen, Past Midnight (Harlequin, 2010)

I was in the middle of a dozen other things when I picked up Past Midnight, the first book in a new series by local author Mara Purnhagen. This is nothing out of the ordinary; I'm usually in the middle of a dozen other things. It's not all that often that I put them all aside and concentrate on one book, however, and that's exactly what happened here. I can't quite put my finger on why, but there's no denying the speed with which I devoured this. I...more Mara Purnhagen, Past Midnight (Harlequin, 2010)

I was in the middle of a dozen other things when I picked up Past Midnight, the first book in a new series by local author Mara Purnhagen. This is nothing out of the ordinary; I'm usually in the middle of a dozen other things. It's not all that often that I put them all aside and concentrate on one book, however, and that's exactly what happened here. I can't quite put my finger on why, but there's no denying the speed with which I devoured this. I took it down in less than twenty-four hours, despite those twenty-four hours containing a whole lot of other (non-book-related) stuff.

Charlotte Silver is a normal teenager in a very abnormal family; her parents are world-renowned debunkers of the paranormal, with a host of books and a bunch of documentary ghost-hunting-style TV shows tot heir credit. They move around a lot, and thus a good deal of Charlotte's life is spent trying to mask who her parents are when she turns up at the inevitable new school at the end of each summer. At the end of summer vacation one year, however, Charlotte's older sister Annalise steps in and lays down the law: the two of them want Charlotte to have a normal year in a regular everyday house and one single high school, or Annalise will no longer help with the documentaries. The parents capitulate, and the family moves into a newly-built house instead of a supposedly-haunted Victorian horror. Charlotte is thrilled...until she discovers that a pair of ghosts from their summer vacation in Charleston have followed the family to their new digs. Charlotte doesn't believe in ghosts, but it seems a few of them believe in her...

My favorite thing about this book is that in a genre that's more than saturated with paranormal romance novels, Purnhagen sticks to the “paranormal” and discards the “romance” altogether. Hallelujah. She is setting it up for romance farther down the line (it looks as if Charlotte's going to be torn between two guys at her high school, though the end of this book makes it pretty clear who she's going to end up with), but this is a simple ghost story/mystery, and it's a stronger book for that, I think. It shows that Purnhagen is at least willing to turn her back on some of the conventions of the genre, and with so many carbon-copy books coming out these days, that's sure to be a strong point. As well, Purnhagen knows how to start a book fast and keep the pace wavering between “pedal to the floor” and “breakneck”, which always makes for fun genre novels. Fans of the new breed of teen ghost stories will definitely want to check this one out. *** ½
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Nov 03, 2010 Nandini rated it 3 of 5 stars

Got an ARC of this book straight from Harlequin YA Paranormal, and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by its quality and readability.

Charlotte Silver is the oft-overlooked younger sister in a family of ghost hunters. This is less weird than it sounds. Charlotte's parents do not actually believe in ghosts, they're more interested in disproving claims of hauntings while being unable to explain away a couple of strange "energy patterns" they've come across in their career.

Anyway, Charlott...more Got an ARC of this book straight from Harlequin YA Paranormal, and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by its quality and readability.

Charlotte Silver is the oft-overlooked younger sister in a family of ghost hunters. This is less weird than it sounds. Charlotte's parents do not actually believe in ghosts, they're more interested in disproving claims of hauntings while being unable to explain away a couple of strange "energy patterns" they've come across in their career.

Anyway, Charlotte happens to trigger some actual, somewhat malevolent sleeping ghosties during a filming session with her parents and older sister. The haunting begins in earnest as Charlotte begins to have cryptic dreams about a girl from the past century, and sinister thuds and thumps and thrown furniture begin to hammer in the ghostly message: find the dead girl, and somehow reunite her with her even deader parents.

And meanwhile Charlotte copes with starting her senior year at a new high school where a mysterious tragedy occurred last year, a new friend with big secrets, a fight with her older and much more glamorous sister, the bitchy rival in the AV club and the cute boy also in the AV club... Standard fare for your typical YA novel, very deftly handled.

The book's weakness lies in its very-vanilla themes and storyline: nothing big is at stake, nobody is evil, no one's life is risked and very little happens in the climax. YA books these days tend to push the envelope when it comes to dark themes and high stakes - for example, Sarah Rees Brennan's "The Demon's Lexicon" is in a completely different league compared to this. Perhaps it's not always necessary to go dark and dangerous to be a good book, but the low conflict level in this one did detract from my ability to care what happens to Charlotte. I always knew she would be fine.

The book's strength is definitely in its solid narrative skills and likeable cast of characters. I can see why there will be two more books about Charlotte Silver. Recommended for younger teens.(less)

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Oct 28, 2010 Chibineko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Unless you've been studiously avoiding noticing such titles, there's no mistaking that paranormal teen fiction has enjoyed an enormous raise in popularity in the past few years. As such, more & more authors are putting out their own stories to thrill & entertain readers both young & old. (Let's be honest- teen fiction rocks regardless of how old you are.) With large amounts of similarly themed books entering the market it's difficult to find something that puts a different spin on th...more Unless you've been studiously avoiding noticing such titles, there's no mistaking that paranormal teen fiction has enjoyed an enormous raise in popularity in the past few years. As such, more & more authors are putting out their own stories to thrill & entertain readers both young & old. (Let's be honest- teen fiction rocks regardless of how old you are.) With large amounts of similarly themed books entering the market it's difficult to find something that puts a different spin on things. Purnhagen seems to have found a good way to put a spin on the typical "girl & ghosts" story.

Since the moment she was born, Charlotte has grown up in a family of ghost chasers. Not just any ghost chasers but famous ghost chasers with their own television show & bestselling books. While Charlotte will admit that some of the perks are awesome such as traveling all over the world, the rest of it isn't so glamorous. She'd give anything to be able to stay in one spot for a while so she can finally have a normal life with friends she didn't have to say goodbye to a few months after meeting them. When her older sister strongarms her parents into settling into one area for Charlotte using a recent ghost scare as incentive, Charlotte's sure that she'll finally be able to achieve normality. Unfortunately whatever seemed to have freaked her sister out has followed Charlotte. And it isn't leaving until it gets what it wants...

While there's been a lot- and I mean A LOT- of "girl & ghost" stories out there, there hasn't been too many that have a reality ghost hunt show theme or plot element to them. Readers will enjoy this unique idea because it not only helps to set the book apart from a lot of similarly themed books, but it also helps to explain how Charlotte is exposed to ghosts & will continue to be exposed to ghosts. (This is the first book in a series.) Many will be able to commiserate with Charlotte's non-ghostly woes, especially the frustration about having to move & leave friends behind. Others will enjoy that Purnhagen didn't go for the "cheerleader mean girl" stereotype that many other teen books often employ. Charlotte does have the beginnings of a nemesis, but it's not a cheerleader & this girl actually seems to have somewhat of a reason to dislike her.

However where the tale seems to lack is in speed. Things take a very long time to get started & for such a short book, that seemed to detract from the overall enjoyment. This wasn't a huge detractor, but enough of one that many readers will wish for things to happen a little more quickly.

Overall though, the characters are great, the plot is interesting, & Purnhagen really does seem to be on the right track here with this series. This book deserves at least one good read (or three) & I can really see this becoming a favorite with many readers.
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Aug 12, 2010 Lynne Perednia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Past Midnight
By Mara Purnhagen
YA paranormal
Harlequin Teen
September 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-21020-6

Intro: I know a lot about ghosts. More than the average person and way, way more than any other seventeen-year-old. Except for Jared and Avery, but most of what they know they learned from me this year, when things got crazy. I know a lot about things going crazy, too, thanks to my parents. They're paranormal researchers, and let's just say they like to bring their work home with them. And sometimess...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Brenda Casto rated it 5 of 5 stars

Charlotte Silver's parents are ghost debunkers. Yep I said ghost debunkers think Ghost Hunters on sci fi. Sounds interesting right. Yeah sure unless your a teen starting your senior year of high school.
Charlotte doesn't want to be a paranormal problem solver she just wants to fit in and be normal for her last yr of high school, but unfortunately for Charlotte that isn't going to happen.
Her parents travel all over the country debunking ghost stories and their latest stop is in Charleston SC, whi...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-teen-book-reviews, audiobook-reviews-2012, battle-of-the-books-possibilities-f, read-in-2012, teen-paranormal-fiction, with-reviews

Summary:
Charlotte Silver just wants to be an ordinary teen, something that is impossible when her parents are paranormal investigators. They don’t believe in ghosts, they believe it is their job to investigate rogue energy patterns that many people “mistake” for ghosts. When their latest investigation in Charlotte, NC causes some “rogue energy patterns” to follow Charlotte home, Charlotte discovers even at her new school, being normal is going to be impossible when you’re being haunted. Charlott...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Charlotte Silver has had an interesting life. She's traveled all over the world with her ghost-debunking parents, never staying in one place for very long. All of that changes when they went to Charleston, and things go very wrong. Charlotte gains a set of spiritual stalkers that follow her to their new home. As if starting a new school while keeping her parent's occupation is hard enough, things get a little hairy when those spirits turn demanding. She's start to question everything she thought...more Charlotte Silver has had an interesting life. She's traveled all over the world with her ghost-debunking parents, never staying in one place for very long. All of that changes when they went to Charleston, and things go very wrong. Charlotte gains a set of spiritual stalkers that follow her to their new home. As if starting a new school while keeping her parent's occupation is hard enough, things get a little hairy when those spirits turn demanding. She's start to question everything she thought she knew about the supernatural and hope she figures a way to get rid of her stalkers before things get any worse.

This book was a little lighter on the paranormal side than most books in the genre, but it worked very well. In fact most of the things that were happening, the parents kept trying to come up with rational explanations like the rest of their debunking methods. However, when push came to shove, they stepped up to the plate to help Charlotte, even going so far to contact spiritualists, something they never would have given the time of day for. I'm happy the author took thus route as it could have easily gone the other way considering her parent's beliefs. I really was glad to see a supportive set of parents, something that you don't seem to see in many YA novels.

I had a hard time getting attached to these characters, especially Charlotte. They all just felt a little one dimensional leaving me feeling detached. I prefer stories to grab me from the start and suck me into caring about the characters and what was happening to them. Yes, there are some spooky parts that had me feeling not a little creeped out right along with Charlotte, but other than that, I just had no attachment to the story. I'm hoping that changes in the next book as there is a really great potential here, and I do like the premise behind it all, so if the characters form a little more depth I would feel a lot more invested.

Okay so I did enjoy reading Past Midnight. Granted some of it felt to be a little "fluffy" at times, as well as a little predictable, but when it all came down to it, the book read quickly and held my interest. Perhaps I would have liked it just a little more if there had been a little romance or a least a tease of a potential love interest, but there wasn't really anything at all in that department. I'm hoping some possibilities open up in the future as I think that would really add to these books. I'd recommend Past Midnight to YA fans that like their books with just a touch of paranormal mixed in with a high school setting full of problems both mundane and supernatural.
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May 04, 2011 slayra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, in-english, ya-uf-and-pnr

RATING: 3 stars.

Even I am astonished for giving three stars to this book. Why? Because it was short and it lacked some serious character and story development.

But... I really liked the idea behind the story. Charlotte, the main character is completely human. That's right! No weird powers and no supernatural blood flowing through her veins. She's just a normal girl, who just happens to be the daughter of two ghost-story debunkers. They even have their own show. But then, after a filming in a supp...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

★★★☆ I liked it
Quick Summary: Charlotte and Annalise are daughters of ghost story debunkers who have their own TV show and constantly move cities. After a scary situation while filming, Annalise demands that Charlotte has a normal senior school year which also includes living in a new, un-haunted house for a change. Turns out things aren't working in Charlotte's favour as something has followed her there. Also add to the mix Charlotte's new friends who have problems of their own and they need he...more ★★★☆ I liked it
Quick Summary: Charlotte and Annalise are daughters of ghost story debunkers who have their own TV show and constantly move cities. After a scary situation while filming, Annalise demands that Charlotte has a normal senior school year which also includes living in a new, un-haunted house for a change. Turns out things aren't working in Charlotte's favour as something has followed her there. Also add to the mix Charlotte's new friends who have problems of their own and they need her help solving them even if they don't know it yet.

My Opinion: I don't have any strong opinions about Past Midnight. Everyone seemed nice enough. I didn't feel any connection to the characters but I guess I didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Charlotte's story could've been more dramatic though I liked the idea of her helping the ghosts who wouldn't leave her alone. Unfortunately, just as it started getting entertaining it was all over. I think a far more interesting novel could've been written about Charlotte's friend Avery and the social outcast Jared. Learning about the secrets they hid and how they could wish that things were different kept me reading.

Final Thoughts: Past Midnight was a nice story. Nothing stood out and I don't think I'll remember it in 6 months time. It was easy to read being a nice short novel at only 216 pages so if you had a spare half day you could easily knock this on the head. I have the sequel One Hundred Candles which I'll be reading soon while Past Midnight is fresh in my head though I don't see where it will be heading as everything slightly important was wrapped up. If you like ghost stories and in the mood for something quick and easy then this should be right for you.

Favourite Quote

She smiled sadly. "It is truly amazing what one can accomplish by simply focusing on it long enough."
(page 204)

Cover: The branches, font and smoke effect are cool. The background picture should be ditched though.

Past Midnight Series

1. Past Midnight
2. One Hundred Candles
3. Beyond The Grave (out September 2011)(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Kate McMurry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy, ya-mystery, ya-paranormal, ya-paranormal-mystery, young-adult-fantasy, young-adult-mystery, young-adult-paranormal-mystery, young-adult-paranormal, ghost-story, ghosts

Light, ghost-story mystery for young teens

Charlotte Silver and her older sister Annalise have spent their entire childhood traveling around with their parents who are ghost hunters. But not the kind who actually believe in ghosts. Rather, they are professors who have dedicated their careers to proving that what various people claim are visitations from ghosts are simply predictable forms of electrical energy which Charlotte's parents track and record with sophisticated equipment. Unfortunately,...more Light, ghost-story mystery for young teens

Charlotte Silver and her older sister Annalise have spent their entire childhood traveling around with their parents who are ghost hunters. But not the kind who actually believe in ghosts. Rather, they are professors who have dedicated their careers to proving that what various people claim are visitations from ghosts are simply predictable forms of electrical energy which Charlotte's parents track and record with sophisticated equipment. Unfortunately, in the midst of her parents' paranormal quest, Charlotte suddenly finds herself haunted by what appear to be actual ghosts, and everyone in the family is totally freaked out--but most especially Charlotte. Weird dreams, telekinesis and messages from the great beyond have Charlotte afraid to live in her own house and her parents scrambling to explain, and end, the weird paranormal activities surrounding their daughter.

There are two different plots in this novel. The main plot involves solving the mystery of the ghosts haunting Charlotte--what do they want, and how can she get rid of them? The secondary plot consists of Charlotte trying to fit in at a new school where her parents--at the insistence of her college-sophomore sister--have promised to allow Charlotte to finish out her senior year. In Charlotte's painful past experience, as soon as kids at her school find out who her parents are, her social life is ruined, so this time around she's determined to keep her parents' identities secret so she can have a chance to actually make and keep friends. Inevitably, of course, the secret gets out and she has to deal with the fallout.

I found it interesting and unusual to read a YA novel in which the parents play as large a part as they do in this book. Usually parents are either totally absent or cast to the irrelevant sidelines in modern teen fiction. The book also offers a unique take on ghosts by having them be something all the characters strongly don't want to believe in and keep trying to ignore or disprove.

This book can be safely read by young teens and might possibly not be exciting enough for older teens. Because of the muted way the author presents the ghosts, even when Charlotte gets scared herself, the ghosts aren't particularly frightening to read about. There is no romance, no swearing, no drugs or alcohol, and only very mild rebellion on Charlotte's part--and an ironic kind of rebellion at that. It is the parents who are the true rebels, living an unconventional lifestyle, and in rebelling against them, Charlotte is merely trying to live a settled and normal life.

Overall, this is a well-written novel, without any huge, gut-wrenching conflict. Charlotte is a pleasant character, and this is a fast, easy, pleasant read.
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Jul 17, 2011 Ta§chima Cullen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 3-star-shelf, all-books-to-trade-non-arcs

Review @Bloody Bookaholic

Charlotte's family is unusual. Her parents are modern day ghost busters. They don't believe in the paranormal, instead they go to haunted houses and disprove the paranormal. They have written books, made documentaries, and they even have their own TV. show. One time while they were at Charleston doing research for a new documentary something overly strange happens. Ever since then Charlotte has been having weird dreams about a girl who lived hundreds of years back, and s...more Review @Bloody Bookaholic

Charlotte's family is unusual. Her parents are modern day ghost busters. They don't believe in the paranormal, instead they go to haunted houses and disprove the paranormal. They have written books, made documentaries, and they even have their own TV. show. One time while they were at Charleston doing research for a new documentary something overly strange happens. Ever since then Charlotte has been having weird dreams about a girl who lived hundreds of years back, and she is being haunted by two ghosts. She is trying to keep all of this under wraps, including her parents weird job, from her new friends at her new school, but how long can she really keep it under wraps? And what do this very active ghosts want from her exactly?

When I first started reading this novel I found it slow and slightly boring to be completely honest. I thought Charlotte thought of herself as a victim way too much, her parents were cooler than her, her sister could have been the protagonist, and well I wasn't invested enough in any of them enough to care. But I gotta tell you, that little Charlotte found her way into a corner of my heart. As the story progressed she started growing and developing and finding herself, more than that really she started to accept herself and her family and started to be proud and even believe in what they do. That's some character development right there. By the end I took to her liking and we became friends. There's also side characters that make the story that much more enjoyable like her best friend who is coping with a loss, Avery, Jared the guy with the deep dark secret, and Nick the nice guy who is always there to help, not to mention her parents who are really cool and so helpful, plus her sister who is a head strong girl. To be honest, I wish I got to know Nick a little better... second book?

There is something that makes this book stand out from the other paranormal books, and that is that the parents actually get involved in their daughter's life. *Le gasp* what the hell! That's breaking protocol! I know! And it works! I really liked Charlotte's parents and couldn't help but respect them. I only hope that if I ever do bring a ghost home my mother will be as kick ass as her parent's were.

The way they handled ghosts here was nothing out of the ordinary. Charlotte's parents have a lot of different theories when it comes to the paranormal (were speaking strictly ghosts here), they say that "ghosts" are but left over energy from years past, very strong left over energy. It works in some cases, in others not so much. Specially when two very strong ghosts are creeping on Charlotte. So the ideas may not be out of this world, but the book has enough creepiness to make up for it. It's only about 210 pages too and I think Mara Purnhagen made this 200 or so pages be well balanced, even though the first 100 or so didn't hook me that much. Charlotte is an okay girl, I started liking her at the end there, but we are strictly new friends, not besties or anything. Well see how she grows up in the next few novels.

So yes, in some parts it could have been better, but it makes for a quick light ghostly read. I enjoyed it, and yes I plan to pick up the second book. I am not in love, but I think this could be the start of a very good friendship.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mara Purnhagen's Past Midnight was quite the interesting read. I was going for a good ghost story and got one, just not what I had expected. Really I had an idea in mind without having read the cover back yet, so it was silly on my part.

The story was good. Not a whole lot of supernatural, but a good dose of paranormal! Charlotte is your typical teen, other than the fact that her parents are essentially ghost "debunkers", they have a show trying to explain a house being not haunted by ghosts but...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Annmarie Ager rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book from Amazon kindle this ebook was only 99p I normal keep a look out for cheap ebooks but I was shocked at the quality of this book for such a cheap price. This book was really easy to get sucked into. The writing style was great and I did not find that it was over detailed which can leads to readers losing interested there was just the right amount of explaining and details.

The story follows Charlotte and her family they go around trying to disprove the Existence of ghosts. This...more

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Feb 19, 2011 ephrielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun quick little read. I liked that it was covering "ghosts" from a skeptical perspective. Somehow, the convincing of a skeptic just seems more exciting. There was a great family dynamic going in this book. At least in such a way as to seem dysfunctional. I liked how that dynamic changed throughout the book. It was even nice to read a book that was just about completely void of romance. The storyline provided was catching enough that I almost didn't miss the lack of romance. Almost, t...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Brie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: highway-to-the-neutral-zone

Past Midnight was a cute, fluffy little diddy I picked up in between full-length novels.

We're introduced to Charlotte who is the daughter of paranormal debunkers. And all hell breaks loose when Charlottle starts experiencing paranormal activity.

As far as heroines go, I feel neutrally about Charlotte. She's not plagued by massive insecurity about her looks (though on page 5 or something she compares herself to her GORGEOUS sister, but this is not a chronic issue). She isn't so clumsy she's hand...more

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Past Midnight (Past Midnight #1)

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