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The Midnight Gate. By Helen Stringer (2000)

by Helen Stringer(Favorite Author)

4.15 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0330509004 (ISBN13: 9780330509008)

languge

English

genre

Paranormal Fantasy

publisher

MacMillan Children's Books

series

Spellbinder

review 1: As the sequel to The Spellbinder, this fantasy about a boy and a girl with heavy responsibilities is, at times, confusing and always dark. Humor nearly saves the story, but the plethora of beasts with unfamiliar names in unusual settings is nearly enough to make the reader skip pages. Part ghost story and part coming-of-age, this suspense will delight many children. Others will be frightened by the themes.
review 2: The Midnight Gate starts off not too long after Spellbinder concluded and while it begins with a much slower pace, the story unfolds cleverly and with ease. Belladonna’s troubles couldn’t have ended with Dr. Ashe being carted off by The Hunt, that would have been far too easy. But her troubles double, triple, just get really, really bad. Yet Bel... moreladonna is still Belladonna. She copes remarkably well for a twelve year old girl with dead parents and an ever-mounting pile of bad on her doorstep.Belladonna’s perseverance is one of her many characteristics that make her, and this series, stand out. She’s tough and intelligent, but still only a young girl. She knows that. She’s unafraid to ask for help, and is more than willing to accept it from her Paladin, protector, and maybe-friend Steve. Just as before, Helen Stringer puts Belladonna and Steve through the ringer and places them in more than a few unsettling positions – Belladonna’s venture into foster care being only one of them. These two are able to work through it though and, from their uproarious banter with ghost girl Elsie, a huge story unfolds.The Midnight Gate is a bit slower than Spellbinder, but there are heaping, bountiful bouts of backstory that are captivating. The good and evil – Spellbinder vs. The Darkness – aspect jumps to life with dragons, other worlds, mythical creatures, life and death situations, and even some ancient Sumerian. The ending comes together flawlessly; with small details from the story working into a big showdown that provides the action and adventure young readers crave, but also adding to the series as a whole.Unexpected twists and turns abound in The Midnight Gate, bringing Helen Stringer’s story about a girl who can see ghosts, into an entirely new light. Mythology runs heavy throughout the pages, leaving the ghost aspect on the backburner, to tackle the new responsibilities that Belladonna is only now realizing she has. Spellbinder is much more than just a nifty title for her and she quickly discovers that she holds a lot of weight in the fight between good and evil, light and dark. This series will entice readers both young and old, with a fantastical element that delights, characters with heart, and a strong backstory that ties each adventure together. less

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