Name: A. D. Knapp's review of Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Item: Good Morning, Midnight
Rating: 4
Author: A. D. Knapp

Lily Brooks-Dalton

“A remarkable and gifted debut novel” (Colson Whitehead) about two outsiders—a lonely scientist in the Arctic and an astronaut trying to return to Earth—as they grapple with love, regret, and survival in a world transformed. THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM THE MIDNIGHT SKY, DIRECTED BY AND STARRING GEORGE CLOONEY Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, is consumed by the stars. For years he has lived in remote outposts, studying the sky for evidence of how the universe began. At his latest posting, in a research center in the Arctic, news of a catastrophic event arrives. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. Shortly after the others have gone, Augustine discovers a mysterious child, Iris, and realizes that the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone. At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The astronauts are the first human beings to delve this deep into space, and Sully has made peace with the sacrifices required of her: a daughter left behind, a marriage ended. So far the journey has been a success. But when Mission Control falls inexplicably silent, Sully and her crewmates are forced to wonder if they will ever get home. As Augustine and Sully each face an uncertain future against forbidding yet beautiful landscapes, their stories gradually intertwine in a profound and unexpected conclusion. In crystalline prose, Good Morning, Midnight poses the most important questions: What endures at the end of the world? How do we make sense of our lives? Lily Brooks-Dalton’s captivating debut is a meditation on the power of love and the bravery of the human heart. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SHELF AWARENESS AND THE CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS “Stunningly gorgeous . . . The book contemplates the biggest questions—What is left at the end of the world? What is the impact of a life’s work?”—Portland Mercury “A beautifully written, sparse post-apocalyptic novel that explores memory, loss and identity . . . Fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora will appreciate the Brooks-Dalton’s exquisite exploration of relationships in extreme environments.”—The Washington Post

A Novel

Good Morning, Midnight

Ariel Duke

A. D. Knapp

A beautiful meditation on loneliness that leaves a few too many questions unanswered (view spoiler)[(along with a twist that either works for you, or really takes something away from the impact of the story as it did for me) (hide spoiler)] to get that last half star or so. 4.5 stars. Recommended.

This book is absolutely beautiful. It explores isolation, past regrets, and moving forward despite an uncertain future. The post apocalyptic isolation and mundanity of the characters’ day to day lives deeply pressed into me, expressing the emotions of my current experience of life which I didn’t have worlds for. 

Rachel Stratton

The story of two outsiders--a lonely scientist in the Arctic and an astronaut trying to return to Earth--as they grapple with love, regret, and survival in a world transformed.

azliana aziz

a vast book about humanity. and solitude.

'It went beyond the isolation of his situation, it was a part of him, and she suspected it always had been. Even in crowded rooms, even in busy cities, even in the arms of a lover, he was alone. She recognized it in him because it was in her too.'

how we did not choose this alone-ness, how it's just incomprehensible for us to be with other people, to really open our-self and accept the warmth of just being with others.

###

'Not everyone has a calling.

i used to think of how blessed and extraordinary it is to be astronauts, to walk on space, to be able to be intimate with our (and other) boundless universe, and i still think that but now with the caveat of how it is deeply taxing and a kind of immense, invaluable sacrifice in the name of advancing our knowledge about the unknowable.


"How you're still here. How you kept it together ---why you didn't go to pieces?"

"I'm still here because I have nowhere else to go," he said.
"I've had a long time to come to terms with that. Understand, I am in pieces just like you, but I keep them separate. I'm not sure how else to explain--- one piece at a time. You will learn, I think."
"And if I---if we don't learn?"
"Then you don't." He shrugged.


###


'When we get home.'


i'm sorry if i made this book sound bleak but worry not, there is hope within it. and it is so beautiful too.

Boring. Very little plot and even less plot resolution.

Michelle Hruby

For fans of STATION ELEVEN and THE MARTIAN 'A remarkable and gifted debut novel' Colson Whitehead, author of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 'What does it mean to be isolated from the ordinariness of the everyday world, yet to find the extraordinariness of being close to another human being?' Yiyun Li, PEN/Hemingway Award winner There is a particular beauty in silence, in being cut off from the world. Augustine is a brilliant, ageing scientist, consumed by the stars. Isolated in the cold but electrifying beauty of an Arctic Circle research base, he scans the universe, trying to find the origins of time itself. Mission Specialist Sullivan, a divorced astronaut and mother, is aboard the Aether, on its return flight from Jupiter. When all communication goes silent, she is left wondering what she will be returning to. As the silence expands, these two character begin to understand their place in the world, and what gives their life meaning. For only in the silence can we find out who we truly are. GOOD MORNING MIDNIGHT is an extraordinarily beautiful and poignant novel about what is to be human - what is means to have experienced ambition, loss, grief, what it means to love and be loved. 'A beautifully written, sparse post-apocalyptic novel that explores memory, loss and identity ... Fans of Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora will appreciate the Brooks-Dalton's exquisite exploration of relationships in extreme environments.' Washington Post

Wynter

This book... this book was incredibly good and so very frustrating. Let me explain.

The narrative is split between two most isolated places in existence: an arctic research station and a space ship returning from a mission to Jupiter. The story opens as the solitary old astronomer and the team of astronauts suddenly lose contact with the rest of the world, their radio waves picking up nothing, but silence and static. This creates a very interesting parallel development as they proceed with their lives in uncertainty and loneliness. I loved it. The writing was beautiful and the story contained two of my favorite things to read about - the arctic and space. Win-win. But unfortunately, the novel left me hanging.

The reason behind the sudden disappearance of any signs of life from the rest of Earth is never explained! I know this wasn't the point of the book at all, but come on, I want to know! This is exactly the reason why I cannot stick with The Walking Dead - there is no reasoning to the apocalypse. It's just a pet peeve of mine, and not the author's fault. A part of me even tries to convince myself that the plot would be cheapened by full explanation. It's a character-driven exploration of human soul, not a post-apocalyptic survival story, but I will pout like a child regardless. If you are like me, and want to get all the answers, Good Morning, Midnight might drive you crazy.

Another thing that really bugged my nerdy self was the unrealistic portrayal of the astronaut team. Yes, we needed a number of characters that dealt with the story's conflict in their own, disturbed ways, but what are these disturbed people doing in space in the first place? Real astronauts are chosen specifically for their abilities to handle near-death experiences and stress with focus, precision, and humor. It takes an exceptionally unique personality to get approved for space travel. When Ivanov shuts into himself and barks at others for no reason because of stress, he doesn't act like an astronaut. When Devi makes stupid mistakes and has breakdowns because she is scared, she doesn't act like an astronaut. These two act like you and me would act, stuck in a tin can with no way out. 

But nevermind all that. Good Morning, Midnight is a great debut for Lily Brooks-Dalton. It's humane, emotional, and suspenseful. If you are not a nitpicking little bitch like me, you will love this book.

Matthew Royal

The central contrived mystery of the Earth going silent was a compelling hook, but one the author never lets us bite.

Based on reviews, I was expecting an insightful piece on the many flavors of loneliness. Disappointed with the prose, imagery, and characters. Even with all their inner thoughts exposed, they're superficial portraits of real people. I didn't any of them. 

Author makes jarring technical errors when talking about space, radio, and orbits. For example, the idea that the crew should be able to pick up "cable shows" broadcast from Earth... they're on cable. CABLE. Like, wires running through the ground? Geezzzzzzz!

Shona Tiger

The (very, very sad) story is a decent three. The characters (except for the commander) are pretty annoying. The way race is dealt with is super awkward ( - a grin that splits a black face?!!), and made me want to throw this book away. The mystery at the heart of the book is so central that I wish it was dealt with differently.

What I really liked about this book were the concept, and the way the two stories were woven together. So, a 2.5 to 3, in the end.

Amr Khater 

Loved everything about this book. Got very emotional at the end. 
Netflix adaptation messed up this novel!! They changed a lot!!! They made a different story altogether!!!!

Jasmine Neville

I definitely think I would have enjoyed this book a little more if I wasn't in a reading slump. It was still enjoyable but i didn't love it and it took me months to finish it.

R. N. H.

** spoiler alert **
           Considering the rave reviews, I'm mystified about what I'm missing. My best guess is that this is a novel intended for people with little experience reading science fiction or quality literature, who are easily impressed with a flowery turn of phrase. The beach-read contingent. Perhaps they graduated from Dan Brown and are now pleased with themselves for finishing chapters longer than five pages. The tomato tasted of sunshine. "Gorgeous," they say in unison, hugging the book to their chests. "Just gorgeous."

Settle down.

This might have worked as a short story, but as a novel, this story drags with repetitive, bloated exposition and shallow, stock characters. The story itself is contrived, and it's no surprise that the author never reveals the reason why only one human on the planet was inexplicably spared (because, again, the plot is a contrivance and there is no explanation), and he coincidentally happens to be the estranged father of one of the astronauts. 

And the "twist" that he was imagining the little girl Iris all along? This trope has been a tired groaner for decades. It's an insult to the reader's intelligence. 

There is nothing here, no risks taken. Just a rehashing of concepts done better elsewhere, decorated with flowery metaphors. Ultimately, it's a disappointing and forgettable read.

Elise Harris

Sara Mercedes

Kiley

NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM 'THE MIDNIGHT SKY', DIRECTED BY GEORGE CLOONEY, STARRING FELICITY JONES AND GEORGE CLOONEY 'A remarkable and gifted debut' Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad 'Fans of Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora will appreciate the Brooks-Dalton's exquisite exploration of relationships' Washington Post There is a particular beauty in silence, in being cut off from the world. Augustine, a brilliant, ageing scientist, is consumed by the stars. He has spent his entire life searching for the origins of time itself. He has now been left alone on a remote research base in the Arctic circle, all communication with the outside world broken down. But then he discovers a mysterious child, Iris, who must have hidden herself away when the last of his colleagues departed. Sully is a divorced mother. She is also an astronaut, currently aboard The Aether on a return flight from Jupiter. This is the culmination of her career, the very reason for all the sacrifices she has made - the daughter she left behind, the marriage she couldn't save. When all communication goes silent, she is left wondering what she will be returning to. Marooned in the vast silence of space and the achingly beautiful sweep of the Arctic, both Augustine and Sully begin to understand their place in the world, and what gives their life meaning. For only in the silence can we find out who we truly are.

Ariel Duke &
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Reviews

Join the club

Ariel Duke &Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Reviews

Join the club

Ariel Duke &
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton