Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Other books by Lily Brooks Dalton

The Light Pirate

I read Good Morning, Midnight because I enjoyed The Light Pirate so much and because it was recommended by someone on Sarah's Bookshelves (it was Susie in this episode!). 

Before we talk about the book, let's talk about the cover. I was convinced I had read this book before because the cover was so familiar, but I think it's because the cover reminded me of this:

Tent? Check. Starry sky? Check. White title? Check. A Novel? Check. The biggest difference is that it's snow on the cover of Good Morning, Midnight and grass on the cover of Station Eleven. Regardless, it's clear that this book is trying to mimic Station Eleven's art.

In Good Morning, Midnight we follow two parallel stories. Augie is a scientist at a research station in the Arctic. When the station is forced to evacuate, Augie stays behind and finds a child named Iris was also left behind. They cannot contact anyone on Earth and the radio stays eerily silent. Meanwhile, the spaceship Aether is going back to Earth after a trip to Jupiter. Mission Control falls silent about a year away from Earth and the astronauts on board the Aether have to figure out what to do. 

This was such a beautiful book. The characters. The characters. Man. So beautifully rendered. 

It's a scary thought. What if you were one of the last people alive? What would you do? How would you react? 

But somehow this book is hopeful and beautiful and sad and confusing and wonderful. 

4.5/5 stars

Lines of note:

"I think he’s unkind because it’s easier to be angry than frightened,” Devi said. (page 95)

I wrote recently in the comments on Elisabeth's blog that I assume everyone is in Emergency Mode. We're all dealing with something, right? And I try to be give others grace when they are doing something unkind, rude, or disrespectful. I'm not always successful (WHY IS YOUR CART TAKING UP THE WHOLE GROCERY STORE AISLE?), but it helps me to remember that everyone is having difficulties. 

When he got to his feet, he shuddered to hear the cartilage in his joints cracking, his bones clicking against each other like dominoes falling down the length of his body. (page 158)

I didn't purposefully start reading books with protagonists who are older, but I am appreciating reading these descriptions about how our bodies break down. 

Hat mentions (why hats?): Eight hat mentions in the book. These are my favorites. 

As the days progressed Augustine began to walk farther, always keeping the emerald green of Iris’s pompom hat in his sights. (page 80)

A green hat! Are we sure it's not Katie Nolan?!

Her helmet was a few sizes too big and he had insisted that she wear three hats to pad it. (page 136)

Three hats! I frequently wear two, but three seems like a lot.