Review | Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal (ARC)

When two boys are murdered in the streets of Puerto Rico, the police believe it is gang-related. But when Lupe and Javier starts investigating, they realise there is something deeper involved. A shadow, a curse, a secret from when Javier and his friends were young boys. They believe there may be a supernatural element to the murders, but isn’t El Cuco a myth? As they race against time, they have to figure out who to trust and how to beat the curse so that Javier may live through the night.

In the first flicker of the lights, Javier glanced over his left shoulder, and a dark shape loomed behind him, its edges ragged like it had been torn from the fabric of his nightmares.

Diverse stories in the YA horror genre are always welcomed and this is a notable entry. Puerto Rico comes alive through the colourful descriptions of the island, from the places to the people to the food (love all the food!). The book isn’t afraid to show the side of Puerto Rico that tourist brochures never do. The language is a mix of English and Spanish – the latter without translations sometimes. This might be an issue for some readers but I thought it lends more authenticity to the story and makes the characters feel real.

I really liked the mythical parts of the book, and how what is deemed as superstitions for some are actual beliefs for others. Growing up in Asia, I also heard stories of monsters coming to take bad children away and my parents even told some of them. It’s a way to make children behave. So this book’s idea of a myth coming alive is fascinating. I’m not terribly familiar with El Cuco beyond what I’ve consumed from popular culture but I thought the book manages to convey the fear of the characters.

The main character is Lupe, a half Puerto-Rican, half Northern-American girl visiting her aunt and uncle for the summer. Her uncle is the police chief and through him she gets involved in a murder investigation. Another main character is Javier, a former drug addict who is clean and trying to have a better life. He grew up with a group of friends he considers his brothers, but who are now living different paths.

I found Lupe to be a pretty thin character who is combative with everyone she meets. She feels defensive for looking like a white girl, but she doesn’t acknowledge her privilege. Although I could relate to her wanting to belong, her attitude towards everyone doesn’t warm me to her character. I also didn’t understand her motivation for investigating the murders beyond wanting to be like a character in her favourite police show. I had better luck with Javier, who I found to be more sympathetic and interesting. His relationship with his mother and his priest shows different sides of him, and we see how hard he works to fight against his addiction. The supporting characters are mostly solid, though I wish the book had treated the character Marisol better. The others dismissed her as crazy, including Lupe, and I felt there was a better way for them to interact.

For a YA book, I wish the story had been darker and more intense. The supernatural element of the story could have been stronger, especially towards the end. The climactic scene switches between different characters and diminishes the suspense. Everything also tied too quickly and neatly, without repercussions for everyone involved. It would have been nice to get an epilogue to see the aftermath of the events. Overall, an entertaining read that falters at the end but I am looking forward to reading the author’s future books. This is out on June 4th!

I received an ARC from Tor Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Ann Dávila Cardinal

Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez