From the Publisher
"A thoughtful and compelling personal story set amid larger societal issues." —Kirkus Reviews
“What does a 15-year-old boy have to teach us about the complicated topic of abortion? A lot, it seems. Because in this instance, Alex brings an open mind and an open heart to a nuanced topic, allowing us to revisit the issue with a fresh perspective.” —Former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis
“The sensitive nature of the bill is handled with great care. . . . The Fight for Midnight is an emotional coming-of-age novel in which a heady political debate pushes a teenager to speak up when it matters.” —Foreword Reviews
“Writing a novel about abortion, much less from the perspective of a teen boy, is a tall order, but [The Fight for Midnight] makes a compelling case that fighting for everyone’s rights requires, well, everyone. It’s a smart and timely tale.” —Austin American-Statesman
“The Fight For Midnight by Dan Solomon deserves as wide as possible a readership among teens and young adults . . . [U]rgently and unreservedly recommended for middle school, high school, and community library YA Fiction collections.” —Midwest Book Review
Kirkus Reviews
2023-04-12
A grieving, lonely teen unexpectedly lands in the middle of a political protest.
It’s 2013, and Alex faces the summer before his senior year with the grim acceptance that his only friend is Mr. Monaghan, an 85-year-old man he reads to at an adult day center for his required community service. Alex is shocked but thrilled to get a call from cute, unattainable Cassie, “the most Catholic girl on the planet who isn’t an actual nun”—they have known each other since their elementary years in Catholic school, but they aren’t exactly friends. She asks him to come to the Texas Capitol building for something important, which turns out to be a filibuster for Senate Bill 5, proposing a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. Alex is only vaguely aware of the controversy, and he experiences many reckonings throughout the day. This smart, poignant novel effectively weaves the backstory of the death of Alex’s best friend into the present-day events, portraying Cassie, who is there in support of the abortion ban, as intelligent and caring even as it makes clear the hypocrisy of the politicians involved in its proposal. Well-drawn secondary characters shine, including confident, compassionate Iranian American Shireen, Alex’s classmate and former friend who is present to support the filibuster, and foulmouthed Mr. Monaghan, who is an astute, progressive role model. Cassie is cued Latine; other major characters read White.
A thoughtful and compelling personal story set amid larger societal issues. (Fiction. 13-18)
