Midnights With You

Gr 10 Up–Deedee needs an escape from her mother’s anger over the family’s unsaid ghosts. Jay needs an escape from the pressure to perform for his family. The unlikely pair meet one midnight and strike up a secret relationship neither saw coming. Bonding during afternoon tutoring and midnight driving lessons propels the pair into having hard conversations about their anger and anxiety. However, what draws Deedee and Jay closer may collapse their whole relationship. Osongco successfully tackles a story of transgenerational trauma and complex relationships through the hopeful lens of a love story. Deedee and Jay’s interactions with each other are so raw and real that readers will quickly fall into rhythm with their seemingly simple, but truly life-changing, conversations. The pacing of nighttime meetups after tough days flows smoothly, easily moving the story briskly along. As they grow closer, Deedee realizes her anxieties often keep her from seeing the truth. At the same time, Jay battles the need to stretch himself thin. The characters’ breaking point triggers a gradual healing and growth process (over years of time) that lends ultimate credibility to the reality of evolving relationships. Deedee is biracial (Filipina and white) as is Jay (Vietnamese and white). A list of ­trigger warnings precedes the novel.