“Wink Poppy Midnight” by April Genevieve Tucholke shows what happens when three teenagers, each with unique personalities, collide and embark on a mysterious adventure that changes their lives forever.  

The story follows Poppy, the popular mean girl who never reveals her true self to her circle of friends, Wink, the strange girl who believes in magic and fairy tales and Midnight, the boy who finds himself caught between his love for Poppy and his feelings for Wink after he moves in next door to her. The chapters alternate between the point of views of the three main characters, which allows the audience to see their individual feelings and perspectives to events that take place.

While the beginning of the book moves slowly, the story begins to pick up when Poppy goes missing after a prank pulled by Midnight and Wink goes devastatingly wrong.

Although it is difficult to explain how the plot unfolds without giving away specific details, it is safe to say future readers will be surprised when they discover the secrets kept between characters and the confusion as to what actually happens in the end.

The ambiguity of the ending makes the story even more intriguing, especially if the reader remembers the statement on the book’s cover “A hero. A villain. A liar. Who’s who?” It is up the audience to decide which character fits in each role, and that is what makes this book stand out even more. Audience members can have their sympathy or apathy for any character, and the levels of innocence among the characters can be decided by the readers.

After the conflict is resolved, it was interesting to see how each character changed, and how they forgive each other for the events that impacted their lives. I would have liked to see a more concrete ending, in order to see how these events further impacted the characters. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone intrigued by mystery and is prepared to enter a story that will keep you captivated until the very last word.