I loved this book. It went from safe and expected to something rollercoaster. When the visitor is not what she seems you just feel the trouble they are in. History, mystery, magic and family. Fantastic

I really loved reading this middle grade novel. The beginning felt a little long, though, which might be why it took me some time to read it—but once I really got into the story, I absolutely loved it!

It has mystery, magic and friendship—as well as a lot of humour. The atmosphere is well-written, and it felt quite easy to picture the town.

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The main characters, Lewis and Moira, are amazing. Lewis loves chess, and he tries his best not to disappoint his father. Moira is witty, funny and smart. They were a lovely duo and I just grew attached to them so, so much.

The other characters are really nice too. I loved how their exaggerated they were, as it made the book even funnier.

The way the characters' relationships evolve throughout the novel (especially between Lewis and his father) was absolutely touching.

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I enjoyed this book a lot and couldn't recommend it enough!

Our hero Lewis starts this story, as is getting fairly routine these days, unhappy at his parents moving house. He's being forced to move because his father is daftly intent on the lad getting a scholarship to a posh school at his childhood village, even if there is no guarantee of Lewis getting in. He is, however happy to leave one thing behind – for every midnight this week a mahoosive rook has been chapping on his bedroom window, apparently wanting something of him. Being hothoused into a posh school is nothing for Lewis, however, when he realises he has not left the rook behind, but moved to where all that rare subspecies live – the Snoring Broads – and he certainly cannot shrug off the birds that easily. But throw in a lot of suspicious locals, weather lore, legends of curses and floods, a witch from the bogs, a strange pattern of markings – and then even more arcane discoveries – and you get a ripe old dark fantasy…

Ripe for error, of course, for this throws a lot into the pot – but luckily, happily, it does it all very well. Never mind nothing is resolved before something else turns up, this escalates and deepens the mystery very successfully. You can see this measuredness in all places – the way the names are a touch bonkers, but never a touch too mad, and how the cool choice of language and turns of phrase are noticeable but never distractingly so. And for all the historical witchcraft, curses, rooks and everything else that gets thrown at these pages, there is still more than enough to ground this all in 2023 England, and in a world where the intended readers could easily see this as the one they live in.

It's not perfect – I found the pell-mell rush of the last action losing a touch of clarity, but probably gaining heartfeltness for all the author's efforts; this is a sophomore novel of note. Fantasies like this that generally over-egg things, and throw too many ideas into the mix, seldom come out well either for the novel concerned or the author's future once everything is spent at once – this is the exception to the rule, going above and beyond in the number of creepy elements and yet landing as a coherent drama. It's close indeed to being exceptional – a strong four stars is my ultimate thinking.

A brilliant children’s book full of action, adventure, magic and mystery; Samuel Halpin has written a book that will appeal to readers looking for intrigue and plot twists in every chapter!
The story is fast-paced and full of suspense, exploring the themes of finding friends, being true to yourself and never giving up! There is just the right amount of spooky and dangerous elements throughout to captivate the imagination of all readers and get them hooked very early on.
I am a fan of Samuel J. Halpin anyway (The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods being his previously released book and an absolute 5-star read itself) and I was so happy to see that he has released another book!
I would definitely recommend this book (and the author) and as a teacher, I will most definitely be recommending it to my Year 4 pupils as it would be a perfect read for them!
Thank you to NetGalley, Samuel J.Halpin and Usborne publishing for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this so much that I finished it in one sitting and can already think of several children who I can recommend this too.
I loved the pace and tension throughout the story. From the onset, you are filled with a sense that something is not right. Will Lewis be able to get to the bottom of the mystery and reveal the truth to everyone?
Highly recommended.

Wonderful book with lots of strange and spooky goings on, with a great adventure building up to an exciting ending.

For fans or Malamander!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Midnight Switch as I felt it ticked all the boxes…mystery ✅ magical elements ✅ slightly spooky ✅

The writing was fast paced and the characters were given enough detail that you could really start to picture them.

I’ll happily recommend to the students at my school library.

A wonderful book bursting with mystery and magic. My 9 year old devoured this one. She loved the characters , the plot and how well paced this one is.
I read snippets of this one before she read and really impressed with both the writing style and how engaging the story was. One we will both return to and looking forward to buying a copy of this one. It deserves a permanent spot on the bookshelf.

Thank you NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for this eCopy to review

What a magical adventure, I loved everything about The Midnight Switch. Lewis moves to Barrow his Dad's hometown because his Dad wants a better life for his son and is trying to get him a scholarship at the local private school there.

Lewis does not want to move and is struggling to do any revision for his entrance exams following lots of visits by creepy crows who are only found nearby Barrow. Legend has it that they are the eyes of the Bog Witch, who wants to flood the town and steal children. A mysterious midnight visitor arrives pretending to be Moira a family friend, however she doesn't seem to know anything about them, her supposed family or what any new technology is. Lewis is investigating a list of children's names who have gone missing over the years. Can he finds out what happened to them before its his turn. Along the way Lewis makes some new friends and learns just how important his family is

With the National Literacy Trust recently reporting that the number of children reading for pleasure is at an all-time low since they started keeping records, it seems to me that it’s more important than ever that those of us who read and love children’s books continue to share our love of high-quality reads. Showing children that books can be exciting, engaging and for them is an ongoing battle and this is a read that won’t win that battle on its own but will certainly make a huge contribution to the fight.

Moving is a stressful time, and for Lewis not only is he facing the loss of his friends but he is also facing the additional pressure of an interview for a scholarship to the exclusive school his father has high hopes of his attending. Heading towards the small town of Barrow, where his father lived as a boy, Lewis reflects on the only positive being his leaving behind the creepy bird that arrived at midnight and seemed to be paying him rather more attention that he was comfortable with. Googling Barrow on his phone, Lewis looks at the pictures of the various local landmarks with no real interest but his attention is grabbed by an image of the same bird captioned the East Snoring Rook which lives only on the broads close to the town and is linked closely to the local legends of the infamous Bogwitch of Barrow and is said to be able to sense changes in the weather.

Arriving at his new home, Lewis cannot help but be disappointed by it but heads off to investigate its rooms and is pleased when his mum tells him that Moira, the annoying daughter of a friend of his father, won’t be coming to stay as was originally planned and sends a video of the house to a friend, noting sadly that they have watched it but failed to reply. The following day, Lewis attends the school interview and afterwards asks his dad about a local custom, The Peering of the Goblet, for which he has seen a poster and his father agrees to take him.

At the Peering, Lewis is approached by one of the locals who warns him a flood is coming, unsettling him, and when the ceremony is stopped due to an approaching storm, he and Dad head home where at the stroke of Midnight, a knocking on the door announces the unexpected arrival of a soaking wet Moira. As more and more odd things start to happen, Lewis and Moira start to investigate, uncovering stories of curses and strange magic but it soon becomes clear that the stories are more than just local legends and old wives’ tales and that not only is Barrow in danger but so are they. Can they solve the truth behind the story of the Bogwitch and work out what they need to do before it is too late?

With his dad putting huge pressure on him to achieve what he himself never did and attend a private school in which Lewis has no interest, and his mum caught in the middle of the two of them, many children will see themselves and their adults reflected back in the pages of the book. While there will not be many whose circumstances exactly mirror Lewis’s, there will be those who are made to attend music lessons, sports clubs or other extra-curricular activities who will either empathise enormously with our young hero, or will suddenly understand their adults’ reasons for behaving in the way that they do.

When Moira unexpectedly arrives, Lewis tries hard to avoid her but soon realises that she is not the girl that he knew years ago and that this is a new, improved Moira with whom he can be firm friends. Convinced before he has even arrived in Barrow that he is destined not to find anyone with whom he shares common interests, as the pair of them are sucked into the spooky goings-on around them and discover they are both in huge danger from the Bogwitch’s curse, he not only finds her but others and starts to learn more about himself and his family than he ever thought possible.

Spooky and mysterious, rich and complex, with wonderful characters, this is a middle grade read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Confident readers in Year 4 upwards will adore it and it would make a wonderful shared read – either at bedtime or in class -as we head into the darker evenings. My enormous thanks go to publisher Usborne and to Net Galley for my advance, virtual read. The Midnight Switch publishes 12th October.

Lewis and his family move to Barrow, a strange town with an eerie tradition and tale involving the Barrow Bogwitch. Lewis is just missing his old home and friends, not wanting to move to his Dad’s hometown and apply for a scholarship to Elksbridge Sxhool.

Before the move, at exactly midnight, for a week, a strange bird would perch on Lewis’s windowsill. It certainly freaked him out and he hoped this would not follow him to Barrow. However, on their first night, the bird is back and is holding on to a bike light that Lewis dropped earlier.

At midnight, a girl appears at the door and they believe her to be their family friend Moira. There is something slightly off about her and Lewis is determined to figure it out, just like his grandfather taught him with the puzzles in chess.

As the story continues, you get a sense of foreboding and the culmination of centuries old traditions being broken by a brave, determined soul!

Brilliantly written and with a spooky theme throughout, this is perfectly pitched for the Autumn.

Lewis is moving to the small town of Barrow with his family as his father is desperate for him to gain a scholarship to Elksbridge Collegiate School (or 'THE Elksbridge Collegiate School' as his dad says). Lewis is less keen on the idea, especially when they arrive at their new home (which is far from ready to live in) and he can't escape the strange feeling that he has, not to mention the mysterious rooks keen appearing. Not long after their arrival, Lewis and his family attend The Peering of the Goblet ceremony, an annual tradition in the town which forecasts the weather due to a curse the villagers believe had been put on the town by the Barrow Bogwitch. Shortly after, Moira, a friend of the family unexpectedly turns up in the middle of the night. Lewis' parents take her in but Lewis feels there is something unusual about her, however, puts it down to the fact that he hasn't seen her for years. It quickly become apparent to Lewis that Moira doesn't know her own name or where she is from. Together, they are determined to get to the bottom of what is going on, but time is running out - can they the answers they need before it's too late?
The Midnight Switch is the sort of book I love reading: full of mystery with just the right amount of adventure and a good sprinkling of darkness thrown in to keep the reader gripped. Having been part of the cover reveal, I was excited to dive beyond and find out exactly what was going to happen.

Lewis clearly doesn't want to move house and certainly doesn't seem to want to join Elksbridge School but his father's desperation for him to do makes him unable to say anything. The relationship between Lewis and his father is an interesting one: they are clearly a close family but his father is grieving the loss of his own father and is just trying to do what he thinks is best for his son; however, he fails to do one thing: ask Lewis what he wants. The result is the adventure that unfolds in the book.

Like The Peculiar Pegs of Riddling Wood, Samuel knows how to include just the right amount of darkness in the plot: a small town with annual rituals; legends of old woven into the pages; a character who doesn't know anything about themselves, not to mention an ending that will have you literally hanging on to the edge of your seat. The Midnight Switch is a book that drew me in and kept me gripped until after I'd finished the book.

Perfect for fans of the Eerie-on-Sea series or Michelle Harrison book, The Midnight Switch publishes on the 12th October and is begging to be read under a cosy blanket with a hot chocolate.

I absolutely loved this story and particularly the central characters, Lewis and Moira. A great mix of magic and legends, set in a small rural area of the country. I particularly took on board the interaction between Lewis and his Dad, who was trying to live his ambitions through his son. There is a lot to discuss and learn from this book, but above all it is a really great adventure.

This book got me in so many ways. I love spooky stories and this one has just the right amount of "spookiness". It reminds me of "The Ravenstorm Island" by Gillian Philipp -- a book I once used as the core text of my course, a firm favourite among my students who turned into avid readers because of that book.

But with this one, there is another reason why it got me. It actually got be quietly sobbing as I read it. My dad was the eldest and the brightest among his siblings. But he had to give up his chance to study because those were the post-war years and he had to start work early to fund his 7 younger brothers and sisters' education. He gave up a lot for his siblings. I somehow did all the things that he gave up when he was young, all because he gave me what he could not have. There is such a similarity between Lewis' father and mine.