Discussion Post for Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow
[ID: a dark purple book with an illustration of two smirking Black teens with painted fairy ears back to back. The teen on the right has pink and gold eyeshadow, curly black hair in a bun, and butterflies in her hair. The teen on the left wears black and has dark curly hair. “Until the Clock Strikes Midnight” is written in white cursive outlined in purple in front of an illustration of a fairy tale style tan castle. The book is covered in reflective details of hearts and lightning bolts. The book sits on a bed of white lace and loose book pages surrounded by purple roses and pearls. A tiny sculptured white ballroom slipper sits to the right with a single purple rose.]
Hi, bookish friends! The #ChronicallyIconicBookClub’s September/October read is UNTIL THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT by Alechia Dow, a YA fantasy with bipolar representation based on the author’s personal experience!
Our discussion via Instagram group chat will begin one week from tomorrow on October 10th at around 1pm EST and continue through Monday October 12th at our own pace. Please message me (@LibraryOfDreaming) on Instagram if you’d like to join us! (There’s still time for you to snag a copy and catch up as this is a quick read/listen!) Everyone is welcome!
You can also answer the 10 official discussion questions at the end of this post at your leisure if you’d prefer.
@LibraryOfDreaming’s thoughts: I personally had a lot of fun with this magical, silly little book! It has the vibe of a Disney movie - except with moving representation and diversity! I only wish that the plot didn’t go by so quickly as I wanted more time and space for the characters’ journeys. I’m excited to hear your thoughts…
Discussion Questions:
What did you think of this book? (How many stars did you rate it?)
What was your favorite part of the book?
What was your least favorite part?
What did you think of the disability representation and the way it intersected with the fantasy world?
What did you think about the magic and world building in this book?
What did you think about the way the story retells or reinvents the fairy godmother/Cinderella story?
Did you have a favorite character and/or a character you wish we had seen more of?
What did you think about the romance?
Was there anything you wish was different/anything about the book you would like to change?
What did you think about the ending?
Our next read will be for Nonfiction November and therefore we’re chosing between four nonfiction books by disabled authors based on their personal experience. Keep an eye on @LibraryOfDreaming’s Instagram stories to cast your vote!
If you’d like to nominate a book for a future discussion, please comment below or message @LibraryOfDreaming on Instagram.