Initial Impressions 3/8/16: This was definitely a great atmospheric read! The mood was spooky, the concept was intriguing, and the setting and characters definitely were incredibly unique. I'm only giving it three stars because although I was incredibly interested and curious, I felt like the book never really took me anywhere. Or rather, it was less conventional and rather than following a twist, the book seemed to take me down a totally different path and ending up in a spot I didn't even see as an option. I felt like I was being led to plot point A, waiting for a twist to lead me to plot point X, Y, or Z, and ending up at plot point 3. They just weren't quite in the same realm. While that's interesting, I felt like I was constantly trying to find a purpose for the story and fit it into something and I just couldn't. It ended up not quite working for me for that reason. I can totally see why readers love this style of story telling as well as the quirky characters but I don't think this is the style for me. It ALMOST felt like magical realism except it didn't quite span that extra reach to really touch the magical side. The characters wanted there to be paranormal or magic but the book didn't go there so it was hard for me to really grasp that. As a reader, I kept trying to put it into a box and this book just doesn't fit into one. That's just my deal and how I read so I know that may be something that doesn't affect other readers. BUT I also feel like The Raven Cycle really doesn't fit into any boxes like that but I did fall straight into that series and easily found a groove. (And fell in love.) 
 The characters weren't great for me. I think I could have gotten a grasp on Midnight and Poppy but I was at a loss with Wink and how attached she was to forcing a connection from fairy tales to real life. It was a bit too fanciful and I found her frustrating and childish. And as a side note, we all know how much I don't like random weird names so I was hoping for a bit more -- I guess normal for a lack of a better word -- to ground me. 
 It was a fast and interesting read but stylistically, not quite for me. 
 Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 3/16/16: When a book is blurbed as a novel that has a Raven Cycle feel, that's certainly a lot to live up to. I was definitely interested in WINK, POPPY, MIDNIGHT with its possible unreliable narrator and great atmosphere and the Raven Cycle comparison both sealed the deal to read it and also made me extra wary of what I might find between the pages. I tried not to set myself up for any expectations and while I think I did a good job of that, I found that WINK, POPPY, MIDNIGHT still fell short of what I had hoped. 
 Let's start with the good things: WINK, POPPY, MIDNIGHT has an amazing atmosphere. It's one of those books that really sucks you in from the start and as a reader, you get totally entangled in the world and the characters. I was listening to the audiobook (thanks, Listening Library!) and I even finished the audio in a single day. I don't know if I've ever done that before with a full-length novel and not a novella. Granted, this was a shorter audio too but still -- I found myself really curious about where the book was going and since the blurb essentially told me there was an unreliable narrator, which character that was exactly. The setting really sweeps you away and I spend most of the book unsure if it was supposed to be little bit of a mystery or if there was a touch of magical realism throughout. 
 Aside from my insatiable curiosity, there wasn't really too much else keeping me connected to this book. I've heard that April Genevieve Tucholke's books are either not for you or they are. I'm all for an interesting and unique writing style but I just don't think I jived with the technique and styles in WINK, POPPY, MIDNIGHT. There was that sense -- especially with Wink and the way she went through life -- that the book was leading up to something magical or paranormal and really, it was just Wink's personality and nothing magical ever happened. My issue wasn't that it was absent but that I was led to believe there was something else going on when there wasn't. Once I found out that there was nothing magical driving any part of the plot or characters, I became even more frustrated with Wink and how fanciful she was about her family and her daily life. She lived as if she was a part of the fairy tales she grew up reading and I just really wanted her to get a grip on reality. I know that's an issue that I have with characters though and I really tend to struggle with people who are just off in a dreamland. 
 I also had a hard time with how the book unfolded. The first half of the book had a lot of character development and set-up which is great but then smack in the middle of the book, a turning point happens. The feel changed from a character-driven book to a plot-driven book with this one event and it really threw me off. I really had to adjust to how I was interpreting the book and how the characters were involved with one another. When the resolution to everything finally rolled around, I was also a bit disappointed with each character and where they ended up. I think I had an issue with everyone seeming so selfish and I really had a hard time with the characters. Although I was incredibly interested and curious, I felt like the book never really took me anywhere. Or rather, it was less conventional and rather than following a twist, the book seemed to take me down a totally different path and ending up in a spot I didn't even see as an option. I felt like I was being led to plot point A, waiting for a twist to lead me to plot point X, Y, or Z, and ending up at plot point Blue. They just weren't quite in the same realm. While that's interesting, I felt like I was constantly trying to find a purpose for the story and fit it into something and I just couldn't. 
 I can see why the comparison was made to The Raven Cycle but really in so many ways, this book was not that. Thankfully I wasn't really expecting it to be so my disappointment doesn't really stem from that but this is one of the many reasons why I hate general book comparisons! WINK, POPPY, MIDNIGHT didn't really work for me stylistically but I can easily see why the people who loved it did! I think readers will either like this one or be really disappointed by it but it's all to do with what styles of writing you enjoy. For me, this one was a bit too much.