This is a young adult story that I really enjoyed. It had lots of drama and emotion, the characters were complex and imperfect, and the story was certainly believable. Although YA is not my usual thing, I did enjoy this romance and coming-of-age, the prose was lovely, and it had a lot more depth than I anticipated. I also loved the jazz throughlines, since I’m a big jazz fan, and really appreciated all the musical references.
This is the first book that I have read from this author and wow she blew me away. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book but it exceeded all my expectations. This a young adult book that made you think of your past. When I started this book I could not put it down. I fell in love with the main character right from the beginning. It only took me a few hours to devour this incredible book.
Megan Hollis loves everything about jazz. She is getting ready to go to a special college for music. Megan gets lost every time she plays her saxophone. She thinks she has everything figured out but she meets a very mysterious guy: Vince. Megan is told by her new friends that he is bad news but he is so sweet to her. She ends up getting to know Vince and she falls for him hard. Megan starts to do things that she would never do but she likes Vince so much she doesn’t want to lose him. She starts to feel like she is not herself anymore. Will she stay in a relationship that is not making her happy or will she find a new rhythm she never thought she had?
Around Midnight by Zarina Macha. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it. Its a young adult story but was very easy for me to get wrapped up in. Its the story of Megan Hollis a Jazz Prodigy. Her life is made complete when she picks up her Sax and music just flows thru her hands. She is happiest when she is playing and her main goal in life is to get to the Prestigious London’s School of Jazz. Everything is going great until she meets Vincent Turner a guy who has a bad rep but who has all the right moves. He knows everything to say to make Megan melt. Megan is intoxicated by him and she soon thinks he can do no wrong. But why is she feeling like she’s walking on eggshells, nervous and scared all the time. It can’t be Vincent, she’s crazy about him. Her family wants her to focus on her music but her heart says she needs to spend time with Vincent. Will her heart lead her down the path of destruction or will she let her mind rule over her heart? I loved this story.
Around Midnight by Zarina Macha – Review by Gail Guerrero
Four Stars
This is my first book by this author. I don’t usually read young adult but something about this story really clicked with me. Here you have this amazing gifted young woman ready to take her talent to next level. In comes this young man with that bad boy charm that no sweet girl can resist. Her world starts to shift. No longer is her dreams only about jazz but a passion she didn’t know existed. But what happens when her dreams and her wants don’t click? When everyone thinks they knows what is best? How will she learn to think for herself? When her relationship turns bad Megan truly has somethings to think through. I really liked this story even though I am much older. I found that I could understand how Megan felt when she found a desire and passion for something other than jazz. The author gives you a story with great detail and learning moments. I found myself rooting for Megan that she would do what was best for her and not what was expected. That she would learn that just because you love someone or desire to be with them doesn’t mean you have to. Especially someone toxic.
“The harder you love, the higher the stakes” Around Midnight is a young-adult drama by Zarina Macha. Megan Hollis loves Jazz and playing her saxophone, she moves to London with her parents to be nearer the prestigious School of Jazz which is Megan’s dream and her goal for the future. Things are going well for Megan when she meets Vincent Turner a mysterious individual with a dangerous reputation but Megan can not ignore the chemistry between them and ultimately falls for Vincent’s charms. Her new relationship soon takes a turn for the worse and Megan is stuck in a nightmare. She also becomes stuck between doing what she wants to do and what those around her think is best for her. This is a coming of age book with Jazz always at the heart of the story. The author has written some great strong characters and the storyline moves along swiftly and took me with it, gripped from page one. I like how the characters are realistic and that the plot line looks at normal issues that young people face as well as the darker side of Megan and Vincent’s love. Although a YA book I enjoyed it, being slightly older, and I found it had a depth to it that not all YA books have. A fascinating read which I recommend.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jennifer Gordonhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJennifer Gordon2020-03-02 12:13:222020-03-02 15:05:47Around Midnight by Zarina Macha – Review by Jennifer Gordon
Zarina Macha is a new author to me but I like her passion she puts into her story. She has a great character development and story line. While reading, I found myself back in high school when music was my release from my pain. Megan Hollis has music within her soul. Jazz is her muse. She went to London to study at the prestigious School of Jazz. She was focused on music until she met Vincent. Vincent made Megan think about other things than her Jazz music. He is mysterious and dangerous for Megan. Will Megan be able to do what she thinks is best for her? Can she distinguish what she wants? Will Vincent be a suitable partner or will he bring her down into trouble? I highly recommend reading this book to find out the answers to this and much more.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Erica Fishhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngErica Fish2020-03-01 19:55:592020-03-01 21:12:42Around Midnight by Zarina Macha – Review by Erica Fish
This is a good YA story. It follows Megan as she is relocated to London with her parents.
Her life is all planned out. With her talent and love for jazz she is going to go to a university in London to study and nothing will get in her way.
Until she meets Vince at a party. Vince is going to a college for boys who don’t play by the rules. And despite all her friends warning about his character she falls for him.
Soon Megan’s life in upside down as Vince’s true personality shows itself to be manipulative and nasty. Soon she is forced to choose between her music/future career or the love of a not so good guy.
Around Midnight is a great young adult drama by Zarina Macha. This is the first time that I have read anything by this author and young adult is a relatively new genre for me but I have to say that I did really enjoy this book. Megan Hollis is a 17 year old sixth form student with a great future ahead of her. She’s a fantastic musician and has always to go to the London School of Jazz when finished her A-levels. Her parents have moved to London so that she can be nearer the university. Now that she’s in London, away from her best friend and struggling with life, she meets Vincent Turner. According to her new friends he’s bad news and she should definitely keep away from him. Undeterred Megan starts a relationship with Vincent. But does he make her happy? This book takes a close look at the turmoil going through Megan’s head. She’s always loved jazz and wanted to go to the London School of Jazz but now she’s just not sure that’s what she wants. She loves Vince but he doesn’t always treat her how she’d like to be treated so should she stay with him? Zarina Macha does a great job at showing the turmoil Megan is going through. It shows just how easily she is led astray by Vince into doing things she wouldn’t normally do. The book was very easy to read and the story flowed at a fast pace keeping you engaged and wanting to know what was going to happen next. A great young adult novel.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Karyn Taylorhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngKaryn Taylor2020-02-29 12:20:272020-02-29 19:16:48Around Midnight by Zarina Macha – Review by Karyn Taylor
Around Midnight by Zarina Macha was a really good YA novel. YA fiction is my favorite genre, so I was very eager to read this one. This is the first novel I’ve had the pleasure of reading from Macha, and I highly enjoyed it! Megan (the main character) is very relatable, on her quest of having love and keeping it, and trying to figure out what she wants do as far as her future goes. It’s a very relatable novel itself, with mostly enjoyable characters and it was hard to stop reading it. I absolutely loved all the nerdy and pop culture references! It made the novel even more immensely enjoyable in my opinion! I highly recommend this novel and can’t wait to read more from Zarina Macha!
Around Midnight is the third young-adult drama by Zarina Macha.
The harder you love, the higher the stakes.
Jazz is everything to Megan Hollis. When her hands clasp the saxophone, melodies flow with each breath.
Music carries her from Copperwood to London, with university on the horizon. Set on attending London’s prestigious School of Jazz, all elements of her life harmonize.
Then she meets Vincent Turner, the mysterious guy with a dangerous reputation. Intoxicated by his possessive charms, Megan’s love shifts from melodic bliss to a dissonant nightmare.
While the future promises stardust dreams, her new relationship takes a turn for the worse. Megan becomes caught between what she wants and what everyone believes is best for her.
Will Megan learn to dance to the beat of her own rhythm?
Zarina Macha is an author, blogger and musician born and raised in London, UK. She studied Songwriting and Creative Artistry at The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford. She regularly writes a social commentary blog titled ‘The Zarina Macha Blog.’ In her spare time, she loves reading and fan-girling over Game of Thrones.
In 2018 she began independently publishing her books through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Every Last Psycho and Anne are her young-adult fiction novels that deal with mental illness, drug abuse, domestic violence and coming-of-age. Art is a Waste of Time and Single Broke Female are her two poetry books.
Around Midnight is her fifth self-published work. It is a young-adult drama about jazz, ambition, and a toxic relationship.
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