Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Young Adult Contemporary, Mystery, Magical Realism
March 22, 2016 from Dial Books
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.
Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.
The Bells
The Bells were the Orphans who lived in the Bell farm, consisting of three boys and two girls. All redheads, except for Bee. Everyone said the Bell kids were "witches" and "weirdo's."
- The oldest boy (aside from Leaf) Felix, at fourteen years old, was quieter than the others, though his eyes were lively enough
- The twins were Hops and Moon, both 10, were the wildest
- Bee was seven
- After that came Peach, the youngest at five or six years old, but had the same loud, rascally fierceness of the twins
- Wink, the oldest since Leaf left
The Yellows
The Yellows were Poppy's inner circle--it was a reference to opium, because, you know, Poppy. But everyone just called them the Yellows. Two guys and two girls and none of them half as evil or as beautiful as Poppy. The Yellows surrounded Poppy like rays around the sun.
The guys were:
+ Thomas
+ Briggs.
The girls were:
+ Poppy
+ Buttercup
+ Zoe
Tarot Reading
Mrs. Bell read Midnight's tarot, and here's what was in store for him.
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| Images are from the Wild Unknown tarot deck and differs from others decks. This is just the tarot deck I use. |
Three of Swords: Upright: Painful separation, sorrow heartbreak, grief, rejection.
Reversed: Releasing pain, optimism, forgiveness.
The Three of Swords represents rejection, sadness, loneliness, heartbreak, betrayal, separation and grief. Such events feel so painful because they are unexpected. However, the Three of Swords often serves as a warning sign to show when one or more of these are possible. By preparing for this difficult event, the emotional blow can be minimized or even prevented entirely.
The Three of Swords is also about release. When you have suffered a major setback, or loss, it is a good time to have a good cry, which is all part of the cleansing process. Expressing your sadness and letting it all out will then help you to move on to better times. However, it is also important that you continue to focus on the future path ahead. There can be a risk that you may become overly absorbed in the loss and the surrounding emotions that you lose sight of the need to just let go and move on. The loss becomes your focus rather than the recovery. It is time to accept the loss and then move forward with your life. [
Source]
The Two of Swords is a card of choice and of the difficulty of making a decision. The woman in this card is blindfolded, and this may be intentionally so, indicating that she is avoiding making a very difficult decision. Her state of calm and relaxation may be indicative that she is trying to avoid this important decision in order to bring about peace of mind. However, the decision must still be made. Therefore, the appearance of the Two of Swords indicates that you are currently being faced with a difficult decision but you are attempting to hide from it and pretending to yourself and others that if you ignore the decision long enough, it will go away of its own accord. However, the decision will not go away simply by your willing it to depart. Your conscience will eventually force you into facing your refusal to deal directly with the situation.
The Two of Swords often represents a stalemate where there is no winner or loser. You may be at loggerheads with another person and failing to see each other’s points of view. What is needed is a truce, where you either ‘agree to disagree’ or you seek to understand each other’s points of view before coming to a final solution. Thus, not only does this card represent potential conflict through a stalemate, it also represents making peace through a truce. [
Source]
The Chariot represents conquest, victory and overcoming opposition through your confidence and control. Any success will be a result of applying these factors to the situation. You will need to use the strength of your willpower to overcome any obstacles or challenges in your way. You may even find that by leveraging any opposing forces surrounding you at this time you can use them to your advantage. You must be determined, self-disciplined, and hard working. If you are, you will triumph over any difficulties or anyone who is trying to limit you. This struggle will ultimately make you stronger. [
Source]
The Lovers represent perfection, harmony and mutual attractiveness. Their trust in one another gives them strength and confidence to overcome the obstacles in life. The bond that the two lovers has created is incredibly strong and is often reflective of a marriage, soul mate connection or very intimate and close relationship.
When the Lovers card appears in a reading, it is important to think about what decisions and choices you are facing. The fact that the Lovers is a Major Arcana card indicates that these decisions or choices are incredibly important and significant so it is essential that you choose the right path. There may be an easy option available but you will need to ask yourself whether this is the right path for you in the long run. Oftentimes, it is the more difficult path that will bring you the greatest benefit, particularly on a deeper level. [
Source]
Books
There are a few tales that come into play in Wink Poppy Midnight that have woven deep into the story, and are also told/mentioned/referenced to by our colorful storyteller, Wink. Here are a few of the mass, pictured below.
Favorite Quotes
"Every story needs a hero."
--April Genevieve Tucholke, Wink Poppy Midnight (ARC pg. 12)
"Every story needs a villain. The villain is just as important as the hero."
--April Genevieve Tucholke, Wink Poppy Midnight (ARC pg. 15)
"We were like the three Fates, weaving the story together, threads of gold, red, and midnight blue."
--April Genevieve Tucholke, Wink Poppy Midnight (ARC pg. 111)
"There's no keeping a roamer. You can tie them down, cage them up like a bird, and it will work for a while, but eventually they will break free and then they'll run until they die."
--April Genevieve Tucholke, Wink Poppy Midnight (ARC pg. 229)
**Quotes are taken directly from an uncorrected advanced review copy and are subject to change in final copy**
Moodboard
Book Trailer
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpSsy4H1dWI]
Meet April Genevieve Tucholke
April Genevieve Tucholke is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Between the Spark and the Burn, and Wink Poppy Midnight. She also curated the horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. She has received four starred reviews and her novels have been chosen for the Junior Library Guild, Kids' Indie Next picks, and YALSA Teens Top Ten. When she's not writing, April likes walking in the woods with her two cheerful dogs, exploring abandoned houses, and drinking expensive coffee. She has lived in many places around the world, and currently resides in Oregon with her husband.
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