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One Past Midnight
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One Past Midnight
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One Past Midnight
Ebook295 pages4 hours

One Past Midnight

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this ebook

Sabine isn't like anyone else. For as long as she can remember, she's had two lives. Every twenty-four hours she 'Shifts', living each day twice. In one life, Sabine has everything: popular friends, expensive clothes, perfect grades, and the guy everyone wants. In the other, Sabine's family struggles with finances, and she and her friends are considered rebels. But then she meets Ethan. He's gorgeous, challenging, and he makes her feel like no one ever has before.

All Sabine really wants is the chance to live one life. When it seems like this might finally be possible, Sabine begins a series of dangerous experiments to achieve her goal. But is she willing to risk everything-including the one person who might actually believe her?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 22, 2014
ISBN9780802737038
Unavailable
One Past Midnight
Author

Jessica Shirvington

Jessica Shirvington lives in Sydney with her husband of ten years, Foxtel presenter and former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, and their two daughters. She has previously founded and run a coffee distribution company, Stella Imports, in London, and been involved in managing the restaurants Fuel Bistro, Tow Bar and MG Garage in Sydney. She is currently a full-time mum, author and co-director in the company MPS Investments Pty Ltd.

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Reviews for One Past Midnight

Rating: 4.0673076730769235 out of 5 stars
4/5

52 ratings11 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wanted to read Between the Lives because I love the idea of the parallel universe and the ripple effect of decisions. This is a little different because she lives two lives and she has to be careful about ink, injuries, meds, and hair changes because it effects the other life, but then when she breaks her arm and its just fine in the other life, it causes her to examine what she thought she'd figured out long ago about her shifts and double lives. I'll admit, when I first started I was a little confused about the shifts and how in the past she'd carried over things like tonsilitis and now the broken wrist doesn't travel. I wondered about how her absence was handled in the 24 hours she is in the other "universe" and the general mechanics. Though the confusion didn't stop me, I was all in quickly because of how different her two Sabine's lives are. It was interesting how different she acted in both lives, being what those around her expected. In Wessley, she lived up to rich girl, dressing the part and had the token popular Dex, who although he seems like he should be perfect, something just feels off. It is a big deal to Sabine while she kisses him, she counts and don't make it too many numbers. Her Roxboro life, her parents aren't as high standards, but she absolutely adores her little sister Maddie. She has a close friend who is a little wild like her, or maybe Sabine is wild herself because of Capri. They dress in minis, and have the goth feel going on. She thinks that this should be the life that she gets ride of, but Maddie holds her back in a big way. Until she meets Ethan. I adored him, and loved how understanding he tried to be and how no matter how things look, that he still treats her with respect and wants the best for her. But he has a secret but Sabine doesn't dig too deep. She is worried about the toll the shifts and living every day twice is taking on her, not to mention the physical when she shifts. But when tragic things happen in both life, and she is faced with the reality of what she's doing to her body and would it really count if she ended one life to life the other fully. She has people around her that are showing her what they think of life, and how precious, but Sabine isn't keen on it. She wants to live the one life, and not look at what could be turned into a positive having the chances she gets. Even though both worlds are extremely similar, people are a bit different, stores not quite the same. Then there is how she's chosen to grow up and act in each set of 24 hours. I really enjoyed how Jessica Shirvington used this theme for her big twist and helping to heal a part of my heart that was previously broken in the way that some of the story ends up playing out. The romance was... different. Two different guys for two different personalities on the surface, but the same strong heart and determination inside. But I like how it ended up, and though there was two guys, it was different than a traditional love triangle.Bottom Line: Good book about parallel lives and a girl making a choice how to live.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received an ARC through Goodreads.
    ---
    I can honestly say, I enjoyed this book much more than I originally thought.

    The idea that Sabine is living 2 different lives in 2 different realities is quite interesting. Up until the age of 18, everything Sabine did (cut her hair, injured herself, etc) is reflected in both her lives. But one day everything changed... things that happened to Sabine no longer reflected in her other reality.

    I loved reading about Sabine and Ethan. Both are such interesting characters and multidimensional (no pun intended!). Ethan showed her all the possibilities and potentials that she could achieve by continuing to maintain both lives. OK, I admit it I'm a sucker for Ethan after everything he did to help Sabine to come to terms with her "condition" and was the first person who ever believed her.

    It was interesting to read the ties Sabine has with each reality, especially to her siblings (the younger sister and the older brothers, in different realities). At first, it seemed so simple and straight forward as to which life she should choose (the perfect Harvard life or the life where her parents committed her into a facility). But as the story went in and developed further, the answer was no longer clear. I am glad that ultimately Sabine decided to continue to live both lives instead of ending one of it

    The climax. Wow what a kicker! I am sad that Ethan died in one reality and Sabine only found out that he too was a patient at the facility after he had passed away

    Overall, this story is wonderfully crafted and composed. Definitely a book that I could not put down without some resistance.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Completely new idea at least for me loved it
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite the fact that this book was released six years ago and I’ve just now finally read it, Jessica Shirvington is one of my favorite authors of all time. The Violet Eden Chapters is my favorite series of books ever written, and if you combined the 5 books into one, they would rank in my top favorite books of all-time.One Past Midnight - released as Between the Lives in Shirvington’s native Australia - is the author’s only one-off novel. Although the story does lend itself to a sequel or two, I am happy this didn’t happen. Anchoring Sabine’s story in this one novel is all we really need, and the using the beginning of her chosen life as a finale was deeply satisfying (though admittedly a little predictable). My favorite thing about Shirvington - apart from her casual-yet-sharp writing style - is her almost effortless ability to craft deeply complicated, complex, emotional female characters. Even the background female characters - in this case, Sabine’s two mothers - hint at elaborate character pieces. Forgiving one emotional tangent that Sabine suffers for about 40 pages in this book - clearly misunderstanding something that Ethan has said to her and somehow believing it meant he doesn’t care about her - Sabine’s emotional intelligence and connectivity to herself and the people around her are awesome.I would love to see One Past Midnight adapted into a film (and I was reminded of 2018′s Every Day, though I have yet to see it, and it sounds like the premise is different enough), placed in the hands of a capable female screenwriter and director who can properly support the care that Shirvington puts into her characters.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars
    This was quite a good story and I enjoyed following the two parallel lives of Sabine who was a feisty, strong protagonist. However, I listened to it on audio book and the heavy American accent grated on my nerves, especially when trying to attempt German and fluent French. I will be looking for other books by this author, but I will read them rather than listen to them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite the fact that this book was released six years ago and I’ve just now finally read it, Jessica Shirvington is one of my favorite authors of all time. The Violet Eden Chapters is my favorite series of books ever written, and if you combined the 5 books into one, they would rank in my top favorite books of all-time.One Past Midnight - released as Between the Lives in Shirvington’s native Australia - is the author’s only one-off novel. Although the story does lend itself to a sequel or two, I am happy this didn’t happen. Anchoring Sabine’s story in this one novel is all we really need, and the using the beginning of her chosen life as a finale was deeply satisfying (though admittedly a little predictable). My favorite thing about Shirvington - apart from her casual-yet-sharp writing style - is her almost effortless ability to craft deeply complicated, complex, emotional female characters. Even the background female characters - in this case, Sabine’s two mothers - hint at elaborate character pieces. Forgiving one emotional tangent that Sabine suffers for about 40 pages in this book - clearly misunderstanding something that Ethan has said to her and somehow believing it meant he doesn’t care about her - Sabine’s emotional intelligence and connectivity to herself and the people around her are awesome.I would love to see One Past Midnight adapted into a film (and I was reminded of 2018′s Every Day, though I have yet to see it, and it sounds like the premise is different enough), placed in the hands of a capable female screenwriter and director who can properly support the care that Shirvington puts into her characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the first book I have read by Jessica Shirvington (I own all four books in The Violet Eden Chapters, but haven't read any), and I loved it! Between the Lives follows Sabine as she navigates through her two separate, polar opposite lives, and tries to find some semblance of normalcy and make peace with her unique situation.At first I thought that Sabine would enjoy having two lives: everyone always assumes the grass is always greener on the other side, but she is uniquely placed to test that theory. But the more time I spent with her, the clearer it became that this kind of existence would fraught with difficulties and pose a threat to a person's emotional and psychological well-being. Sabine has had to go through everything twice. This makes her a lot smarter than your average teen, and she's wise, but living out her teen years twice and finding love in one life forces her to consider what happens next - two colleges, maybe two degrees, falling in love with two different people, having two families. It's been building for many years, but now she's seriously considering trying to manipulate her situation so she only lives out one life: by taking one of her lives.Despite first appearances, Between the Lives isn't about the differences in Sabine's worlds, but the similarities. She's loved and appreciated in both lives, and although her two families show it in very different ways, I really like that she has a wonderful support network in both universes. The most poignant aspect of the novel is Sabine's struggle to relate to people. She has friends and family, but she's desperate to find someone like her, someone who understands. And when Ethan comes into her life, she finally has a chance.This novel is a sensitive, thought-provoking examination of life and what it means, and Shirvington explores the human psyche delicately and with a sense of reverence. Between the Lives is full of elegant prose and vivid imagery, it's easy to love Sabine and imagine ourselves in her shoes. The worlds she lives in are our own, her fears are buried within us, her dreams colour ours at night.This is a strong book, riveting, haunting, and emotionally wringing. I can't say more without spoiling it, but Between the Lives is not to be missed. You'll be hard-pressed to find another book like it, and I think everyone will find something to love within its pages.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sabine is a unique 18 year-old with two lives she ‘Shifts’ between every 24 hours. In Wellesley, she is a straight-A prep school kid with a charming life and the perfect boyfriend. At midnight, she Shifts to her life in Roxbury where her family lives in a run-down house, attempting to make ends meet. In Wellesley, she has the perfect life. In Roxbury, she finds the perfect love.For as long as she could remember, Sabine has been living two lives – but all she wants is the chance to be normal. Prior to the where her story begins, she never thought it was ever possible to live one life as physical impacts that occurred in one body transported to the next. So if she killed herself in one life, she was dead in her other. This all changed when she broke her wrist tripping down the subway stairs in Roxbury. Sabine wakes up in Wellesley with no form of injury, something that’s never happened before. Scared and excited by this prospect, Sabine embarks on a series of ‘experiments’ to prove that something had definitely changed. And if these tests succeeded, she would finally be given the chance to live one life normally.I thought this concept was definitely something I’ve not come across before in the young-adult section. I’m the type of person who’ve lain awake at night, pondering the exact same questions that have been raised within this novel. What really happens to us when we die? Do we reset and live the same life again, or do we reset but in a different life? Are there other ‘me’s’ alive out there in an alternate universe – a different Earth that is currently occurring on the same timeline. And one of the most debated questions of all – do we all have a soul mate?While Between the Lives isn’t going to answer any of these questions in a logical and scientific manner, we can lose ourselves for some time imagining that the brief answers that Shirvington provides might actually be true (as unlikely as it may be). While you’re not going to find answers to those mind-boggling questions, you are able to lose yourself in the idea. And essentially, isn’t this why we turn our attention to novels? Because they provide us with an alternate world within our imaginations for escapism. And a good story engulfs you within an idea that you probably wished was true.While I do not envy Sabine’s predicament (no one wants to live everyday twice, especially having to go through school twice), I am jealous of the idea in where she’s able to experience something no one else can. I’m sure a lot of people wonder what their lives would be like if they were born to different parents and a different world. To be able to experience life as a prep-school kid and then life as a rebellious teen. I’m sure everyone has wondered at least once what it would be like to be your own complete opposite. Sure, it’ll probably scramble your mind up, but we’ve all wondered.What I want to praise Shirvington for in Between the Lives is her ability to write a constant personality for Sabine. For a girl that’s living two lives with very distinct personalities in each, Sabine’s true personality doesn’t alter all that much. I’m glad it was very consistent because it would have been awful as a reader to be disgusted by her in one life but love her in the other. You just can’t root for a character when you hate half of her. Of course, that would essentially make the choosing process too easy if the reader was rooting for only one of Sabine’s two lives.I’m also glad that Shirvington does not stick to the stereotypical personalities for each group of Sabine’s friends. It was such a breath of air when the preppy girls aren’t portrayed as ‘dumb’ and ‘sluts’ and her rebellious friend isn’t a drug or alcohol addict.I also thought the plot was believable enough and that the decision between the perfect life and the perfect love was important enough for Sabine to spend countless hours worrying over. Sometimes you find a protagonist wasting time trying to make a decision that makes no sense. This does not happen in this story because the decisions Sabine makes causes a lot of impact – not only on herself but the people around her. Would you choose a life of riches that come with two brothers who dislike you or a life of squalor with a sister that adores you to death? And would you choose a perfect life with a boy you only know you should be with, or a heartbroken life with a boy that you love? While we may have our own answers, this book makes you question them.I must admit that I had liked Dex up till the very end. Did not see that little twist coming. With Ethan however, I must say I never really felt that supposed spark between him and Sabine. I understand his actions are sweet, but it needed more spark. It wasn’t until the last chapter of the book that I felt the spark between them. While the ending was predictable (a happy ending to make you question life a few more times), I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. After crying my way through the last few chapters, it was definitely an ending I had hoped for. While I’m not going to give the ending away, I honestly believe that something like that could really happen. As silly as this may sound, when I met my boyfriend for the first time, I just had an odd feeling that we were compatible with each other. And one and a half years later, that spark is still there. As the last chapter suggests, sometimes the universe just works properly.While I really enjoyed this book, I just couldn’t get past all the self-harm acts performed by Sabine. I know she had to perform these tests to prove her theory, but her irrational acts seemed to have been done without thought. I thought some of the experiments were a little wild considering she was unsure of the outcome and could have potentially ended both her lives. I wish for someone as smart as her, she would have spent more time planning rather than rushing into the thick of it.Overall, it was a very exciting read and I will definitely be looking out for other books by Jessica Shirvington!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’ve read books about parallel lives so many times I’ve already lost count. I thought I had seen it all when it came to this book, however, Between the Lives or One Past Midnight really surprised me.I think this book is the definition of a guilty pleasure. I remember while reading it encountering some problems with the book (annoyance with the main character, inconsistencies, etc) but honestly when the romance kicked in, I threw all my judgments out the window and decided to kick back and enjoy the book.If I’m going to be completely honest, the romance in this book is by far the best part. Ethan is an amazing love interest, because he showed Sabine something to live for. Sabine has always just “existed” but thanks to Ethan, she learned how to live. Ethan cared deeply for Sabine and always tried to help her be a better version of herself. And I LOVED that. Their relationship was so very sweet and every single one of their interactions made my heart melt. I even came to like Sabine more because she finally came into being her own person.Sabine’s life is definitely very complicated. Every night, at midnight, she is sucked into a different life. She has two very different lives. Every life is a different family, a different school, different friends, etc. And one day, she realizes that she can choose which life she wants to live.I could never be in Sabine’s position! How could I choose between two lives? I loved her siblings in each of her lives, and I think she would truly have missed out on something in both of them.Sabine’s journey to controlling her lives was one I definitely loved watching. I think that Sabine completely changed and evolved as a character by the end of it. Speaking of, that ending was GUT-WRENCHING. I was a mess of emotions when something big happened, and I wanted to punch a wall or something. Thankfully, the author gave us an amazing resolution that fixed everything.My only complaint, of course, is the fact that her two lives were not explained. However, since I’ve read multiple lives books before, I realize this is a bit common between them. Plus the book was so marvelous throughout that I really did not mind. This is one book I’ll be rereading once I have the physical copy in my hands.This is a contemporary story with a parallel lives aspect; the romance is very swoon-worthy and the ending will leave you satisfied; definitely recommend this book.'"I want to know that if I drift off to sleep by accident one day, I'll wake up in the same place. I want to live each day once, the best that I can live it.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Emotional story that has wonderful romance, interesting characters, and a great life message. This is a great read that I think all young adult fans will enjoy!Opening Sentence: I am a liar.The Review:Sabine is a unique girl that happens to live everyday twice. Every 24 hours at midnight she goes through a shift and she switches between two different lives. In one life she is popular, smart, driven, and comes from a rich family with divorced parents. She also has two older brothers and a super sexy boyfriend. She wears what is in fashion and has a very stable life. In her other life she comes from a poor family where both of her parents work like crazy to make ends meet, but they are still happily married. She has a young sister that she adores and helps take care of since her parents work so much. She has a more gothic style and her group of friends are a little on the rebellious side.As you can see her lives couldn’t be more opposite. The one thing she has noticed is that if she does something physical to herself like dye her hair or break a bone it has always transferred into the other world until recently. She starts to experiment with things to see if she can finally have what she has always wanted, a normal life in only one world. But she soon meets a boy named Ethan that makes her feel things she never thought possible. He makes her realize that maybe her situation isn’t as bad as it seems and just maybe she is lucky to have the opportunity to live two different lives.Sabine is a very diverse character and it was really interesting to see her in the two different worlds. I think the most significant thing about her is that she is so different in both worlds, but really she is not herself in either world because she only lets a certain part of herself show in each world. Watching her struggle with who she really is was hard to watch and made me really connect with her on a deep level. If she ever has any hope of being happy she is going to have to bring both sides of herself into harmony and watching her journey was both inspirational and emotional. I really enjoyed seeing how she handled things differently based on what world she was in, it made her character more interesting to get to know. Her story was very different from anything else I have ever read and I really enjoyed it.Will is Sabine’s boyfriend in her “perfect” world and to be honest I thought he was pretty boring. Sure, he is gorgeous, popular, and supposedly perfect in every way, but I just felt he was a little dry. The chemistry was totally missing between him and Sabine which she openly admits to. I feel like Will’s character was written to be this way and I think that for the most part this was exactly how Shirvington wanted you to feel about his character, so he was actually written perfectly.Ethan is one of those guys that you fall for instantly. He is sweet, sexy, and very understanding. The moments that he spends with Sabine are so adorable and pretty emotional at times. He is one of the only people she has felt she could be totally honest with and not feel like she is being judged. Their relationship develops slowly and it is beautifully done. I loved Ethan and thought that his character was flawless!One Past Midnight is a gut wrenching story that pulls at your heart strings and really makes you think. I felt that the message in this story was very profound and you can learn some important life lessons by reading this book. Every choice we make in life has consequences and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. But on top of a great message this was an entertaining story that I really enjoyed reading. The characters were interesting, the romance was beautiful, and the plot was intriguing. I did have a little bit of a hard time getting into the story at first because it moved slower then I was expecting but about half way through it got a lot better. This is a standalone novel and while the ending was heart breaking, it was also done perfectly. I am a huge fan of Shirvington’s work and while I didn’t quite like this as much as her Embraced series, I still think that it is worth picking up. I will honestly read anything that Shirvington writes because her stories are just amazing and I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next. Anyone looking for a great story with a wonderful message should pick this one up for sure!Notable Scene:About half an hour before the Shift I changed out of my clothes, shimmying my fitted mini off with one hand and wriggling into my oversized T-shirt nightie. I ditched the sling; it was more hindrance than help. I left my black Doc Martens for last, wincing as I gave a one-handed pull to loosen the laces before using my feet to kick them off.I relied on rituals. Found comfort in the patterns I’d developed over the years. I settled into bed, ignoring the sheen of sweat on my forehead and the sick feeling in my gut as I arranged myself against the pillows as usual, making sure there would be nothing out of the ordinary to return to tomorrow night.I almost made it too.But with only minutes to go, my mouth started its telltale watering. I had to bolt to the bathroom to throw up before hurrying back to bed before midnight struck.The last thoughts that slipped into my mind marked the beginning of the change in my worlds. How could this have happened? How has nothing like this happened to me before?FTC Advisory: Bloomsbury Children’s provided me with a copy of One Past Midnight. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.