Thriller & Suspense

The Midnight Feast is People Horror

June 21, 2024

As I learn The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley I used to be slightly confused. What WAS I studying? Apparently The Midnight Feast is People Horror. What’s that and the way does The Midnight Feast examine to The Visitor Checklist and The Paris House? Let’s focus on it!

The Midnight Feast is Folk Horror. This graphic shows the book's cover, which has hanging lanterns against a dark sky, on a black background. Teh Midnight Feast is by Lucy Foley

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley: Abstract

To be printed on June 18, 2024 by William Morrow
368 pages
Extra books by Lucy Foley: The Looking Social gathering, The Visitor Checklist, The Paris House, plus two earlier works of historic romance.
The ebook presently has a 3.79 Goodreads ranking, with some readers loving it and others discovering it slow-paced with unlikeable characters.
Due to the writer for sending me an advance copy for evaluate consideration

The Midnight Feast: Abstract and Jen’s Fast Take

Original photo of a hardcover of The Midnight Feast on a shelf next to Lucy Foley's other books and a J mug

Sure, The Midnight Feast is people horror, which is “horror fiction that makes use of components of folklore, together with a rural setting, isolation, and themes of superstition, people faith, paganism, sacrifice and the darkish elements of nature.” Test, test, checkity-check.
If the concept of studying horror scares you, I’m a scaredy cat and the horror in that is extra delicate than wild
If you happen to ARE a horror fan, The Midnight Feast has a sluggish tempo, making it really feel a bit like sluggish burn suspense with people horror components. Possibly it’s actually people suspense?
To me, not a lot appeared to be taking place within the current however then (most) every thing tied collectively on the finish. Like Daughter of Mine.
There WAS loads occurring narrative-wise, with quick chapters, three timelines, an epistolary aspect and 4 POVs.
I like to recommend this to followers of Alex North as this jogged my memory a little bit of The Angel Maker.

The Midnight Feast: Jen’s Evaluation

I will likely be trustworthy: the primary time I learn The Midnight Feast, I used to be not the largest fan

Regardless of the ebook’s quick chapters and Massive Little Lies-style physique discovery within the opening pages, I used to be not enthralled.

The characters have been mysterious and their motives unclear. I agree with the readers that felt that almost all have been unlikeable, although I feel that was the case in most of Foley’s prior books.

The motion felt mundane: preparations for a flowery summer time solstice celebration, delicate stress between the company of a brand new resort on the Dorset coast and a few disgruntled locals, and the police investigating that physique, which I knew wouldn’t be recognized till the ebook’s final pages.

There have been three timelines: one on the day of the Midnight Feast, a summer time solstice celebration at a brand new resort on the Dorset coast; one the next day, and one which performed out within the pages of a teen’s summer time journal from 2010.

Some readers liked the 2010 journal aspect and others actually disliked it. I used to be impartial. I liked the humorous Y2K references however I wasn’t certain the place issues have been going.

Nonetheless, the journal was needed to know the stunning reveals on the finish and keep away from an enormous info-dump (which I by no means get pleasure from.)

On the optimistic facet, every thing DOES actually come collectively on the finish

There are many tiny clues and breadcrumbs dropped all through all of the completely different narratives. (I’m a quick reader, so I don’t all the time do nicely with subtlety and tiny clues.) However I did respect the craftsmanship of this story.

What concerning the people horror?

Movie poster for Midsommar a 2019 Swedish folk horror movie

Themes of people tales and superstition will not be actually my factor. The ebook references a 2019 Swedish people horror film referred to as Midsommer which sounds actually on the market.

There may be an animal sacrifice (not depicted however a part of the plot) however that stuff will not be actually the middle of the story.

The Midnight Feast: Spoilers and the Ending Defined

Beneath I’ll depart protected spoilers for the ending of The Summer time Feast and the Ending Defined. If you’d like a chronological account, you may seize my longer Spoiler Dialogue Publish. In case you are studying or listening there’s a LOT that may confuse you and I’m unsure I’ve all of it discovered both.

To guard readers who HATE being spoiled you will have to log in along with your electronic mail or social media account. By doing so, you may be added to my electronic mail checklist and obtain superior weekly updates about new books! For extra data on why I shield my spoilers, please learn this publish! In case you are having any points PLEASE depart a remark as I wish to assist!

All of the drama within the current is the results of a loss of life in 2010

One summer time in 2010, younger working class mom Cora Deeker is hanging round with some native teenagers (Jake and Bella) and likewise Francesca, the daughter of a wealthy landowner.

The locals learn about “magic” mushrooms within the woods. Cora dies (overdoses?) after unknowingly consuming brownies that Francesca spiked with mushrooms.

Francesca’s wealthy father (who had additionally sexually harassed Cora) pays off the native teenagers for his or her silence, and hides Cora’s physique. To elucidate Cora’s disappearance, Francesca sends a notice to Cora’s household that means she is leaving them.

After the incident, Jake has drug abuse points however lastly straightens himself out.

Years later, Francesca transforms her household property into The Manor, an upscale trip resort. She plans an enormous opening celebration on the evening of the summer time solstice.

Jake sends Bella a clipping about The Manor’s opening, drawing her again to the realm. A number of locals who have been additionally a part of the Jake/Francesca/Cora/Bella circle that summer time at the moment are grown up and dealing on the Manor, together with Eddie, Jake’s youthful brother.

Owen, Cora’s son, can be grown up and … married to Francesca. He was had no concept she was accountable for the loss of life of his mom (or that his mom was even lifeless). Jake faked a name from Francesca’s workplace to Owen, saying that she was searching for an architect. They married and I don’t assume she knew who he was, both.

There’s nonetheless numerous animosity between the locals and Francesca’s household (which now consists of Francesca and her twin brothers, Hugo and Oscar.

What’s the ending of Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley?

Cora’s physique is found throughout an excavation within the woods close to the Manor
The company on the Manor’s summer time solstice celebration get super-wasted on extra-strong arduous cider
Francesca realizes that everybody is closing in on her: her workers Michelle and Eddie (Jake’s youthful brother), her husband, and her visitor Bella, who was her good friend that summer time in 2010
Francesca units the Manor on fireplace
Somebody has locked Oscar and Hugo within the wine cellar they usually die within the fireplace. Eddie helps many company to security.
Eddie suspects that certainly one of his dad and mom is a member of The Birds, a bunch of locals who meet within the woods sporting capes and chicken masks, make animal sacrifices, and proper wrongs.
Francesca races off in Owen’s Aston Martin
Eddie jumps out within the chicken costume he present in a closet of his dad and mom dwelling. Francesca swerves to keep away from him after which jumps out of the automobile and runs.
Eddie runs after her. Francesca goes over a cliff and lands on the seashore beneath, lifeless
Owen, as Francesca’s husband, inherits the Manor and turns it right into a group middle.

What are your ideas? I do assume this had parallels to The Visitor Checklist. Each books had massive occasion settings and centered round revenge plots. The creepy vibe did really feel slightly bit like The Paris House. And the wealthy folks vibe felt slightly like The Looking Social gathering.

This ebook was a LOT. Be happy to depart feedback beneath. Spoilers are high-quality. Let’s determine this out collectively! I’m nonetheless attempting to determine who locked the twins within the wine cellar….