By: Leah Morrison      

     Boarding school is officially ending for senior Lilly Hopper, and she is more than ready to get out of Ames. Well, she was, until she met the Jester, also known as Lilly’s ex-boyfriend, Tag. Although they are no longer together, she still has never loved anyone more. She takes chances with him and plays a major role in this year’s senior class prank. Lilly not only breaks her most important rule, but also almost gets kicked out of the school altogether so close to the end of the year. She no longer wants to be the good person she is said to be; she wants to be the fun, outgoing, and courageous friend people need. With many flaws, Lilly’s life goes on. She has new experiences and makes new friends, all at the risk of getting caught. Could it all be over so soon?  

     The newest novel of K.L. Walther, What Happens After Midnight, has piqued the interest of many young readers this past year. This novel was one of 2023’s top nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction novel of the year. Walther is only the young age of twenty-nine, and has already written four books in the short span of four years. Soon, she will have published five books in five years, as her newest novel, While We’re Young, is scheduled to come out in the year 2025. It can be preordered to get your own copy very soon.  

     As the new book release date slowly approaches, The Squire has conducted some research about her older but still amazing books. Through searching Goodreads, we discovered that What Happens After Midnight happens to have a 4.74 out of five-star rating. The Squire also found that author K.L. Walthers was born in raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Many reviews of this book have been extremely positive and very enthusiastic. For example, “For the third book in a row, Walther has brought me on a rollercoaster of emotions and made it, so I had no desire to put this book down ever.” This review, along with many more like it, show just how personable and heartwarming this one author can make you feel from reading one book. Many people were very passionate about their reviews, writing enthusiastic comments, such as, “THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE FROM THIS AUTHOR. IT WAS SO FUN AND SO CUTE. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.” When you continue to look through all the reviews and many other comments about this book, they all become more and more positive, encouraging people to read the novel. Some readers even share that they’d like to read the book all over again, “I have no words. I adore Lily + Tag with all my heart. Tag is the sweetest and I couldn’t help loving him from the start. It felt like I knew all the characters and I wish I went to a school like Ames. Perfect, beginning of summer read. I wish I could read it for the first time again.”  

     To wrap up this review, I would just like to say how this book was very heartwarming, and it has a different feel to it, perfect for any time of year. To read more book reviews go to www.squirenews.com.