Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Midnight Gardener
SERIES: The Town of Superstition
AUTHOR: RG Thomas
PUBLISHER: Startles Monkeys Media
LENGTH: 178 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2020, 2nd Ed.
BLURB:
A lonely teenage boy whose father has moved them too often for him to make lasting friendships.
A mysterious neighbor his own age who hums as he gardens… at night… surrounded by fireflies.
Superstition is the town Thaddeus Cane and his father, Nathan, have settled in this time, and every evening Thaddeus becomes more intrigued with his new neighbor. When Thaddeus finally works up the nerve to visit his neighbor, the crush blooming underneath surfaces, and he realizes that Teofil, the midnight gardener, is lonely as well. When his father finds out where he’s been spending his time, Thaddeus is forbidden from returning. But the attraction is too strong, and soon Thaddeus is back in Teofil’s yard, leading to the revelation of long held secrets that upend Thaddeus’ quiet life and sends him on the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW:
Thaddeus Cane has not had the most stable of upbringing. At fifteen, he’s moved too many times – 32 to be exact. It’s just him and his father as they move from place to place, with never enough money. But when they move to Superstition, Thaddeus feels like maybe this is home? This is helped by the view from his bedroom window into the neighbors yard and spectacular garden. The gardener – who only comes out at night – hums a soothing tun as he works and is surrounded by what appear to be fireflies while he works. For some reason Thaddeus is very attracted to him and he longs to meet the young man.
But there are definitely dangers afoot. He knows something is watching him from the woods. And that something would like to eat him, he’s certain! There are also plenty of strange people in the town of Superstition – including his father’s boss at the sporting good store, his coworker, and the librarian. But Thaddeus is about to discover that not much of what he knows is true.
His father forbids him to see Teofil, the mysterious midnight gardener, after Thaddeus spends a whole night inside the garden with him as he tends the flowers. But Thaddeus can’t deny the pull of his attraction to Teofil. He’s the first real friend he’s had and the first person he’s felt a real attraction to and affinity for. More importantly, it’s the first time he’s ever felt understood and seen. So of course he can’t stay away 🙂 But there is much danger afoot – danger that Thaddeus is unprepared for. And when he discovers that nothing is what it seems and everything he thought he knew is not the truth, his whole world begins to spin off its axis. His new reality comes with some exciting and scary changes and the represents the beginning of a new quest in this new world. How it will end, nobody knows.
Well this was a delightful little story that is setting us up for a longer tale! As this is the first in the series, it’s really just setting the stage for this new world we are discovering. Thaddeus is a teenager who is pretty well-behaved, lonely and longing for connection. It’s just been him and his father for as long as he can remember and they are a team. But his attraction to and desire to know Teofil is causing problems with their relationship. Thaddeus begins to understand that things aren’t exactly as they seem – but boy is he surprised to discover just how different the world really is from what he thought. The world building is lovely and the descriptions of Teofil’s garden and the creatures that go bump in the night are very well done. There is some kissing, but this is definitely a YA series as the main protagonist is just 15 🙂 I found it to be an intriguing setup for what I’m sure is going to be an interesting series. I can’t wait to see what happens to this group 🙂 Definitely recommended for YA Fantasy fans in particular.
PS – What a BEAUTIFUL cover 😉
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: