I really enjoyed A Wish After Midnight! I’m a huge fan of time travel, so when looking through Zetta Elliott’s work this title stood out for my first foray into her stories. Elliott brings the reader into not one but two worlds, first Gemma’s 2000 Brooklyn and then the 1863 Brooklyn she travels to. Both are such incredibly detailed settings, it’s easy to imagine the worlds in which Gemma exists. In modern Brooklyn, we are drawn into the life of an incredible girl who is curious and creative in the midst of chaos around her. I especially loved how detailed her family life was, and found it easy to empathize with Gemma in every situation.

When the book went from 2000 back to 1863, I was almost disappointed to leave the story Elliott had created. However, the same picturesque storytelling from part 1 carried seamlessly to part 2 and 1863 was just as easy to step into and imagine. Choosing just a couple of characters and places to flesh out the world works to Elliott’s advantage, giving clear examples and both similarities and differences between the two worlds Gemma visits.

I was also unfamiliar with the history of the Civil War era in Brooklyn, so learning just the beginnings of that chaos was incredibly valuable. My main complaint, I think, is that I felt Judah could have been more fleshed out. I’m looking forward to reading The Door at the Crossroads, as by the description it seems more Judah forward.

The characterization of all the characters is well done, and more realistic than other speculative fiction with teens as main characters that I have read in the past. Overall, I would highly recommend this book and I will be reading more of Zetta Elliott’s work to explore of her amazing story telling and world building. This is on my list of recommendations for library patrons who like time travel or fantasy when I’m doing readers advisory!