Abarat: Absolute Midnight

( 40 )

Overview

“I know that many of you here have waited years for this Hour,” Mater Motley said, using that voice that, though it was barely conversational in volume, was somehow heard everywhere. “The waiting is over. Tomorrow there will be no dawn. Only midnight, absolute and eternal.”

And so begins a new chapter in the epic story of sixteen-year-old Candy Quackenbush and her journeys through the world of the Abarat, where every hour is an island in one eternal day, and nothing is as it ...

See more details below
Hardcover
$14.71
BN.com price
(Save 41%)$24.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (15) from $14.66   
  • New (12) from $14.66   
  • Used (3) from $15.89   
Abarat: Absolute Midnight

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$12.99
BN.com price
Note: Visit our Teens Store.

More About This Book

Overview

“I know that many of you here have waited years for this Hour,” Mater Motley said, using that voice that, though it was barely conversational in volume, was somehow heard everywhere. “The waiting is over. Tomorrow there will be no dawn. Only midnight, absolute and eternal.”

And so begins a new chapter in the epic story of sixteen-year-old Candy Quackenbush and her journeys through the world of the Abarat, where every hour is an island in one eternal day, and nothing is as it seems.

Candy travels through the Abarat from island to island and across the sea with an unlikely band of friends: the escaped prisoner Malingo the Geshrat, the quarrelsome John Brothers, who all share the same body but never the same opinion, and the many other colorful characters they meet along the way.

The problem is that trouble finds Candy wherever she goes. And soon she discovers a secret plot, masterminded by the diabolical Mater Motley, who is obsessed with becoming Empress of the Islands. Her method is simple. She will darken the skies, putting out the suns, moons, and stars. She will bring absolute midnight.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

The long-awaited third book of Barker's series has finally arrived.

This middle volume has the strengths and flaws of its predecessors. Heroine Candy Quackenbush and evil Mater Motley continue to take center stage, and both continue to be vehicles rather than fully fleshed characters. Mater Motley furthermore turns out to be a pawn for the Nephauree, a Lovecraftian race of tentacled creatures from elsewhere who have in mind the utter destruction of the Abarat. Candy gets a love-at-first-sight subplot devoid of emotional resonance, based as it is in neither conversation nor interaction. The sometimes lovely, often purple prose is peppered with corny dialogue (declarations of love while facing death; "comic" bickering between John Mischief and his brothers, who are heads on his antlers). True moments of terror (Candy's alcoholic father as the preacher of a church powered by Abaratian evil) vie for attention with the flora and fauna of Abarat and the adventures of a chosen one who conveniently always has the right spell, in what is either an homage to fantasy tropes or a glaring example of the stereotype. Barker's powerful, often unpleasant illustrations continue to play off the text, sometimes confusingly—captions and more careful placement of images would help readers make the connections.

All in all, fans will revel and newcomers will be baffled. (Fantasy. 13 & up)

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780060291716
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 9/27/2011
  • Series: Abarat Series , #3
  • Pages: 592
  • Sales rank: 41910
  • Age range: 12 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 9.40 (w) x 6.56 (h) x 1.66 (d)

Meet the Author

Clive Barker

Clive Barker is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty books for adults and children. He is also a widely acclaimed artist, film producer, screenwriter, and director. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Biography

Nothing ever begins....Nothing is fixed. In and out the shuttle goes, fact and fiction, mind and matter woven into patterns that may have only this in common: that hidden among them is a filigree that will with time become a world.

It must be arbitrary, then, the place at which we choose to embark.

Somewhere between a past half forgotten and a future as yet only glimpsed."

And here is as good a place as any to begin with Clive Barker, the author of strange and scary stories such as the novel that begins above, Weaveworld. Barker is probably best known as the creator of the Hellraiser franchise -- which began with the novella The Hellbound Heart; later became the 1987 horror classic that Barker directed; and was then a comic from 1989-1994. He accomplished the print-to-film-to-comic trifecta again with Nightbreed, the film version of which was released in 1990.

Barker drew attention with his early '80s story volumes, Books of Blood. His first novel, The Damnation Game, not only put him on a par authors such as Stephen King but earned praise from those same authors. He is widely admired for weaving into his scary stories complex themes about human nature and desires.

In addition to crafting his signature novels, a chilling amalgam of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, Barker is an accomplished artist. (His comic Ectokids is in development as a movie project at Nickelodeon.) He has also written for children -- a fact that surprises readers familiar only with his disturbing adult oeuvre. But, in fact, his children's tales (The Thief of Always, Abarat, etc.) are among his most imaginative.

No matter what his audience or medium, Barker's stories are effective because it's clear that he takes his work, and his genre, very seriously -- and expects the same from his audience. In an interview with Barnes & Noble.com, he told us "[Fantasy and horror] liberate us into a world in which our frustrations and our repressions can take an exoticized form, rendering them more safely and also, if we dare, more approachable."

Read More Show Less
    1. Hometown:
      Los Angeles
    1. Date of Birth:
      Sun Oct 05 00:00:00 EST 1952
    2. Place of Birth:
      Liverpool, England
    1. Education:
      Liverpool University
    2. Website:
      http://www.clivebarker.info

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 40 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(24)

4 Star

(12)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(0)
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 40 Customer Reviews

  • Posted Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    I liked it...

    I waited 7 years for this book and it is NOT what I expected. If you've followed the series, then everything you think will happen, doesn't. Clive Barker completely blindsides the readers many times and I'm not sure how I feel about that. So many things happen so randomly and abruptly, that the book just seems...confusing sometimes. I found myself flipping back to see if I missed something because some developments were just so fast. Also, I'm completely unsure of how I feel about the ending... A fantasy book is fantasy, but the author needs to stick to the rules they laid out in their fantasy world, and I really don't think Barker did that. Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book. But beware of some very odd, unexpected, and mind-bending things to happen. But, you have to read it to judge for yourself.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends Book 1)
    Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War
    Beelzebub Girl (Ancient Legends)

    must read

    fantastic read. I enjoyed reading this one.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Tue Aug 30 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    more from this reviewer

    It's here!

    This series, though aimed at the "young adult" age group, is wonderful even later in life. The dark and twisted villains that plague our heroine bring a creep factor, while her friends bring a lighter, quirky side to the story. With inventive world-building and excellent characters (none of which are fully developed, giving them all an aura of mystery and plenty of room to grow), the third book is sure to be as delicious as the previous two.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Tue Oct 04 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    star rating for Nook version only

    I can't wait to read this book! I'm a huge Barker fan and have loved the first two installments of this series. One of the huge draws of this series is that it is filled with illustrations from Clive himself. The electronic Nook version is void of said illustrations. That is too bad being that Clive himself has said that the illustrations are there to help immerse us in the world he has created and to give us the visual representations of what he saw as he created it. I do not know if this will be rectified in future editions of the ebook but for now, if you want the full experience; go for the hardcover version. I say this with a sad heart as my nook has become a part of me and I love the convenience it has afforded me.

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Fri Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Finally

    I have been waiting for ever for this!!! You know this series has to be good if there are people sitting around waiting about 8years for book three to come out in the series!!! I started reading the Abarat series when I was 15years old and here I am 22years old still super excited after all the wait. These books are amazing!!!

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    A lot of Pages for Little Satisfaction

    I enjoy the series, I really do. It is exciting, unique, and has a very Alice-in-Wonderland feel to it, in the sense that Candy, the main character has tumbled into a world of magic and madness that is completely extraordinary. And this third part in the series completely lives up to the previous two.

    So I like it, but there are to things stopping me from "loving" the Abarat series. One, that for some reason I haven't really formed an emotional attachment to the main character(s). I can't explain that, and it might be just me, so don't let that stop you from reading the books. My second complaint, though, is the ending of each book. Don't get me wrong, I love that there is an overarching plot for the whole series, tying the books together, and I enjoy a good cliff-hanger now and again, but it would be nice to actually glean some satisfaction from finishing each of these books. Each time I complete one I am left frustrated and unfulfilled. Which wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, if they had all been published. But regardless, there is no sense of finality or accomplishment. It just feels like the story will NEVER end. And by the third book I was starting to really wish that it would.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Excellent Book...FINALLY

    So happy to final continue on Candy's journey. If you read the others, you will NOT be disappointed!! One note....DO NOT buy this for your Nook. Spend the extra $1.00 and change. NO illustrations, which fill the Hard Copy, are included in the Nook download. VERY DISAPPOINTING, should have been a warning BEFORE the download. BLAH!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Wed Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Awesome!

    I am so pleased this book is finally out! This is a wonderful series and it has been too long since volume two. I hope (and imagine it would be so) that this volume is filled with the paintings Clive Barker did for the illustrations as were the first two volumes. They added so much to the feel of the story. Considering Clive Barker is so well known for his skin crawling horror novels like the Books of Blood and the Hellbound Heart this is more a fantasy with horror elements, closer to the Thief of Always. This is totally worth getting if you haven't already started the series!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Sep 11 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Must read!

    I wanted to jump on the "I started reading these when I was 15 and now I'm 22" train. Except my name isn't Felicia. :(

    But seriously, can't wait for this book! The first two were simply amazing!

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Tue Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Deadlines can kiss my a**

    i dont care how long Barker takes as long as he isnt just putting the story off. I can tell he is goning to make this one the best so far! i super pumped...and to those who say"I cant even remember what happened in the last two books" reread them!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    bigtime barker fan

    Really looking forward to anything new by Barker. I already know it will ROCK!!! Barker will write on HIS schedule, not some demanding reader's...

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    What a twist!

    Like many others, I am sure, I spent many years awaiting the release of this book, and it most certainly did not let me down. Clive Barker pulls the rug out from beneath our feet with each new page. I can promise you that this book is not like the others, but it still captivated me. This story brings us to an Abarat filled with darkness, despair, the Hag, Candy, and all of her friends.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Abarat: Absolute Midnight

    I absoluty loved the first and second book, but this one goes off that track. Its somewhat poorly written with a bunch of places that left me confused about how something happened. Also, scenes are stretched out much too long, which gets boring, while other scenes happen much too fast and dont give enough information! Wonderful series, but i was greatly disapointed by this book....i hope book 4 is better.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Wed Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Ok, this is weird

    Felicia M, my name is Felicia, and my middle name begins with M. Not only that, but I started reading these when I was 15, and I am also now 22. I have been waiting for this forever, and am so excited about this. Sorry weird coincidence there....

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Aug 18 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Years of Love!

    I read the first book in this series in 6th grade. I read the second in eighth, and now as I am entering college I will read the third. I am so excited because this book is sure to be amazing and wonderful and i look forward to more threads of the story starting to come together and How Finnegan and Princess Boa will interact (if at all).

    My biggest worry (Barker can take his time) is that he might die before he finishes the series.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Thu Aug 11 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    Can't wait but...

    The first 2 books were great and i know this one will be two but has anyone bothered to wonder how the illustrations will turn out. Has anyone eles ever swiped over to the next page in a book and been on the same page, according to the page numbers in the top right corner or read one page and swiped over to a page and had the texxt end in the middle of the page like it's the end of the chapter but it's not. How will the full page illustrations look with on here? And what about the ones that are at the tops of two pages?

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Dec 02 00:00:00 EST 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 40 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)