And lots of different cultures believe that this is a totally real thing that happens to people. After all, the main characters keep being reborn into new bodies and living new lives as new people after they die-that sure sounds like reincarnation to us. On the surface, this book is pretty much about reincarnation. But what if this feeling is something more, a hint that we've lived other lives, had other experiences, even been other people? It's kind of mind-blowing stuff, and a big part of what Midwinterblood explores. There's a fancy French name for this feeling- déjà vu-and lots of people have experienced this sensation. What is Midwinterblood About and Why Should I Care?Įver get the feeling that you've done something before? That's a pretty big deal.ĭon't you want to see it win an Oscar now, too? Seriously, Hollywood guys-Shmoop is available to write the screenplay if need be. This means, that out of all the books that were written for high school(ish) aged readers that year, Midwinterblood was the absolute best one. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature in 2014. The folks over at the American Library Association liked it so much that they put an award on it. We're not the only ones who dug Midwinterblood. But it's also effective, and along the way, the whole thing reads like a weird and mysterious puzzle. Cool, right? In this story, we start out with Eric and Merle who meet on a remote Scandinavian island in 2073 and end up with Eirikr and Melle who both die on a remote Scandinavian island sometime before the 10th century. That just means that the first thing you read about is actually the last thing that happens. The whole thing is set up in reverse chronological order. For real-we're can already see lines forming around the block on opening weekend.Īll of this is cool, but the biggest draw to the story is how it's told. It's got romance, mystery, horror, and fantasy. The book tells the story of Eric and Merle who are destined to meet, love, and lose each other in each of seven lifetimes. The reason folks would love watching this 2013 novel by Marcus Sedgwick play out on the big screen is that it's got something for everyone. (Though, admit it, you totally would go see that flick, right?) Or even Hot Tub Time Machinemeets Twilight.

Or Cloud Atlas meets (500) Days of Summer. It's like Lost meets The Time Traveler's Wife. We even have some ideas for pitching it to those fancy movie studio execs. But seriously, someone needs to get on this. Midwinterblood hasn't been made into a movie… yet. Well, except for reading those books before the movie comes out so we can feel superior to everyone else sitting in the theater. There's nothing Shmoop loves more than seeing our favorite books made into movies.

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick