Review: Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias

Title: Breakfast at Midnight

Author: Kim Dias

Length: 66 Pages

Category: Contemporary

At a Glance: As good as much of the story was, things started to fall apart a bit at the end. Overall, though, I really enjoyed Breakfast at Midnight.

Reviewed By: Lisa

Blurb: Hope can be found in unexpected places.

Lonely, still struggling with his divorce, and suffering from writer’s block, successful thriller author Fred spends much more time in an all-night Denny’s than is healthy for any man. It’s the last place he thought he’d meet someone like Callum, who has literally run away from the internationally famous boy band Leos.

Despite their age difference, the two become friends, and their long nights of soul-searching might help them find the courage to face their problems: Fred’s deteriorating relationship with his daughter and Callum’s career issues. It’s easy for their lives to tangle together, and each might provide the other the means to move beyond the past—even if it’s not a journey they can take together.

Review: Wow. I’ve just finished reading this lovely little book, and my feelings are a bit all over the place about it. Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias was equal parts charming and a little bit goofy. There was so much going on in these sixty-six pages I want to be sure to get out just what I adored, as well as what threw me a little or just didn’t quite measure up.

First, I enjoyed the author’s writing style. There were lines or moments that had me smiling or chuckling quietly to myself, and there were other moments that were quite thought-provoking and emotional. The subject matter tended more toward the serious—divorce, family issues, depression and anxiety, and personal journeys—but Dias approached it all with a pretty light touch. Fred’s depression and anxiety were dealt with sooo subtly that at first I was worried the message would be lost. But, in the end, I felt like it worked. I think she gave just a clear enough picture of what was going on to show how harmful those disorders can be to individuals and families.

I loved the premise, and I loved how things progressed in the beginning between Fred and Callum. There were some very sweet and honest moments between them when they were initially getting to know each other. Those intimate moments that can only be found sometimes in those quiet, late night, exposing-all-your-secrets conversations, where you allow yourself to be truly vulnerable. I loved this:

It was his turn, and he didn’t want to say a single one of the confessions that came into his head: I sometimes hate myself so much I want to burn everything I write, and for about a week after my divorce, I didn’t do anything but stay in bed and listen to Leonard Cohen, and worst of all, for its sheer vulnerability, you make me want to write again.

As good as much of the story was, though, things started to fall apart a bit at the end. For me, it seemed like Dias tried to push their familiarity a bit too far. As close as you can begin to feel to someone in even one intimate, late-night conversation or two, the leap she took with their relationship was a bit much. I felt like the little conflict that arises between them toward the end was a stretch. Although it did get her to where she needed to be in the story, and I very much like what she did with most of the conclusion, the execution was not as smooth as it might have been.

Overall, I really enjoyed Breakfast at Midnight. There was a surprising amount of character development and solid storyline packed into this novella. Callum and Fred were both incredibly sweet, and aside from a very abrupt ending, it left me feeling mostly satisfied. I’ll for sure be on the lookout for more from this author!

You can buy Breakfast at Midnight here:
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