''Midwinterblood'' is a

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

novel by

Marcus Sedgwick Marcus Sedgwick (8 April 1968 – 15 November 2022) was a British writer, illustrator and musician. He published novels such as '' Floodland'' (2001; winner of the Branford Boase Award) and '' The Dark Horse'' (2002; shortlisted for The Guardia ...

, published by

Roaring Brook Press A roar is a type of animal vocalization that is deep and resonating. Many mammals have evolved to produce roars and other roar-like vocals for purposes such as long-distance communication and intimidation. These include various species of big cat ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

. The book is composed of seven connected storylines told in reverse-chronological order, with time periods ranging from ancient times to the near future. Inspired by Swedish painter

Carl Larsson Carl Olof Larsson (; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic fa ...

's controversial painting ''

Midvinterblot ''Midvinterblot'' (Swedish for "Midwinter sacrifice") is a painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson, created in 1915 for the hall of the central staircase in Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. It has been called Sweden's most controversial paint ...

'', the stories feature themes of love and sacrifice.

Reception

The book received mostly positive but mixed reviews. In a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' review,

Eoin Colfer Eoin Colfer (; born 14 May 1965) is an Irish author of children's books. He worked as a primary school teacher before he became a full-time writer. He is best known for being the author of the ''Artemis Fowl'' series. In September 2008, Colf ...

describes the book as "a tale for the ages, expertly spun and completely satisfying in its conclusion". One ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'' review recommends the book, stating that "with ritual sacrifice, a vampire and plenty of blood secondary pupils will thoroughly enjoy this book. It is well worth having two on the library shelves." In a review in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'',

Anthony McGowan Anthony John McGowan (born January 1965) is an English author of books for children, teenagers and adults. He is the winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal for ''Lark''. In addition to his 2020 win, he has been twice longlisted (for ''The Kn ...

praised the book as having "Sedgwick's characteristically brilliant structural complexity", but described some sections as "less successful" than others, noting that "the first story, which should propel the novel's backward momentum, stutters and falters". One review from a ''

'' blog describes the book in depth, but admits "I still waver between work of art and stinking hot mess." The book was awarded the

Michael L. Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by '' Booklist'' magazine; administered by the ALA's ...

in 2014. In 2013, it was shortlisted for the

Carnegie Medal for Writing The Carnegie Medal for Writing, established in 1936 as the Carnegie Medal, is an annual British literary award for English-language books for children or young adults. It is conferred upon the author by the Chartered Institute of Library and ...

References

2013 British novels British young adult novels Michael L. Printz Award–winning works {{Michael L. Printz Award Winners