In the Middle of the Night is a psychological study of the effects of harassment and revenge on victims, principally Denny and his father John Paul.

One of the effects is a splitting of personalities; the novel has divisions such as John Paul's seemingly infinite patience and his domineering attitude and Denny's desire to have both friends and to be left completely alone. Their miseries are created by a desire for revenge that is sickening; Lulu consumes her life and that of her brother in a pointless effort to avenge herself for her personal suffering.

Cormier takes pains to motivate her actions so that they seem plausible, resulting in many unpleasant and disturbing passages of raw emotions.

The disgusting, vile behavior of a telephone harasser is traditionally not a subject for literature for young adults, but Cormier not only presents it, he presents it in graphic...