I really like Midnight in Chernobyl". It is is a gripping and evocative account Chernobyl disaster, first presented hour by hour, then day by day. I liked how at the beginning it switches between the events leading up to the disaster to giving background on the Soviet nuclear program and the rottenness of the Soviet system. 

My complaints are that at times it was bit hard to keep track of all the Russian names, though Higginbotham does a good job in weaving in reminders and not introducing too many characters. It was also hard to keep track of the technical details, in particular exactly what caused the explosion. Something about a “negative void coeeficient” in the water coolant that was triggered/present when all the control rods were plunged in at the same time as part of the test? 

Reading "Midnight in Chernobyl" made me realize the extent of the disaster and how it contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union. The Soviets' antics, including their attempts to cover up the disaster and then clean the whole site in a matter of months, seem emblematic of the drawbacks to their system. Overall, I heartily reccomend the book.