Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - Middlegame

This was an odd choice for me, a book that I bought for the cover and because I had store credit at the used bookstore. I ended up loving it. It had an interesting combination of Frankenstein and Wizard of Oz. It had twins who can communicate through a link in their minds. It had well-developed characters, despicable villains, and lots of adventure, intrigue, and action. I loved the relationship between the siblings and their quest. As a central California native, the settings of UC Berkeley and the Sutro Baths were familiar and vivid.

This was a long read, and there were a couple times when it felt slow, but I still had very few issues. I started this in print in July and it wasn’t “working” at the time, so when I picked it up again, I decided to change to audio. The narration was fantastic and I could not recommend it more highly. I think the alchemy and details might have been frustrating to me or I might have gotten lost in them with a print read, but the audio made that easier for me.

I love being surprised when reading. This is one of those books that took me by surprise, not in the plot but in what an absolute pleasure it was to read. I see more Seanan McGuire in my future.

The bottom line: Read this if you want a strange and delightful mixture of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary with nods to Frankenstein, The Midwich Cuckoos (new TBR for me), and The Wizard of Oz.

— NOTES —
Genres: urban fantasy, science fiction
POV: 3rd-person, multiple

— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)

Pace: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Craft: 5
My Gut Feeling: 5

Total Stars: 4.75

Content Warnings

hbocking's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Tbh this could have been at least 200 pages shorter.

Content Warnings

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

reread 06/09/23:

i reread this in preparation for seasonal fears which i just went and bought, and quite honestly i feel just as much love for this book as i did the first time. so yeah, no updates, refer to original review thx

✧ let's talk about books on my tumblr ✧

original review 06/12/21:

come talk books with me over at my twitter!

oh my god i loved this. something about that cover just told me i would. it was sharp and dark and clever - maybe even too clever at some points, but even where there were plot points that took a while for me to grasp, i was still gripped the whole way through. it's so hard to describe, but yeah, this story was a whole weird, mind-twisting journey of alchemy and power and godhood, and i loved every minute of it. what's more, i loved the cast too! roger and dodger have my whole heart, but i also loved leigh and erin who grew on me over the course of the book. i wish i'd had more time to read because i'm sure i would've torn through it at the speed of light rather than over the near-month that it took in reality. but, if you love SFF, and you love a story that will keep you guessing, i would 100% recommend this. seriously can't wait for seasonal fears to come out - not long now!

Content Warnings

nightstitch96's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

generaljinjur's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Had to return it to the library halfway through my first attempt, and picked it back up about a year later- I’m so so glad I did! Like many of McGuire’s books, this is as much an ode to stories as a marvelous story in and of itself.

Content Warnings

guptillc's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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