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bloodmaarked's review against another edition
- 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
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
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original review 06/12/21:
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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!
Graphic: Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Drug use, Cannibalism, and Alcohol
lectora21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
jazhandz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, and Abandonment
abitsybat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Medical content
cryptid_crow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
chalkletters's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Even at the beginning, Middlegame’s plot and structure are pretty complicated. For quite some time I had no idea what was going on, and how all the puzzle pieces related to one another, but in a good way! I’ve had this feeling before, where I don’t know what’s happening or how it relates but I know I’m having a great time being carried along for the ride. I recognised it from the first time I read On the Jellicoe Road, which is one of my favourite books by one of my favourite authors.
It helps that the characters are easy to like. I cared about Roger and Dodger from the first passages written from Roger’s perspective. Seanan McGuire wrote them in such a way that I wanted them to be happy, I wanted them to be together and I wanted to learn more about them all at once. The strength of that desire carried the narrative for the first half of the book.
By the second half, the picture on the box of the jigsaw puzzle is starting to take shape. I found it particularly interesting that it was the villains of the novel who were trying to bring magic back into the world. That’s usually the job of the heroes, so it was a neat inversion (though, I have to say, it’s not quite that simple).
Caroline at book club suggested that Middlegame might be a kind of metaphor for the process of writing, which I thought was really interesting. You have to have the right elements, the right building blocks of plot and when it goes wrong, it’s possible you might need to go back a long way to find a small decision you can twist to get the outcome you want. I definitely want to reread the whole book with this in mind and also considering Edward’s idea that Reed was deliberately created to be a villain who would drive Roger and Dodger in a certain direction.
Graphic: Self harm and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization
tqlikesbooks's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“They were supposed to grow up with their hands in each other’s pockets, compensating for one another’s weaknesses, encouraging one another’s strengths.”
Having only read one other book by McGuire, the first book in her Wayward Children Series, I was not sure what to expect from Middlegame. I have also seen very mixed reviews; generally people who adored her other books seem not to enjoy Middlegame, and those who did not seem to like Wayward Children seem to love this. As I loved listening to the audiobook of Every Heart a Doorway, I was not if I would 'get' this book. However I truly enjoyed this.
Essentially, Middlegame follows a set of twins, created to embody a mysterious doctrine by a man who seems to be modelled on both Victor Frankenstein and his creation. The twins are split up shortly after their creation and sent off to different families, though as they grow, they find a way to communicate with each other and fate seems to bring them together.
What gripped me most about Middlegame was the writing itself. It was otherworldly, creative and clever while still being accessible. The story was so unique and imaginative; I loved the nods to the Wizard of Oz and various bits of folklore and fairy tales, and how McGuire blended these elements with lots of high-logic based mathematics and science. Although I can see why this certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea as it was confusing at times and there are many questions left unanswered by the end.
I found I particularly loved the story of Roger and Dodger, their connection and how they complemented each other and seemed to find their missing halves in each other.
Dark, timeline-twisty and magical- for me Middlegame encompasses all the best elements of sci-fi and fantasy.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
natural disaster (earthquake)