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vorpalblad's review against another edition
5.0
First: this is not a sci-fi book. While it is set in the future and technology is discussed, it's not what the book is about at all. This is a book about love, friendship, failure, fixing and probably some other f words. It's definitely a female book. About the power of women alone and together. Beautifully written. I actually looked for this author after reading her May Bird and the Ever After, a children/teen book. I'm amazed at Anderson's versatility, including the three voices in this one novel.
needmorelight's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-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? Yes
4.25
Everybody turns out OK
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
3.0
Several women have interconnected lives over the sands of time:
1918 Lenore, who dearly misses her best friend Beth after Beth moved away from England to America.
1930's Catherine, who is worried sick about her little sister Beezie's health while living in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression
2065 Adri, who is preparing for a lifelong expedition to Mars and has never been good at making friends.
1918 Lenore, who dearly misses her best friend Beth after Beth moved away from England to America.
1930's Catherine, who is worried sick about her little sister Beezie's health while living in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression
2065 Adri, who is preparing for a lifelong expedition to Mars and has never been good at making friends.
rachelbookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
A delightful read combining past and future, all at once, as a girl, Adri, using technology we can only dream of, is about to head to Mars to live for the rest of her long life. She reads the stories of those who came before her in the friendships that became family. Told in letters and journals, we meet Lenore and Catherine through Adri’s eyes and hear their slices of history. It was a short, engrossing read. I recommend the audiobook if you want to hear the voice actress sound like old Toph from The Legend of Korra and Catherine sound like Dolores from Westworld. I certainly enjoyed it. Every character introduced was endearing, most of which were confident young women navigating their world, dreaming of what else is out there in the world, and actively pursuing their dreams.
sducharme's review against another edition
4.0
Three young women living in different generations are connected, somehow. We learn the backstory of each person through letters (and other primary source documents!), and the unfolding of how they are related all centers around a farm in the US west. Usually when a story is told in different voices, I prefer one storyline over the others, but in this novel I was equally engaged by each of them.
whitneymouse's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Parts of it were slow, which for such a small book, was a problem. And the connection makes sense by the end (both in relation to the characters and the central theme of electricity and technology in general). I like that Anderson was able to connect three distinct time periods with such an interesting tie.
The three main characters are all interesting in their own rites. Catherine was probably the most interesting for me, but her story (living in Kansas during the dust bowl) is also simultaneously the most triumphant and the most heartbreaking for me. Adri's was my next favorite (going to inhabit Mars in the future). Lenore's was my "least-favorite" (living in England directly after WWI), but they felt very short, so if there had been more to the story, I may have been more interested in her part.
The only reason it's not a five is that this isn't going to be a new favorite of mine. It was a perfectly enjoyable historical fiction. I would probably read it again. However, it's not one I feel like I need to run out and buy. If you like historical fiction, you should pick this up. It's quick and has an intriguing hook.
Popsugar reading prompt: A book that passes the Bechdel Test
The three main characters are all interesting in their own rites. Catherine was probably the most interesting for me, but her story (living in Kansas during the dust bowl) is also simultaneously the most triumphant and the most heartbreaking for me. Adri's was my next favorite (going to inhabit Mars in the future). Lenore's was my "least-favorite" (living in England directly after WWI), but they felt very short, so if there had been more to the story, I may have been more interested in her part.
The only reason it's not a five is that this isn't going to be a new favorite of mine. It was a perfectly enjoyable historical fiction. I would probably read it again. However, it's not one I feel like I need to run out and buy. If you like historical fiction, you should pick this up. It's quick and has an intriguing hook.
Popsugar reading prompt: A book that passes the Bechdel Test
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I've read lots of dual-timeline novels, but I'm not sure I've ever read a triple-timeline one. I like the format and found all of the different stories in MIDNIGHT AT THE ELECTRIC interesting for different reasons. I also liked the way all three threads connected in theme, place, and relationships. Since there's little plot, though, the stories move rather slowly. The book's not long enough for them to get boring, they're just not always...exciting, if that makes sense. Overall, not a whole lot happens in the book. I still found the novel compelling enough to read all the way through, although it's not exactly a page-turner. Also, because none of the characters really get a traditionally happy ending, none of the stories truly felt complete or totally satisfying to me. In the end, then, this was just an okay read for me. I liked it, didn't love it. If I could, I would give the book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
paragraphsandpages's review against another edition
3.0
First off, I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing me this ARC to review. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition.
“No one wants to disappear. Words pin things down and make them real, and they last so much longer than we do.”
Stars (Out of 10): 6/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: This was a pretty interesting book. It was at times slow, and I never truly got hooked into the story or connected to the characters, but I did end up enjoying it all the same. I especially liked the three POVs, and their connection to each other through a century of time.
The Good: Interesting premise, pretty decent plot, and some interesting character growth. Also loved how all the eras/POVs ended up being so connected!
The Bad: Didn’t really end up caring for any of the characters, felt slow at points, and was a bit short
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: While I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, or love them, they perfectly fit the story. I specifically liked Adri and her journey through the months we saw her, and how her fascination with the letters brought her closer to Lily, and more able to let other people into her life. I also loved how interesting the lives of all three were, and how while none of the girls seemed to have more than 100 pages of plot/writing dedicated to them, they were all fleshed out pretty well, with their own lives and backstories.
The Plot: I ended up quite liking the plot. The jumping from era to era was well down, and ended at perfect moments to both leave us wondering, and excited to see where each character’s story would go. In addition, I love how wrapped up the ending was, and how people from years past managed to change the life of someone living a century after them!
The Favorite Character: Adri, her growth was cool to see.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
“No one wants to disappear. Words pin things down and make them real, and they last so much longer than we do.”
Stars (Out of 10): 6/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: This was a pretty interesting book. It was at times slow, and I never truly got hooked into the story or connected to the characters, but I did end up enjoying it all the same. I especially liked the three POVs, and their connection to each other through a century of time.
The Good: Interesting premise, pretty decent plot, and some interesting character growth. Also loved how all the eras/POVs ended up being so connected!
The Bad: Didn’t really end up caring for any of the characters, felt slow at points, and was a bit short
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: While I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, or love them, they perfectly fit the story. I specifically liked Adri and her journey through the months we saw her, and how her fascination with the letters brought her closer to Lily, and more able to let other people into her life. I also loved how interesting the lives of all three were, and how while none of the girls seemed to have more than 100 pages of plot/writing dedicated to them, they were all fleshed out pretty well, with their own lives and backstories.
The Plot: I ended up quite liking the plot. The jumping from era to era was well down, and ended at perfect moments to both leave us wondering, and excited to see where each character’s story would go. In addition, I love how wrapped up the ending was, and how people from years past managed to change the life of someone living a century after them!
The Favorite Character: Adri, her growth was cool to see.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/