Scan barcode
lauraen's review
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Violence
applesaucecreachur's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book before I began reading it, and became even less sure as the plot progressed. It read like a science fiction novel for a good 60% of the scenes, but its basis in alchemy made it technically fantasy. I loved it.
Seanan McGuire ropes readers in with two tenacious and brilliant main characters whose unique bond nearly forces the audience to root for them. Sure, sure, it felt a bit “not like other girls” at times, but what MC isn’t meant to be at least a little bit exceptional? Roger’s love for language was a great selling point for the audience (likely avid readers themselves), and provided an easy-to-identify-with character despite his flaws. Dodger’s raging passion for math had a less personal hold on me as I am no math whiz, but her journey with mental illness and loneliness made her character the most human and three-dimensional of the cast. Her insistence on never truly straying from herself even while wearing a mask of sociability was both inspiring and disturbing.
As for the plot itself, my experience with alchemical fiction is not extensive, and this is by far the most complex one I’ve read. But for my own shortcomings that kept me from following everything perfectly, I held on to see the characters through their journey. I even found myself engrossed by all the extra-scientific stuff that I could not understand. There’s a general rule against info-dumping among writers, but the scene in the last quarter of the book where Erin shamelessly exposits at R&D had me clinging to every last word; I was so curious by this point that this technical breach of the rules was quite welcome.
It is also worth noting that I read this on audiobook, and Amber Benson is probably the best reader I’ve heard thus far. She managed to invent a distinct voice for each primary and secondary character without making any of them cheesy or offensively accented. Her take on the story only added to it.
I’ve never read anything quite like Middlegame before. Rodger and Dodger’s bond was the kind of non-romantic love story I’ve been craving in my books, and the plot felt fresh and bold. This novel teased at the lines drawn within speculative fiction in a way that I now desperately need more of. Middlegame will absolutely be a reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Violence
incunabula's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
it was good overall, but there was a lot of description that added like 50 pages to the book. I think that some of it (specifically the paragraphs in parentheses about other what was going on with characters) would have been much better as footnotes! that way they can still contribute to the story without killing the scenes' momentum.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
hanz's review
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident
cameronreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? No
5.0
I put off reading this book for so long and it was because I knew I was going to love it and wanted to 'save it', but love doesn't put into words how amazing this book was. It was one of the most beautifully crafted books I have ever read, and whilst I was confused for most of it (and still somewhat am) it was in such a delightful way that added to the amazing atmosphere and made the experience infinitely better. The characters were so deep and complex and I loved watching Roger and Dodger grow up and how their relationship developed throughout the years. I love how Seanan McGuire utilises all her characters to the fullest and truly fleshes out each one, allowing us to read from so many perspectives and really get a sense for what's going on. The 'magic' system was wonderful and confusing in the best possible way. It was dark and atmospheric and simultaneously heart-breaking and joyful. I adored this book. Seanan McGuire did it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Suicide attempt, Death, Blood, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Cursing
Minor: Addiction
ellemee's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Grief
izzy_reads's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt
kmtd's review
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence
librarianmage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another banger courtesy of Senean McGuire. I loved it so much, though I can understand why people might not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence
Minor: Child death
lilifane's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
5.0
I think when you read this book you either love it or you hate it. And I definitely loved it!!!
It was love at first page. The writing is soooo beautiful from the very first few words tbh and these first 3 pages left such a deep impact on me that they carried my interest for the rest of the book. I cannot tell you how often I reread that first chapter. Also the amount of quotes I wrote down is ... worrysome. Then the structure is soooo satifying. I live for these kind of books.
And then there are the characters. I fell in love with them, hard. I didn't know this was even possible. The way you get to know the two protagonists in such an intimate way, I felt all the feels. Especially because they are siblings with such a deep connection and you basically spend most of the plot in their heads. Uff, I cried SO SO SO SO much because of the things they went through, physically and mentally. There is this main plot that is epic and kind of... hard to grasp. It's very abstract and sciency and phantastical. But since I genuinely like these kind of elements in books, I enjoyed that, too. Although I had to just accept some things that clearly went over my head or were too vague. But the majority of the plot is just about (found) family and friendship and love (mainly the love between siblings) and loneliness and trust/loss of trust and longing. It just broke my heart and healed it over and over again.
I know this sounds very wholesome but this book is actually quite.... brutal. So tw/cw for suicide attempt, violence, murder, blood (SO much blood), natural disaster/catastrophe.
It was love at first page. The writing is soooo beautiful from the very first few words tbh and these first 3 pages left such a deep impact on me that they carried my interest for the rest of the book. I cannot tell you how often I reread that first chapter. Also the amount of quotes I wrote down is ... worrysome. Then the structure is soooo satifying. I live for these kind of books.
And then there are the characters. I fell in love with them, hard. I didn't know this was even possible. The way you get to know the two protagonists in such an intimate way, I felt all the feels. Especially because they are siblings with such a deep connection and you basically spend most of the plot in their heads. Uff, I cried SO SO SO SO much because of the things they went through, physically and mentally. There is this main plot that is epic and kind of... hard to grasp. It's very abstract and sciency and phantastical. But since I genuinely like these kind of elements in books, I enjoyed that, too. Although I had to just accept some things that clearly went over my head or were too vague. But the majority of the plot is just about (found) family and friendship and love (mainly the love between siblings) and loneliness and trust/loss of trust and longing. It just broke my heart and healed it over and over again.
I know this sounds very wholesome but this book is actually quite.... brutal. So tw/cw for suicide attempt, violence, murder, blood (SO much blood), natural disaster/catastrophe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence