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adeperi's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hannahsuemiller's review
5.0
great as a stand alone story, but an even better sequel to the up and under series. these are almost better than the wayward children
simoneandherbooks's review
4.0
If you're wondering if you need to read book 1 before you read this one, have no fears. Seanan McGuire does a really excellent job of catching you up right at the beginning of the story. I think my favorite part of both of these books is the narrator. At one point, the narrator does break the fourth wall and speak to us and honestly, it was so good. It's got this fairy tale like quality to it as if you can easily read this on audiobook and feel like a kid at reading time listening to a story unfold.
While I'm not 100% sure if this story is for kids, I did love following along while Avery, Zib, Niamh, and Crow Girl continued their journey to the Impossible City. This time, they fall down a well and land in a clever ocean that helps them find someone who can point them in the right direction.
I feel like a lot of this book was setup and explanation for what happened in the first book. Unlike the first one, this had very little action and really didn't move the story much along. In fact, it very much read like the second book in a series; you know, the one that explains some things a bit more and sets you up for the next book. It did have some really interesting character development and I was intrigued by the pirates and the adventures, but it felt more like an explanation. I felt like book one was about Crow Girl and how she lost her name and turned into a murder of crows and this one is about the drowned girls and the Lady of Salt and Sorrows (the patron of Niamh's world).
It's not a fault of the book, I was expecting more of the action I saw in book one, but when I readjusted and realized this book was going to explain some things and actually build on the character development, that's when I liked it more.
Because it's more about the characters than the plot, I felt like it had way more quotable moments. I was finding myself dog-earing every few pages with the beautiful words about life, finding yourself, and being who you're supposed to be. There's a lot of growth happening for Avery and Zib. Not only are they learning about this weird world they found themselves in, but they're also learning things about themselves. Like how Avery is learning to let go of everything being perfect and how Zib is learning that she's not defined by the body she's born into.
While this story doesn't have a lot of action, there's a lot in the book that's worth exploring. The worlds may be different from ours, but the lessons feel the same and it's always fun to see where the adventures takes Avery and Zib.
Overall, this is a good one especially if you're a fan of fairy tales. The storytelling is excellent and while the plot doesn't move much, it's definitely got merit in learning more about the kids, the Up-and-Under, and what they're both capable of.
While I'm not 100% sure if this story is for kids, I did love following along while Avery, Zib, Niamh, and Crow Girl continued their journey to the Impossible City. This time, they fall down a well and land in a clever ocean that helps them find someone who can point them in the right direction.
I feel like a lot of this book was setup and explanation for what happened in the first book. Unlike the first one, this had very little action and really didn't move the story much along. In fact, it very much read like the second book in a series; you know, the one that explains some things a bit more and sets you up for the next book. It did have some really interesting character development and I was intrigued by the pirates and the adventures, but it felt more like an explanation. I felt like book one was about Crow Girl and how she lost her name and turned into a murder of crows and this one is about the drowned girls and the Lady of Salt and Sorrows (the patron of Niamh's world).
It's not a fault of the book, I was expecting more of the action I saw in book one, but when I readjusted and realized this book was going to explain some things and actually build on the character development, that's when I liked it more.
Because it's more about the characters than the plot, I felt like it had way more quotable moments. I was finding myself dog-earing every few pages with the beautiful words about life, finding yourself, and being who you're supposed to be. There's a lot of growth happening for Avery and Zib. Not only are they learning about this weird world they found themselves in, but they're also learning things about themselves. Like how Avery is learning to let go of everything being perfect and how Zib is learning that she's not defined by the body she's born into.
While this story doesn't have a lot of action, there's a lot in the book that's worth exploring. The worlds may be different from ours, but the lessons feel the same and it's always fun to see where the adventures takes Avery and Zib.
Overall, this is a good one especially if you're a fan of fairy tales. The storytelling is excellent and while the plot doesn't move much, it's definitely got merit in learning more about the kids, the Up-and-Under, and what they're both capable of.
paragraphsandpages's review
5.0
I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book! While I adored the first, this book felt like it had a bit more of a plot beyond wandering around and exploring the Up and Under, and I feel like that's the main thing I found missing in book 1. I also just adore pirates and pirate ships, and ship stories generally, so getting some seafaring adventuring was a nice shift from the land-based journeying Zib and Avery had done so far!
I also really liked how this book leaned more and more into specific lore in the Up and Under, since the basics of the world had already been explored in book 1. It has me really excited to see where the next book goes, and I can't wait to see what the ending mean for the final book in the series!
I also really liked how this book leaned more and more into specific lore in the Up and Under, since the basics of the world had already been explored in book 1. It has me really excited to see where the next book goes, and I can't wait to see what the ending mean for the final book in the series!
hrgisahero's review
4.0
Love being able to read Middlegame and then hearken back to these books, I look forward to the next!
someonetookit's review
5.0
Well shit. This one once again was a quick but fantastic read. I just devoured it in a little over 2 hours and OH MY HEART I have missed this cute little shits.
zellm's review
4.0
This was such a cute little book. I loved the narrative style and the characters. I think I'm missing something reading this by itself - I didn't realize it was a second book in a series, or tied into other book series as well.... it didn't really stand on it's own that well, but again, that's my problem.