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johnnymacaroni's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really liked this. Intriguing and emotional. I really liked the way the story is told in 3 voices and in 3 different styles (narrative, diary and epistolary). I loved the characters and their stories and the future element-very unique. One of my faves of 2017 so far.
sylaratheranger's review against another edition
I probably would have loved this book if it had been more whimsical. Not the book's fault, I just had unrealistic expectations.
I enjoyed each of the three timelines but they felt separate from each other even though the connections were thoroughly explained. To be specific, Adri's story felt completely unnecessary but maybe that's because I didn't really connect with her as a character. Catherine was my personal favorite but that was probably because her timeline felt almost post-apocalyptic and had the small touches of whimsy that exist in this book.
Overall, not a bad book, just not my taste.
I enjoyed each of the three timelines but they felt separate from each other even though the connections were thoroughly explained. To be specific, Adri's story felt completely unnecessary but maybe that's because I didn't really connect with her as a character. Catherine was my personal favorite but that was probably because her timeline felt almost post-apocalyptic and had the small touches of whimsy that exist in this book.
Overall, not a bad book, just not my taste.
dancingkate0's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
It's a multi-generation book. I hate multi-generation books. But, it was interesting enough to finish without it feeling like torture.
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.