Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

31 reviews

themichellegray's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The ninth installment of the Wayward Children series sadly didn't impress me as much as some of its predecessors. It was still a joy to spend more time with characters I already adore and the ending was perfect, yet my critiques outweigh my overall enjoyment.

There wasn't a plot driving this particular story forward and it felt as-if the characters went on a quest just because thats what happens in odd-numbered books within the series. The writing often felt disjointed as we were following so many characters who were each trying to have their own discussions. Rather than providing an empowering message, these conversations and monologues became repetitive which muddled the points that were trying to be made. (Also, marketing a book with dinosaurs on the cover yet having barely any time in that world is super misleading.)

It's possible I wasn't in the right headspace to read this novella but I can't help feeling as-if this was simply a rushed "filler" book to remind readers of who everyone was and what worlds they visited. I still admire the whimsical settings this fantasy series offers and hope my enjoyment will pick up in future publications!

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tahsintries's review against another edition

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4.0

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beefthedwarf's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Mislaid in Parts Half-known - 3.35

Review Summary:

Mislaid in Parts Half-known is a quest book — a book in the Wayward Children’s series where a cast of students go on a quest, often briefly visiting a series of worlds. I’m not a huge fan of these installments, but I see the purpose of them. I just wish they were handled better!

The dialogue between the characters felt unnatural, exhaustive, and way, way over-explained. Rather than weave certain things into the plot, Seanan McGuire has her characters talk at us, the readers, and each other. They don’t sound human when they do it. They sound like a Wikipedia article.

Furthermore, I felt like we kept just getting more lost and lost in the weeds of what these doors mean, and it’s not feeling consistent.

However, I did enjoy seeing some old and new characters interact with each other, and it was good to see Antsy come into her powers. Seraphina was frighteningly powerful, though I was disappointed, since I thought (by the plot description) that she was going to be a primary character along with Antsy. The flickerings of

Eleanor’s dementia

are both haunting and exciting, too —

what will her fate be? Will Kade be there to take over when she’s gone?

Exhaustive Review (spoilers):

World/System/Premise
The setting/location/time, the magic system(s), story premise, etc
Examples: “London, 1881”, “magic utilizing tarot cards”, “a world ruled by necromancers”

Was it engaging / interesting?

Rating: 3 - The world/system/premise had high potential, but the implementation was lackluster.

The flaw, honestly, was in over-explanation through dialogue. My eyes started going in different directions. This was way too much info for 150 pages, especially folded over and repeated over and over.

How fleshed-out was the worldbuilding?

Rating: 3 - The world/system/premise was somewhat fleshed out, with a few gaps/inconsistencies that affected understanding of the world/system/premise. It felt like the author just didn't think about some things.

Mislaid undid some of the work of Lost in the Moment. Antsy says that once a door is closed in the Store, it’s gone forever, but the rest of the text doesn’t support that.

However, it does continue to expand on the Doors as a system, and how they work, even if it’s a little confusing or inconsistent.

Writing Style / Prose
Sentence structure, vocabulary, style of prose, and overall accuracy and readability of the writing itself.

Spelling / grammar / formatting errors

Rating: 5 - No errors

Vocabulary and Sentence Structure

Rating: 4 - Mostly mature and readable. A little too verbose / simplistic at times. Sentence structures are mostly easy to follow.

Seanan McGuire’s prose is as good as ever… that is, however much was actually in this installment.

Internal / External Dialogue

Rating: 2 - There was a lot of (unnecessary) internal / external dialogue.

This book was inundated with unnatural, hamfisted dialogue. Characters explaining and over-explaining the world and themselves over, and over, and over. Minorities talking about their lives and identities the same way a guest character talks about themselves in a PBS “Very Special Episode.”
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VerySpecialEpisode

Emotional Impact

Rating: 3 - Some emotional scenes felt forced or unearned, but not all of them.

I felt for Antsy and her anger at Vineta, especially the way the woman kept dismissing her. I also felt gripping terror for our dear Hudson, and sadness for our Kade, who loves and hates his world in equal measure.

I also got hit in the gut at the end, too, when Kade loses yet another friend, especially when it just started to seem like he might like Cora back.

However — ugh, the dialogue. Furthermore, Antsy’s newfound powers seemed to just pop up for her. Advancement didn’t feel particularly earned.

I also felt like Cora’s return to the Trenches would have meant more in Where The Drowned Girls Go.

One more thing: I get it that Sumi has been around a while, and has developed wisdom beyond her years, and is the most Sure kid in the entire cast — but how many speeches is she gonna make about it? Her role as the most confident, untold leader of the Quest Gang, as a parallel to Eleanor West, could be such an important staple in the series. It just felt overtold and undershown.

Plot Flow
Pacing, plotline, scene structure, act structure, approach to climax, etc.

Pacing

Rating: 4 - Slow beginning / middle or too much action that does not affect enjoyment.

Eh, it was fine. Slow parts have a higher impact on shorter books.

Scene Structure

Rating: 5 - There is a clear path between scenes; if it’s unclear due to the complexity of the story, it can be cleared up upon a satisfying re-read.

Plot vs. Character Interaction

Rating: 3 - Characters usually interact within the parameters of the plot, but things often happen because the author needs it to.

Our cast was driven on a quest by the irresistible Seraphina, who was literally busting down their doors. The paradigm of The Store shifts due to our characters’ actions.

However, I felt like a lot of the character’s were just… there for the ride. And with their voices cluttering up the already over-saturated dialogue, it detracted from the book.

Furthermore, as I mentioned, it didn’t feel like Antsy really did anything to gain the power(s) she came into.

Approach to Climax

Rating: 4 - The rising action / climax seems to come on suddenly, but there is still anticipation for the resolution.

We knew we were reaching a climax once Antsy reached The Place Where Lost Things Go, but since that happened the second door they opened, it felt a little jarring.

The Ending
The conclusion of the story, including climax, post-climax, and epilogue.

Satisfaction

Rating: 3 - Slightly fumbled ending; poor implementation, but it doesn’t ruin the whole book.

Eh. I didn’t feel like anyone really earned anything. The most, I would say, was resolve to only return home when their door chose them again — but that felt a little contrived to avoid the obvious happy ending every character would want. Why would this entire cast of characters, with wildly different personalities, all come to the same conclusion?

Loose Ends

Rating: 4 - Misses one or two loose ends. If a series, the loose ends aren't reliant on an ongoing plot / mystery.

You can argue with me on this, but I feel like Sumi not talking to Kade about the goblins was a loose end. Also, Kade was crowned by the Goblin King himself as he died — why wouldn’t he guess, maybe even a little, that they had a culture surrounding that? Why is he so sure they’d punish him? Hmmm.

Characterization

The handling of characters, their personalities, motivations, and relationships to each other

Personality, Goals, and Motivations

Rating: 3 - Some characters aren’t very fleshed out. It's not always clear why they're here or why they do what they do.

One thing almost all the characters have in common is that they traveled Somewhere, and they want to get back, with varying levels of hesitation. But their desperation to go home is almost always extinguished at the moment of highest temptation because they all reach the same exact conclusion about their doors coming back to them when they’re “ready”.

I can understand the philosophy, but previous books have shown us that tragic circumstances can separate a child from their Door, sure or ready or not. These are children who have watched their peers die waiting on a door they wanted more than anything. These are children who are growing up fast, who slipped through the cracks once and aren’t sure if they’ll slip through again. It’s more than a little frustrating that the temptation is dangled in front of them, but rather than have them grapple with it in any meaningful fashion to the plot, they just make the “right” choice because it’s convenient to the plot.

Relationships

Rating: 3 - The relationships are somewhat fleshed out, but feel neglected by the plot. Some relationships seemed changed or forgotten.

The Quest Gang have a pretty strong rapport, and understand each other’s joys and pains well. However, I wish we could see more development other than just references to their previous adventures. Every character still seems to be an island.

~Vibes~
The atmosphere of the book, that je ne sais quoi.

Connection To Readers

Rating: 3 - Nothing particularly mind blowing, but it’s okay

Originality

Rating: 3 - It’s been done before, but it’s not overdone / it’s a somewhat refreshing take.

The Itch

Rating: 2 - Hints at the itch, but ultimately fails to deliver. Readers feel deprived.

Maybe it’s unfair to keep comparing recent books to the first couple books in the Wayward Children series. This book didn’t carry the same magic with it, in my opinion.

Score: 3.35

There’s No Accounting For Taste!
The bonus round where I arbitrarily add or take away points based on my own personal preferences ;3

Pros:
Fat main character — +2
Queer main characters — +2
Characters of color — +1 (I’d argue they’re not main)
Disabled characters — +1

Cons:
Unrepresented Representation (jarring and hamfisted implementation of representation checklist) — -1 (See my Very Special Episode complaint. Also Vineta being a villain when there are so few prominent COC :\)
Not enough screen time for my blorbos — -2

6 for, 3 against. No extra stars :)

Content Warnings

paisleypetty's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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tangleroot_eli's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

I first crossed paths with this series one year ago (January 2023). I loved it so much that I 1) devoured the whole then-extant series in about 3 weeks; and 2) got a tattoo inspired by it. So I'm a very biased reader/reviewer.

That said, I really enjoyed this one. The quest plot is fun, and I loved McGuire's exploration of the metaphysics of Doors and world. These books are kind of standalone, but also kind of not, and some very interesting things are happening in the world(s) in this one.

It's not perfect.

Seraphina's involvement, which could've been a rich complication, turned out to be a McGuffin. I would probably read a book about her.
I really wanted more time given to Kade's reactions to both returning to Prism and Cora's departure. I desperately want a book about him.
Christopher's chapter at the Door didn't go much of anywhere. I'd've liked to see him have to deal with Vineta or Yulia on his own.

On the whole, though, this is a delightful addition to a wonderful series.

Content Warnings

anni_swanilda's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Content Warnings

ninjamuse's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

4.0

"The door wasn’t there because you have any obligations left to these people, or this world. It was there because sometimes people can’t let go of who they thought we were, and so they keep trying to tangle us in nets and drag us back. That doesn’t mean we have to go. Or if we do go, that doesn’t mean we have to stay."

I received a digital Arc from Netgalley and Tor in exchange for an honest review! The quotes are taken from the Arc and are subject to changes!

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known is a direct sequel to Lost in the Moment and Found! It follows Antsy as she settles into Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children following the events of the previous book. Antsy's still struggling with the years that have been stolen from her, as she's not the age she looks like and is scared everyone else will notice. Luckily, she's got new friends on her side, including Cora, Christopher, Kaede and Sumi! I really liked seeing them again and loved how they were looking out for Antsy all this time. She might be able to find the doors - as she's got a knack for finding lost things - and in a school full of people desperate to go back to their worlds, this could cause a lot of problems.

The main theme of the book is breaking the cycle of abuse and hurt! I liked how the author picked Antsy's story back up and had her face the Shop of Lost Things again, including the shopkeeper who stole all these years from her. Anty's adamant that her successor should make an informed choice about whether to open the doors, as they cost time every time you open them. Vineta is still using young children and trying to justify it by saying that she didn't have it any better. There's a big emphasis on being hurt in the past not being an excuse to do the same to someone else. Having suffered doesn't mean you can inflict pain on others - Antsy knows this better than anyone.

"Those travellers learned not only what it meant to be mislaid, but what it meant to become so fundamentally and foundationally unanchored from who they had originally been that they could no longer find their way back to that person."

The novella sadly felt a bit unfocused and all over the place. I much preferred Lost in the Moment and Found and Where the Drowned Girls Go, as they had a clear goal. In the beginning, there was even another antagonist who wanted to use Antsy's powers but they quickly got dropped and their story got wrapped up so quickly in the end. There's also a time skip right in the beginning, as the events of Where the Drowned Girls Go take place, which felt a bit jarring. The actual dinosaur world that's depicted on the cover only gets a small amount of page time and I wish we'd seen a novella completely about it because Stephanie was a great character and her world so interesting. It feels a bit misleading to have the dinosaur on the cover since it's not what the story is about.

I'm also sad that we'll probably never get a novella about Kaede, as the biggest part about his character - facing Prism after it threw him out for being trans - is used here. I liked seeing this conflict about Kaede being forced back into the world that rejected him, but I'm so sad it was barely explored because the story had its focus elsewhere. I wish this had gotten some proper attention and not been thrown into this novella.

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sarrie's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I don’t stick through with many super long series. Inevitably I find they meander, and with no clear ending in sight I tend to give up. I had that issue with Seanan’s Incryptid series and I think I’ve reached that point with the Wayward Children. This is a direct sequel the previous book, following Antsy when she’s finally at the School, then as she returns to the Store/Nexus to resolve the issues she left hanging.

My biggest gripe with the series as it stands is that we haven’t had any resolution for our initial, what I would call, our main cast since Jack & Jill. Kade, Christopher, and Sumi are following along on quests that revolve around side characters that seem to appear for a purpose and simply disappear (return to their world). This story was exactly that. I am left wondering, what is the point of these last two books? The previous one felt heavy handed with the emotional manipulation and this one felt almost boring.

As I mentioned, we return to Antsy’s world for the bulk of any plot events. The cover depicts Stephanie’s world (who we met in a previous book), and it’s part of the tale very briefly. Sadly that means we see very little of a new world, or setting. We get very little when it comes to greater world or metaplot movement and it felt… dull.

Ultimately I am left wondering, could this have been two chapters in another book? There was little of impact, and what impact we had in the previous book (as the two have to be taken together) was in the end not needed. I’m also beginning to wonder, if going through doors is so common how is it none of these parents or guardians give a damn? Surely someone somewhere besides Eleanor understands. It makes me seriously question the continuity of this world. As a parent even if I didn't quite understand, I would never simply abandon my child in the way nearly every child in this story is abandoned. It boggles my mind.

2 Doors out of 5… meh

Content Warnings

adancewithbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known is the newest installment in the Wayward Children series and a more direct follow up to Lost in the Moment and Found. We follow Antsy in this book as well as she starts at the Home for Wayward Children.

Lost in the Moment and Found was probably my favorite installment of the series so far so I was quite happy to return to Antsy so soon. It makes sense as Antsy's power of finding anything would stand out to the other students. Because if she can find anything, she could find everyone's door, couldn't she? Having to explain that doesn't quite work that way, isn't easy to students that are quite desperate. It would be hard to continue to navigate that power. Yet I'm still sad that her story is already at an end. I found Antsy a great character to follow.

It was interesting to go through various worlds. Kade's world for instance! Getting more on what he went through was a good thing to have. And going through a world with dinosaurs was really cool too.

Returning to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go was interesting because there should have been repurcussions after Antsy left. Yet Vineta seemed to have carried on just like before with a new girl. Learning more about Hudson's kind and Ansy's role to play in the shop was interesting. And it was a good wrap to Antsy's story. I'm just sad to not get her back.

There was also another wrap to someone else's story. And it really ups the anticipation because, does that mean that we will finally get more of a focus on Kade and Christopher?

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