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A review by rballenger
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
3.0
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I read the Wayward Children series by McGuire and wanted to give some of their other books a go...sort of a second chance after a relationship gone bland. We'll see if this is the last book/series I read of theirs.
Overall rating: Right off the bat I was mad at myself for reading this as an audiobook over print. There are a lot of 'extras' at the beginning of chapters, which I'm sure (or at least I'd hope) in the printed version are more clearly differentiated from the book itself. I had to keep reminding myself what book I was reading and very closely listen to make sure I wasn't adding unnecessary story to an already twisty tale. Second, WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH IS THIS AUDIO BOOK 17 HOURS LONG?!?!?! I didn't pay much attention when I was borrowing it, but the minute I started reading and saw 17 hours worth of story I immediately get crawly. Most of the time, 17 hours books do not need to be 17-hour books. Personally, it helps that I listen at 1.5x speed, but dang...that's a long book.
After getting over all of that...I did actually enjoy the story (obviously if I finished a giant honker of a book like this in two days). I like the characters and their journeys; however, I got a bit lost with the timeline jumping. This goes back to my earlier point of reading it in print versus audio. I find it's easier to follow difficult timelines in print. In the end, I'm not invested enough in the characters and this Alchemical Journeys world that McGuire created to continue the series but I'm not mad that I read Middlegame and I would probably suggest it to certain audiences who I know enjoy twisty turny, mind-use heavy books.
I'd like to add that after reading the Wayward Children series and starting the Alchemical Journeys series, I think McGuire is a great writer and has a true knack for creating stories, characters, and the worlds we get lost in as we turn pages. I just think I need to venture into some other authors and maybe revisit their works at a later date. Everything gets a little mushy and convoluted when you read too much all at once. Maybe I'll revisit 'Middlegame' in print next year.
Reader's Note: 'Middlegame' includes themes of violence, suicide - including failed suicide attempts, and self harm. Additionally, with any of my qualms of reading this as an audiobook versus in print, I've got to give it to the narrator, Amber Benson, they did an amazing job.
What made me pick it up: I read the Wayward Children series by McGuire and wanted to give some of their other books a go...sort of a second chance after a relationship gone bland. We'll see if this is the last book/series I read of theirs.
Overall rating: Right off the bat I was mad at myself for reading this as an audiobook over print. There are a lot of 'extras' at the beginning of chapters, which I'm sure (or at least I'd hope) in the printed version are more clearly differentiated from the book itself. I had to keep reminding myself what book I was reading and very closely listen to make sure I wasn't adding unnecessary story to an already twisty tale. Second, WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH IS THIS AUDIO BOOK 17 HOURS LONG?!?!?! I didn't pay much attention when I was borrowing it, but the minute I started reading and saw 17 hours worth of story I immediately get crawly. Most of the time, 17 hours books do not need to be 17-hour books. Personally, it helps that I listen at 1.5x speed, but dang...that's a long book.
After getting over all of that...I did actually enjoy the story (obviously if I finished a giant honker of a book like this in two days). I like the characters and their journeys; however, I got a bit lost with the timeline jumping. This goes back to my earlier point of reading it in print versus audio. I find it's easier to follow difficult timelines in print. In the end, I'm not invested enough in the characters and this Alchemical Journeys world that McGuire created to continue the series but I'm not mad that I read Middlegame and I would probably suggest it to certain audiences who I know enjoy twisty turny, mind-use heavy books.
I'd like to add that after reading the Wayward Children series and starting the Alchemical Journeys series, I think McGuire is a great writer and has a true knack for creating stories, characters, and the worlds we get lost in as we turn pages. I just think I need to venture into some other authors and maybe revisit their works at a later date. Everything gets a little mushy and convoluted when you read too much all at once. Maybe I'll revisit 'Middlegame' in print next year.
Reader's Note: 'Middlegame' includes themes of violence, suicide - including failed suicide attempts, and self harm. Additionally, with any of my qualms of reading this as an audiobook versus in print, I've got to give it to the narrator, Amber Benson, they did an amazing job.