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A review by sydneythekydneybean
Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What a beautiful, strange, curious little book. It has such an interesting premise and dynamic between the characters, many of whom never meet the others, but there were some things in the writing that made it so the story didn't grip me as it maybe should have. And as a disclaimer, this is nothing on the author. Every criticism I have, I realize, is with me as a reader and what I enjoy in others' writing.
I have been learning to enjoy shorter stories and novellas, but I do feel like Midnight at the Electric could flourish with another 50-100 pages. I connected with Lenore and Catherine better than I did with Adri, and I think that is because of the eras they are coming from. Post-WWI and the Dust Bowl are two subjects that you learn extensively in American schools; you learn about the individuals affected, and at my age, you've also engaged in art created during those times, so I know about the people of these times well. And I think that helped me connect with Lenore and Catherine. Adri, on the other hand, is coming from a time that has not even happened yet, and I don't think her world is built out enough to aid in her story. She seemed more of a vehicle for Lenore's and Catherine's stories than her own person.
Despite my love for both Lenore's and Catherine's stories, I wish they had more individual voices in their journal entries and letters. Despite these girls coming from two different time periods and even two different countries, their writings read identically. If the stories time traveled back in time to the other girl's stories, that would be fine because the writing is still the story but for someone else, but since their stories were told in their own hand, I wish there had been a little bit more done to make them sound like their own individuals.
I still believe Midnight at the Electric is a promising story that has obviously done a lot for a lot of people, and I would recommend it to many people. Specifically, I learned a lot from Catherine dealing with the effects of the Dust Bowl, and I felt a lot for Lenore who is dealing with the immediate post-war, the idea of progress over people, and growing through a strained friendship. For everything it lacked, it did well in ten other places. So please, despite the nitpicks, do not believe Midnight at the Electric is bad by any means. Maybe it'll be the next beautiful story just for you.
I have been learning to enjoy shorter stories and novellas, but I do feel like Midnight at the Electric could flourish with another 50-100 pages. I connected with Lenore and Catherine better than I did with Adri, and I think that is because of the eras they are coming from. Post-WWI and the Dust Bowl are two subjects that you learn extensively in American schools; you learn about the individuals affected, and at my age, you've also engaged in art created during those times, so I know about the people of these times well. And I think that helped me connect with Lenore and Catherine. Adri, on the other hand, is coming from a time that has not even happened yet, and I don't think her world is built out enough to aid in her story. She seemed more of a vehicle for Lenore's and Catherine's stories than her own person.
Despite my love for both Lenore's and Catherine's stories, I wish they had more individual voices in their journal entries and letters. Despite these girls coming from two different time periods and even two different countries, their writings read identically. If the stories time traveled back in time to the other girl's stories, that would be fine because the writing is still the story but for someone else, but since their stories were told in their own hand, I wish there had been a little bit more done to make them sound like their own individuals.
I still believe Midnight at the Electric is a promising story that has obviously done a lot for a lot of people, and I would recommend it to many people. Specifically, I learned a lot from Catherine dealing with the effects of the Dust Bowl, and I felt a lot for Lenore who is dealing with the immediate post-war, the idea of progress over people, and growing through a strained friendship. For everything it lacked, it did well in ten other places. So please, despite the nitpicks, do not believe Midnight at the Electric is bad by any means. Maybe it'll be the next beautiful story just for you.