Lauren
~ 4.75 ~
Middlegame is one of those weird books where things don’t really make sense until they do. I think people should go into this knowing as little as possible. The simplified, non-spoiler gist is this book is mostly about Rodger and Dodger. Rodger excels in reading and language. Dodger is a once in a lifetime mathematician. Despite being from opposite ends of the United States, at a young age they make contact with each other. That single event sets off everything to come…kind of. The first 10%-15% fells a little odd and disconnected, but it vital to the rest of the story. After that it became a book I couldn’t put down. I really liked the characters and trying to piece together what was going on. There is one character in particular that I ended up really enjoying despite not expecting to. I have no idea what the other books in the series are about, but I do think this could be read as a standalone, too. Seanan McGuire is quickly becoming a favorite author. There is just something about her writing that I really enjoy. She also consistently finds ways to blend sci-fi and fantasy pretty seamlessly.
Worth noting, I read this partially physically and partially via audiobook. The scenes featuring Reed and Leigh I simply could not use the audiobook (they are featured heavily at the start). I think the narrator did a good job with everyone else, but for whatever reason she gave them ridiculous voices that I could not get past (the text doesn’t say they sound like that either, so it was just a choice??).
~ 4.75 ~
Middlegame is one of those weird books where things don’t really make sense until they do. I think people should go into this knowing as little as possible. The simplified, non-spoiler gist is this book is mostly about Rodger and Dodger. Rodger excels in reading and language. Dodger is a once in a lifetime mathematician. Despite being from opposite ends of the United States, at a young age they make contact with each other. That single event sets off everything to come…kind of. The first 10%-15% fells a little odd and disconnected, but it vital to the rest of the story. After that it became a book I couldn’t put down. I really liked the characters and trying to piece together what was going on. There is one character in particular that I ended up really enjoying despite not expecting to. I have no idea what the other books in the series are about, but I do think this could be read as a standalone, too. Seanan McGuire is quickly becoming a favorite author. There is just something about her writing that I really enjoy. She also consistently finds ways to blend sci-fi and fantasy pretty seamlessly.
Worth noting, I read this partially physically and partially via audiobook. The scenes featuring Reed and Leigh I simply could not use the audiobook (they are featured heavily at the start). I think the narrator did a good job with everyone else, but for whatever reason she gave them ridiculous voices that I could not get past (the text doesn’t say they sound like that either, so it was just a choice??).