City in the Middle of the Night

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Charlie Jane Anders: City in the Middle of the Night (2020, Titan Books Limited)

496 pages

English language

Published Dec. 7, 2020 by Titan Books Limited.

ISBN:
978-1-78909-356-8
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4 stars (6 reviews)

5 editions

Review of 'The City in the Middle of the Night' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Interesting read this one. It took me a while to get through it, but in the end the world building was compelling enough to keep me interested, even if I didn't entirely get on with the writing style to begin with.

I have to commend the author for conjuring such a unique setting... the more I read the more I wanted to know about the histories of the two cities, the story of the mothership, and the mystery of the 'crocodiles'. It wasn't without annoyances though... the whole Bianca/Sophie dynamic was fascinating to begin with but became infuriating by the end. Mouth's arc felt more satisfying, but in the end the whole story kind of felt like it finished before it really got started. I read (after finishing it) that it's a standalone, which, frankly, shocked me, since I was sure it was going to be the start of a …

Review of 'The City in the Middle of the Night' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

It's tough to review this one without spoilers and still convey the essentials, because the worldbuilding is so unique, so let me give a one-liner first and you can choose to move one: An unqualified recommendation! This is a brilliant story with great characters and plot. AND, yeah, the world Anders creates is hostile, alien, and is written so you are immersed at once.

I'll still try to avoid spoilers, but if I fail, all apologies...

Great character-driven story set on a tidally locked planet, January, the target of human colonization, which is also the home of an intelligent civilization of the Genet, who are completely integrated into the forbidding planet's ecosystem. The story focuses on two pov characters, Sophie and Mouth (forever in pursuit of her real name... <-- I especially liked how the innocent traveler actions were juxtaposed with the Genet), who are intertwined through many threads and …

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5 stars
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4 stars

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  • American literature

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