The City in the Middle of the Night

by Charlie Jane Anders
366 pgs

The City in the Middle of the Night is a science fiction story big on ideas, heavy on social commentary, and light on fun and enjoyment. It's a story that takes place on a planet called January, on which humans settled and established a civilization many years ago, a civilization now waning. January itself is a planet consisting of two extremes. Half of the planet continually faces its sun and is too hot to inhabit, and the other half faces deep space, and is too cold. Nevertheless, humans built two cities there, Xiosphant and Argelo, right along the edge of the daylight and the darkness.

Sophie and Bianca are college roommates at a privileged university in Xiosphant, who just like January, exemplify two extremes. Bianca comes from the light side of Xiosphant, and a family of wealth and means, and Sophie, who comes from the dark side of the city, comes from little and had to essentially force her way in to the school.

Sophie is in love with Bianca and when Bianca one day steals a small amount of money to buy her and her friends drinks, Sophie takes it upon herself to take the fall when the police get involved and is "executed" for her crime. Her form of execution is to be thrown out of the city and left to die of exposure outside its walls. But instead of dying as was intended, Sophie is able to survive.

She survives with the help of the crocodiles (stay with me a little while longer), which are the native species on January. They're intelligent, telepathic, resemble large furry lobsters, and unsurprisingly, are feared and hunted by humans. They have their own city in the middle of the dark side of the planet and it's there that Sophie finds refuge and learns to communicate with, and ultimately love the species as a whole.

Sophie would be content to live out the rest of her days with the crocodiles, but she's destined to play a larger role on January, one that ultimately could determine the fate of the whole planet.

I had such high hopes for this book. I really enjoyed All the Birds in the Sky, the only other book by Anders that I'd read, and so I was hoping this book would grab me and hold me the way that one did. Unfortunately, it never did. I never found myself caring about Sophie, or anyone else in the story, nor the revolution she ends up leading. I also found the social commentary, which the book is clearly providing, a little heavy handed and unappealing.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

All the Birds in the Sky

by Charlie Jane Anders
313 pgs

All the Birds in the Sky is one of those books that's nearly impossible to describe. It's part science fiction and part fantasy. And while this isn't the first time an author has combined the two successfully, first-time novelist Charlie Jane Anders does so in a remarkable way.

Patricia and Laurence are two young kids that don't fit in with any group. Patricia has recently discovered that she's a witch, and can talk to animals. Laurence is a nerdy tech genius who has invented a time machine that allows him to skip two seconds ahead in time every time he uses it. Their mutual lack of any other friends brings them together at school and they soon form a friendship that will tie them together for the rest of their lives.

As the two get older, their paths separate, but never for too long. They seem to be tied to each other on some cosmic level, and their paths repeatedly intersect.

As they get older, the earth itself seems to be aging, and by the time they're adults, the earth has reached a tipping point. Natural disasters and catastrophes are increasing in both frequency and severity, and it's apparent to both Patricia and Laurence that they're unique skills may play a vital role in preventing whole planet's destruction.

As I mentioned earlier, this book doesn't lend itself easily to being described. While it's a relatively short book, its scope makes it feel like it's much longer than it actually is. It feels like a story that could have easily been expanded by hundreds of pages. But that's partly why the book is so successful and why I enjoyed it so much. Multiple times in the story, Anders skips forward several years, and each time she does, it's a jarring break in the story, and I had to read several pages before I felt like I had a good sense for what was happening again. Those who enjoy David Mitchell's books should feel right at home with this one.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆