I legitimately don't even know what to say about this book other than I already miss it very much.
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Ok now I have to write a review. I finished this three days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. I loved the first of McGuire's Wayward Children series, and I stopped reading another of her books halfway through recently. I set my expectations somewhere in the middle for this one. I am still in shock at how good it was.

Middlegame is the perfect blend between fantasy and sci-fi, mixed in such a way that didn't feel forced or unbelievable within the world-building. I saw someone else say that the thing that makes this book such a success is its characters - and it's true. Roger and Dodger are at the heart of this story, and their relationship is as much part of the magic as anything else. I ached for them, hoped against hope they would find their way back to each other every time they parted. I love the narrative structure of the book. I know it's irritating to many people to not understand until the end, but I think it's brilliant. It keeps you engaged, it keeps you struggling in a way that's fun.

This book is fun AND brutal. So much pain occurs in these 500-some pages, and sometimes I felt the urge to look away. But the characters kept bringing me back. I really can't wait to make everyone I know read this book.