đź“–Book Reviewđź“–
Middletide by Sarah Crouch
Middletide is part mystery and part police procedural set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. It's told in multiple timelines throughout the main character, Elijah's life. The "present day" timeline takes place in 1994.
The first 2/3 of this book moves really slow. I don’t mind a slow burn, but it didn’t work for me here. I think the biggest issue is that I didn’t feel any connection to the main character. In fact, he really annoyed me. He spends far too much pining for his ex-girlfriend from high school, who he hasn't seen or talked to in almost 20 years. And licking his wounds because the first book he published was not a success. He did not seem like someone who could function or live as an adult.
The last third of the book finally picked up and then moved very quickly.Â
This isn't a horrible debut. The descriptions of the atmosphere, land, and homesteading were great. It just could have used some better pacing and characterization.