The City in the Middle of the Night

This book was kind of a mixed bag. It felt YA because two of the main characters are in school, but it's definitely not YA. It was very depressing. There was always a sense of sadness, despair, frustration, or anxiety throughout. The relationships are same-sex, yet there's no sexual content. At the same time, the author has created a very interesting world with unusual aliens and an imaginative plot. By the end, I was deeply invested in the story and the characters and felt it was well worth the effort to read. I thought it was much more creative than the author's last book, All the Birds in the Sky. This one didn't win any awards, but it was nominated for several, including the Hugo.