I truly and legitimately don't think that I have another one in me.

The feeling is overwhelming and exhausting. It's as if all my energy, all my strength has been drained away.

I'm left here, feeling empty and defeated.

Maybe it's because I've been pushing myself so hard, for so long.

Or perhaps it's just that I've reached my limit.

Either way, the reality is that I don't have the motivation or the ability to do another one.

I'm at a loss as to what to do next.

Do I just give up?

Or do I try to find some way to recharge and start again?

I don't know, but for now, all I know is that I don't have another one in me.

I enjoy this one more every time I read it.

However, it is still super weird.

It's almost like a subversive fan fiction about Noah.

One might wonder what could have inspired such a strange take on this well-known figure.

Perhaps the author had a unique perspective or wanted to explore different aspects of Noah's story.

Despite its oddness, there is something about it that keeps drawing me in.

Maybe it's the element of surprise or the unexpected twists and turns.

It makes me think about how stories can be reinterpreted and given new life in different hands.

Overall, while it may be strange, it's also an interesting and engaging read that challenges my preconceived notions.

I look forward to seeing what else the author has in store.

You know that sliver of Genesis tucked away between the seemingly endless lists of old dudes (such as "And Methuselah lived 969 years, blah blah blah...") and the tumultuous God-rage era of Noah and the Flood? Well, that's precisely the setting for this book.

Sandy and Dennys, the highly logical and almost Vulcan-esque children of Mr. and Mrs. Murry, find themselves in biblical times due to an accidental encounter with their parents' magic computer. Noah's son, Japheth, comes to their rescue from the searing desert heat with the assistance of two unicorns (yes, more unicorns!!!), and suddenly they are in a Genesis they never imagined existed.

In addition to the wonderful unicorns (!!!), Noah's desert oasis also presents us with tiny mammoths and two varieties (races? species?) of supernatural humanoids: seraphim and nephilim. While the seraphim reflect the glory of El (God), the nephilim are a bit more complex. Their intentions are unclear as they are deliberately mingling with humans yet are also cautious of El's undefined plan for Earth. Eventually, L'Engle reveals the nephilim as a source of evil incarnate, kidnapping Sandy and Dennys and attempting to torture or kill them off before they can fulfill El's plan, but that doesn't happen until the very end.

I found L'Engle's fantasy elements just as fantastical as ever. The unicorns (squee!), mammoths, seraphim, and nephilim are all exquisitely detailed, creating a mystical tour of the Book of Genesis. She offers so much more than the dull lists and epochs of the original work.

However... I'm not sure. It just didn't quite hit the mark for me. There was so much build-up for relatively little resolution: the floods start, and Sandy, Dennys, and the seraphim come up with a rather haphazard plan to return the twins to their own time in the last ten pages of the book. It felt rushed and underdeveloped.

Plus, the love triangle between Sandy, Dennys, and Noah's daughter, Yalith, is just plain creepy-weird. They both desire her, and she desires them both, but they never really talk about it. Quasi-twincest seems like an odd choice for a kids' book, L'Engle, but okay.

Overall, it's a welcome return to the Murry family and a fresh and interesting look at the biblical riffraff.

Oh, and did I mention: unicorns!!!!!

Buy this title from Powell's Books.

Happy Sigh

This is a truly fascinating story that is very well written.

However, I would not classify it as middle grade. Instead, I would not recommend it for children younger than high school age.

The reason for this is that there are prominent themes of lust, seduction, and sexuality throughout the story.

These themes may not be appropriate for younger children who may not have the maturity to understand or handle them.

On the other hand, in my opinion, the first three books in the series would be suitable for children as young as elementary school age.

They seem to have a more age-appropriate tone and content, lacking the more adult themes found in the later books.

It's important to consider the age and maturity of the intended audience when recommending books, and in this case, a more discerning approach is needed.

I think I liked this one more than books 2 and 3!

I really enjoyed getting a story specifically about the twins. It was fascinating to delve into their lives and experiences.

This story also had an interesting mix of science and religion, just like the previous books in the series. The combination of these two elements added depth and complexity to the narrative.

I'm aware that almost 10 years passed between the release of book 3 and this one. However, I just felt like I had a greater appreciation for the writing in this book. The author's style seemed to have evolved, making the story even more engaging.

Now, I'm extremely interested to see what happens in the final book of the quintet. I'm eager to find out how the story will conclude and what new surprises and revelations await.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the author ties up all the loose ends and brings the series to a satisfying close.

Many Waters: I came across someone who described this novel as bible fanfiction, and that truly is an apt description for it. However, it's bad bible fanfiction.

Initially, I was filled with excitement for Many Waters. I was eager to follow Dennys and Sandy for the very first time. But my enthusiasm waned when they were transported to pre-Flood times. You know the one with Noah and the ark? That particular flood. At least, L'Engle begins by acknowledging that way back then, people were significantly shorter than they are now. In fact, she mentions numerous times that these individuals were less than four feet tall. In contrast, Dennys and Sandy, being 20th-century fifteen-year-olds, towered over them to the extent that they were called "giants". So, I have to question why I had to endure the incessant descriptions of the female characters' breasts and Dennys and Sandy's sexual desires from the moment the twins encountered these tiny humans. It was excruciating. The entire book is excruciating.

I mean, it's not the religious aspect of the book that troubles me. The story is simply so absurd. And it's a pity because L'Engle is not a差劲的 writer. The actual mechanics of her writing are not bad. It's the content that is just so preposterous. Dennys and Sandy spend a great deal of the book doing nothing. So much of the book is just them recovering from sun exposure. And the moment they learn that one fellow is named Noah? There's this immediate realization by both that they must be in pre-Flood times as if there has never been another person named Noah. And the strange and fucked-up "romantic" subplots! One girl is "in love" with both boys and "loved" by both, and another is portrayed as the Classic Seductress, to the point that she is referred to as a slut. I actually replayed that part of the audiobook to ensure I had heard it correctly. The novel just constantly felt like it was written with such a hyper-religious agenda that L'Engle let actual craftsmanship take a backseat.

If you're in need of a good laugh, then by all means, go ahead and read this. But if not, please never pick up this book. It is not worth it. It really is that abysmal, and I could never seriously recommend Many Waters to another person.

I first read Many Waters as a young adult many years ago.

In the past couple of years, I have been re-reading many of L'Engle's books. However, this one has been rather hard to obtain.

Our large library system only has one copy, and it has had a long hold list.

Finally, I got my opportunity and relished revisiting the story.

Many Waters is essentially a fictionalized portrayal of the Noah's Ark story from the Bible.

Sandy and Dennys Murphy accidentally disrupt one of their father's science projects and find themselves transported back to Biblical times.

In the era of Noah, they encounter numerous trials and hardships.

The climate is severe, the women are beautiful and alluring to their adolescent selves, and they form friendships that they are aware will not endure beyond the flood.

The only other fictionalized account of this story that I have read is in the book Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick.

It was difficult for me not to compare the two versions, and Many Waters is the one that I觉得有所欠缺.

It simply did not come across as believable as some of L'Engle's other fantasy books like A Wrinkle in Time.

Despite my difficulty in suspending disbelief, I still truly enjoyed this story.

It is always interesting to read another person's interpretation of a well-known story or event.

I recommend this book to those who have a passion for Madeleine L'Engle's fantasy.

I didn't enjoy this installment as much as the others in the series.

Book 4 seemed to get a bit preachy, quite literally. Sandy and Dennys, who were my favorite characters in the preceding books, mistakenly travel back in time to when Noah was building his ark. (Okay, I suppose we can pretend that there's no question about whether or not this really happened. Sure.)

The writing is good, and it does raise some great points about how sexist Noah's story actually is. Primarily, the fact that his wife and his sons' wives' names are never mentioned, yet they can name his four times great-grandfather. However, I wouldn't really consider it a kids' book. It actually gets rather racy and violent at times.

Also, there's a heavy dose of slut-shaming, which was quite uncomfortable to read.

And the Bible stuff was way off in some parts. It didn't seem to be terrifically well researched. But I gave it some leeway because it is a young adult book and it was written 30 years ago.

I'm labeling this book as YA along with middle school in my shelves. Just like Harry Potter, this series appears to mature with each successive book. I had the same level of enjoyment from this book as I did from the third one, yet not quite as much as from the first two in the series. It took me a while to truly get into this book. However, once I started to engage with it, I completely devoured it.

The story in this book seems to have a different tone and pace compared to the earlier installments. There are new characters and plot developments that add depth and complexity to the overall narrative. The author has done a good job of evolving the story and keeping the readers interested.

Despite the initial difficulty in getting into the book, the latter part was so captivating that I couldn't put it down. I found myself immersed in the world created by the author and eagerly following the adventures of the characters. I'm looking forward to seeing how the series continues to develop and mature in the upcoming books.

I don't have anything particularly profound to express regarding this series. In fact, they were simply books that I happened to read during my childhood. I loved them the moment I picked them up, and then I reread them with the same enthusiasm, and loved them all over again. And yet, I read them once more, and still, my love for them endured.

These books held a special charm for me as a child. They transported me to different worlds, filled with adventure, mystery, and wonder. The characters became my friends, and I followed their journeys with bated breath. Each time I turned the page, I was eager to discover what would happen next.

Looking back now, I realize that these books had a significant impact on my childhood. They sparked my imagination and taught me the joy of reading. Even though I may not have had any deep insights or analyses to offer about them at the time, their simple magic was enough to capture my heart and make me fall in love with them over and over again.

***This is book 4 in a series, and the consequential review may contain spoilers for its prequel.***

Many Waters follows Sandy and Dennys, the twins who were side characters in the previous three books of the Time Quintet. Our former heroes, Charles Wallace and Meg, are away at a dentist appointment with their mother, leaving The Twins home alone. Ignoring the "Do not enter" note on the lab door, the boys accidentally barge into a time-travel experiment and find themselves hurtling back in time. They land in the desert, clueless about their location or how to get home. Soon, the small oasis that becomes their home is in jeopardy, and escaping back home is Sandy and Dennys's only hope.

I simply can't understand how this book achieved such success. I did find the other novels to have some minor issues, but they were still enjoyable and wonderful children's novels. However, your young child should not be reading this volume of the series. I'm sorry, but I'm not trying to undermine a beloved children's series. The fact is, this story is not suitable for the intended audience. Sex is a major theme in this novel. In fact, I'd almost go so far as to say that sex is THE theme of the novel. I was extremely uncomfortable reading about a girl's curves in a children's book. A character wishes for his wife to be more sexually experienced and sends her to seduce The Twins. These plot points are discussed very explicitly for such a young readership.

As an adult reading these novels, feel free to do so. But if you're giving this series to your kids, please read them yourself first to determine if you're comfortable with them reading this particular book.