"Read on a recommendation from my husband, I came in to the book expecting some variation of the YA sci-fi, futuristic trope. Which I have had enough of. I was pleasantly surprised.
The protagonist was a terrible person (not unusual for YA), but in a way that was relatable and understandable. The story arc was interesting, although it was told from a high-level. Often the narrator gave summaries of what happened over several weeks and months - as if it were a memoir. There was not a lot of character development besides the narrator, but the novel had a lot to do. (1) Develop a complicated sci-fi mystery, (2) grow the narrator through some crazy circumstances and huge character flaws, and (3) expound on some huge, important cultural issues.
The novel dealt with a lot of big issues including handling fame and more importantly (in my opinion) the way that we relate to people with different opinions than us. Hank had so many insightful things to say about the media, political pundits, and how we should form opinions and support them in healthy ways. He described the political world we live in accurately - a world I often find completely hopeless. But he brought it back around and pointed a way forward - maybe an idealistic vision, but it was still inspiring (and not partisan). "
- katelynn
10/13/2018