Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits

Yay, I had time to plow through the last 3 hours of this today! My interest level varied throughout the first 40% of the book or so, ranging from “this is freaking amazing” to “hmm, is this going somewhere I care about?” But once the key conflict was established, I was hooked.

A lot of the “drag” came from something I think is actually pretty admirable - Zoey is a fish out of water who remains totally out of her depth for a believable amount of time. Her utter failure to grasp her situation results in some painfully bad decisions, but on reflection this is thoughtful character-building. Zoey isn't a Strong Female Character or Chosen One who miraculously rises to crafty politicking and ninja skills in an improbable span. She's a barista who grew up in a trailer park and that point of view credibly drives her actions.

The other characters grow more interesting around the halfway point as well. Zoey's interactions with Will are compelling, and Andre has some great lines. I got to a point where I'd love to see Echo developed more if there's a sequel. And what I wouldn't pay to see a movie adaptation with Stephen Fry as Carlton!

On occasion an attempted witticism lands with a thud, but there's ample compensation in the bits that do work, and in some golden life advice Will delivers.