Gun Island

I found this to be a surprisingly light read. I enjoyed all the characters involved and found them really sympathetic. The novel is very 21st century in a way that I'm not actually used to reading, but I enjoyed how much of it was really just the world as it is, with no excuses on how terrible people and the world can be but simply stating it as how it is. 
I did have a bit of a problem with the way this book was written, but it didn't mean that I was unable to enjoy the story. But it is written in a way that with every meeting comes a new story/tale, and sometimes these stories just felt too much like plot points rather than organic storytelling. I also found some issues with the dialogue, but overall it was good, enjoyable. 
I honestly think my biggest gripe with it has to do with Tipu's stubbornness. He's in a distinct situation where he can ask for help from people who care about him, instead of doing things the hard way, but he doesn't make use of it, and risks his life (and Rafi's) several times because of it. That was really annoying and unnecessary in my opinion.