I read this (or possibly had it read to me) way back when–most likely it was when I was in the 4th grade. I had completely forgotten about it until I saw it on a friend's frofile :)
Good book. The description of this, however, is wrong, it has not been updated, with prequel information–it is the original Ballatine Books paperback.
This is very compelling read. I stayed up to the early hours to finish it; I couldn't put it down. The characters are very likable, and inspire that empathy that is so important for enjoying a story. I am looking forward to his next novel.
I enjoyed the story quite a bit, but when describing what characters were thinking or feeling, it just be came too wordy, and often redundant or containing unnecessary recapping of the story. It caused the story to drag a bit at times, and for me to actually think at a few points, “alright, I get it...” Also, the recapping of what happened a couple chapters earlier is as unneeded as it is is on modern TV shows when they do it after every commercial break.