Josh

Didn't finish; gave up about a quarter through. The writing felt very unpolished, the plot seemed overly convenient, and the only character with any dimension was also mostly dislikeable (though that could change; as I said, I didn't finish, so maybe there's more of an arc there). The book-within-the-book parts were fairly interesting, but the narration style kept it from being better. It felt more like being told about a book somebody else read than reading one for yourself.

Fine enough as a YA book; I probably would've loved it as a teenager. But as an adult, I find it to be an occasionally engaging but uneven read. I enjoyed parts, and some twists were interesting. But it's not particularly well written, the characters are barely more than stereotypes, and there's a massive plothole paradox at the center of the story.

Incredibly dense with info (in both the good way, and the challenging way). It's an incredibly good and important read; I just wish there was an abridged version that didn't need to dwell so much on every historical detail. Nonetheless, it'll rock your perspective of modern politics and events. History does indeed rhyme.