This book. Honestly the writing itself is wonderful, Lev Grossman puts words together in a way you can easily disappear into. That is what captured me initially I just started reading and lost myself quickly.
However, this story will drive you crazy and not in a good way. It will all only make sense to the very very end of the book. Even 50% through the book I was lost and unsure as to what was the point of the story. While the writing is interesting the story leaves you feeling unclear, unfocused and as though you are just reading a random collection of information.
The other issue I had was that the main character is an annoying, self absorbed, stuck up, over privileged, douchebag, who you will want to reach in and punch as you read his thoughts and actions.
Also, when I say it will not make sense until the end I mean until the VERY end, which was very frustrating because I was not sure the time spent reading was going to be worth it.
I did not think it was going to be, but it did wrap up quite well and also delivered incentive to dive back into the rest of trilogy, which I will be doing after a bit of a break.