This was a pleasant surprise and a really interesting read.

Let's start with the bad: the prose is occasionally overwritten in a way that reminds you that you're reading and may take you out of the story. I saw in other reviews that this bothered many people but, for me, this only emphasized that the omniscient but uncaring narrator was our main character. Theres a lot of really weird description of bodies in a way that feels gross but also clinical. While I don't personally feel that aliens are involved (but you can make your mind up about that), the occasionally omniscient narrator kind of feels like an alien observing these weird humans he's fascinated by but ultimately indifferent towards.

I guess prefacing that paragraph with "let's start with the bad" wasn't quite right then, since the "bad" added in some intrigue and extra layers for me. I think this really is a book that's going to be a different experience for each reader, and definitely isn't everyone's cup of tea. I found it engrossing (and gross), compulsively fascinating, and am ultimately happy to have read it. I recommend it if you're intrigued by ambiguity, enjoy character driven slow burn horror, and go in without too many expectations/without knowing too much about the book.