I can see why it is recommended to schools for required reading. The main character is interesting while being relatable and it speaks to important matters of history. But man oh man did it just not feel very readable. I just wanted to put it down every time I picked it up. I think it just felt much too meandering for me. It felt like nothing was going anywhere and the topics aren't new for me, so it felt pretty unengaging overall. I cannot give it a worse or better rating. It's just very middling for me.