I enjoyed Smith's writing style and skill, but the story did not capture my interest at all. I was disappointed after hearing so much praise from several of my friends and I found myself struggling to finish this book. The only character I cared for was Irie; I found all the other characters to be two-dimensional. Although I didn't enjoy the story, I will admit that it was very well written and I will most likely attempt to read another one of Smith's books in the future for this very reason.