The mix of sci-fi and folklore was compelling and the plot exciting and suspenseful but the character development felt a little weak. I am not normally a sci-fi person at all and actively avoid the genre but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The plot was thought-provoking and the writing style simple and an easy read - if it were not for the heavy subject matter I think could even be a slightly younger than YA novel on that front.
It did feel plot-wise, however, that things could have been given more context, characters could have been more fleshed out, and in general the book might have been improved as a more adult read where the adult themes could have been given a more complex treatment with more layers than is possible in a relatively short and simply written YA targeted novel. It is a fun and quick read for an adult and a great premise but left me wanting more of that adult treatment.
It did feel plot-wise, however, that things could have been given more context, characters could have been more fleshed out, and in general the book might have been improved as a more adult read where the adult themes could have been given a more complex treatment with more layers than is possible in a relatively short and simply written YA targeted novel. It is a fun and quick read for an adult and a great premise but left me wanting more of that adult treatment.