Honestly, I didn't expect or even really want to like this, let alone love it. I picked it up because it's sort of a classic and references my favorite poem and allegedly is a great "boy book." More of a great human book. As disturbing as Lord of the Flies, yet set in circumstances so familiar and accessible that the horror is even more plausible and visceral. For me, it brought up former high school stuff and current teacher stuff. Beyond that, though, it is just so incredibly insightful and artfully constructed in its presentation of human nature. It humanizes every character, making everyone understandable and identifiable before dehumanizing them with stunning ease. The monstrous ending is notable for the fact that it's peopled by people. KID people, not monsters. 
 "Do I dare disturb the universe?" Maybe my favorite part about this book is that it realistically portrayed how our own universe is constructed not by reality, but rather our perception of it. When that's the case, wars ensue over even something as simple and sweet as chocolate, and probably 90% of human drama is chocolate wars. I know that most find this book pessimistic and dark, but I found it the opposite. The only way to avoid the darkness is to disturb it unrelentingly.