I stayed away for this book for a long time based on stupid suppositions. One was the ugly cover, the other a deja-vu feeling haunting me telling that I've already read the book. Because of that I started the book with low expectations. Funny that the expectations and what I got don't have anything in common :P 
 One of the strong points in this book is the main character. Gaia may be innocent and naive but she's strong-minded edging stubbornness, and brave, a bit too light-headed, if you think she gets into the Wall without having a plan, and for once she's not the most beautiful girl alive. Not that I think the burn is a good thing, but gives the character another approach to everything. 
 As for the (almost) love story, even if I like Leon and I love any kind of love story (ok, not the cheesy ones), I must admit that this one was a bit weird in the development. Gaia was too preoccupied with other themes to think about it, and Leon's point of view was never shown (even if it would be very interesting to read the development of his feelings) and the reader just catches glimpses now and then in his behaviour toward Gaia. 
 The ending was kind of a cliff-hanger that left me craving for more. (view spoiler)[Will Gaia make it? What will happen to Leon? (hide spoiler)] Sadly the synopsis of book 2 and the reviews I read so far cut all the desire I once had. I prefer to wait for book 3 to come out in 2013 and perhaps then I will continue the series. Right now I'm not interested, even if book 1 was quite good. 
 Only thing that bothered me at the end and one of the few problems I think this book had is the explanation for no keeping records: (view spoiler)[how does it come that the people inside the Wall didn't have the idea to keep a record of the kids being advanced/adopted? Just for security against diseases or the inbreeding stuff they should have done it. Just to assure that the randomness prevails is a weak explanation that doesn't make much sense in this "world" (hide spoiler)]