I really struggled with rating this book, and when I first began reading it, I didn't like it. At all. To say the novel grew on me is certainly an understatement. 
 I'll try to be brief; talking too much about the book risks spoiling the ending, and, simply put, that ending is where the money is. The standout of the book is the imagery. It is, in a word, exquisite. It truly transports the reader and paints an intended picture of the divine. My only wish is that Martel hadn't so clearly spelled out his theme in those last few pages as it comes across as the throwing of a rather large brick, but a powerfully moving brick it remains. 
 Martel writes that "this is a book that will make you believe in God." I would rephrase it to say that this is a book that will make you prefer to believe in God than to not. The impression the author left me was that religion is an alternative truth, which slightly differs from my belief that religion is a tool to find the singular truth. It's a slight philosophical difference, but it might explain my hesitance when I started. All in all, Life of Pi is uniqe and thought-provoking, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subject matter.