I have been working my way through this book for weeks. It's so self aware to the point of boredom, but unlike my many DNF's, there was this undeniable pull. The claim that this is an adult Harry Potter meets Narnia is completely off base. The author uses those fantasy worlds to shape his own, in a way, but if you go into it expecting an epic HPxNarnia remix, you'll probably be disappointed. 
 This book is dark, clever, well-written, and weirdly charming. It's edgy and grungy, with hateful and skeptical characters. There are books about magical portals to other worlds, a magical college for smart and hardworking students, and a fantasy world that isn't as fictional as one might think. 
 So what did I like about this book? It tossed the idea of magical bloodlines and replaced it with a college that requires students to work unbelievably hard to keep their place. Everyone in this book is highly intelligent - the top of their class. Brakebills is a competitive environment, and the friendships that we see in HP and Narnia are not as easy to appear and sometimes hard to keep. The camaraderie and competition between the Physical kids was entertaining. 
 The characters were unhappy and unlikable. They were complete a-holes, but well developed a-holes. I loved it. The negativity in these characters, the selfishness, and self-loathing contrasts heavily with your standard, admirable main characters. This book explores the contrast between fiction and reality. We see Quentin struggle to come to terms with the fact that magic and the discovery of these fantasy worlds aren't a real life fantasy adventure dream. Quentin chases happiness, certain that it'll be just around the corner, and achieves but a fleeting moment of happiness. I think that's what drew me to Q. He's just so miserable, and has to come to terms with the realities of his childhood dreams. 
 I struggled through this book for a huge reason - I was super busy. Normally this aids in my choice to DNF a book, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that I would regret that choice with this one. It was slow, but definitely a book I am glad to have read. Grossman's writing is lush and vivid, even if the plot was slow at several points.