There's so much going on in this book. An evil wealthy man who lords over all those around him. His two main bodyguards are a guy that doesn't (or can't) talk and a Scottish thug with a soft heart. You have diplomats, aristocrats, hired help, and slaves ("workers") that used to be human, but now are essentially human shells with a robot mind. There are evil kids, annoying kids, and odd pets. At the heart of everything is Matt, a boy that has recently learned he is a clone. 
 This version of the future has the wealthy flying in hovercrafts, yet most of the population work to survive in a dismal dystopian environment. We follow Matt on his journey of self-discovery, and watch him change as he gains more knowledge, and in reaction to those around him. Sometimes Matt was so ignorant it made me shake my head. Sometimes he was such an utter jerk, I couldn't believe it...yet I also thought he was only a jerk due to his ignorance. 
 I read this aloud to my boys (13 and 11) for a bedtime story, and both of them enjoyed it. We had some good discussions on Matt and his motivations, and what made him the way he is. The whole zombie/eejit/slave/clone aspect also lead to a few conversations, and certainly we could have talked about it in greater detail. This would be a great book-club title for middle schoolers. On a personal level, it gave me a chance to practice my Scottish, Zombie and Latino accents, along with my whiny girl, petulant boy and whacked old rich mean guy tones. This is harder than it sounds! 
 Farmer created a rich, interesting world and then populated it with a slew of deep characters. I was clear on the personality of even the most minor players. I think it went on a bit too long, and some parts dragged by, or else I would have given it 4.5 stars. 
 Still, it's won plenty of awards, and it's clear to see why. After it was over I spent some time (at the encouragement of my boys) searching for a possible sequel. As of two years ago, there was talk about it happening, but since it hasn't appeared yet, I won't hold my breath. If one is released, I guarantee I'll read it to the boys---we are eager to see where the story goes next. Also, someone needs to make a movie out of this!