I read this aloud to my nearly 15-year old, and we both give it 3.5 stars. I've had a signed copy of the hardcover for decades, but I'm glad I waited this long to read it, since it was such fun to read out loud. The names of people and things are sometimes wacky, silly, and long. It's full of humor and weird situations, and now my teenager (and I) fully knows the source of the geeky references he's heard about this book. My husband tells me the sequels are not as good, so I won't bother with them.