Reread Review: October 2017 
 I've been meaning to reread this for a while because I never continued on with the series after this first book and regretted it. But I knew I needed to revisit this one before carrying on. 
 And wow. WOW. I'd remembered how much this book messed with me, but there's a difference between that memory and having it actually mess with you again. 
 Shusterman pulls exactly none of his punches here when it comes to the commentary he's making. It's unreal. And at the same time oh so very plausible. And that's what makes it downright terrifying. 
 Please do yourself a favour and read this book if you haven't yet. It will leave you profoundly unsettled, so you may not thank me for it, but... 
 Wow. 
 Original Review: October 2011 
 Uhm. 
 Wow. 
 Uh. 
 I sat down last night to read a little bit more of this before bed, and suddenly it was 1:30am, the book was over and all I could think was, "WHY DID I DO THAT I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN." 
 This book is so profoundly, wonderfully disturbing. The concept alone was enough to get me hooked, but the world building just kept adding depth. Especially in the last 30% of the book or so, it just kept getting more and more sinister. I had to put the book down a few times and just go, "I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS!" 
 The twists were devilish and clever, though a few of them at the end seemed a bit too convenient. (view spoiler)[Like Connor receiving Roland's arm. Which creeped me the hell out, but still. That and his convenient new identity... anyways. (hide spoiler)] 
 And the actual unwinding scene. Oh. My. God. I'm honestly amazed I got any sleep at all last night. It was just so horrific. And for a scene that contains nearly zero details... wow. The anticipatory build-up was just so perfect that I squicked myself out. 
 ... Though, I must admit, seeing now that this is only book 1 in a trilogy, I'm a bit disappointed. Yes, the ending was open as anything, but I really liked that. We tied up the major crises, and now we're left to imagine what might happen. I like standalone books, okay? 
 Anyways. Highly, highly recommended.