This book was painful to read. Heart-wrenchingly painful, to the degree that I had to seriously consider whether or not to finish reading it, because it was starting to seep into my daily life and really bring me down. And it wasn't just that it was painful; it was that Chess was doing it all to herself. 
 The only thing that really kept me going was the slight hope that Chess would figure it all out and dig herself out of her own hole. And that's what's going to keep me going to the next book. 
 Unique worldbuilding, interesting linguistics, gripping story. Worth it, if only for hope.