Aside from the general information I had about this book, the actual plot was nothing like I expected. That's not really a bad thing, since I'm not entirely sure what my expectations actually were, but still. Different. 
 I did enjoy it. In fact, as I hit the middle of the book, I got so sucked in that I pretty much finished it off after only two more sittings. So that's good. 
 Other than that, some of the characters weren't as... strong as I might've liked. Which, given one of the major plot devices makes sense. But I'm mostly thinking of Amy. It's not like I hated her, but she didn't really seem to go through a whole lot of growth. Now, she was definitely a great catalyst character... but still. Her major point of growth is her dealing with the idea of growing old without her parents. And though she does seem to adjust, it's sort of lost in the whirlwind of plot points near the end of the book. Not that I really think I need to see more, given that I see this is part of a series, but anyway. 
 The other thing I really want to point out is some of the really interesting commentary brought up by the book. Not all of it's handle really well, but I think I can forgive it on the grounds that Elder has to take things from Eldest at face value, because what other educational system is there? But honestly, the part I thought was really interesting (and it's too bad it was only really a parting comment near the end) is the ideas about what makes a person who he or she is. Is it genetics? Or something else? It's a neat little thought. 
 Beyond that. The science was kind of handwavey at times, but I can forgive that. Suspension of disbelief and all. And the major plot twists weren't quite as clever as I think the author would have wanted me to believe. I called a fair number of them in the first quarter of the book. But still. Not a loss, as it was a pretty enjoyable read.