As others have noted, this reads like a thriller written by someone who is not particularly adept at writing thrillers (which is fair; this is Pessl's second book, and first suspense novel). It was overlong, with an obnoxious overuse of italics (the intention being to show dramatic effect, but the result being an insult to the reader's intelligence). There are lots of loose ends, and the overarching themes (science vs magic, reality vs myth) only come into play late in the novel. Overall, a bit of a disappointment after Calamity Physics.