This was meant to be a nice breezy read (oh so popular and on trend, so it can't be too hectic, right?) as a break from the Balkans literature I've been reading lately. It really surprised me with how intense it was, though. At times it was confronting and scary, and utterly immersive. 
 Having read recaps of the tv show, pretty much all the plot was ruined for me, but that didn't detract from the feel of the book. From what I have read, I think the tv show goes further and extends the story by a long way, and the book is quite simple in comparison. 
 The ideas are so powerful, but the writing remains simple and plain. Not the hardest book to read, but the dystopian ideas have stayed with me.