With shorter chapters and plenty of twists, this lengthy middle-grade novel would be perfect for evening story-time or for young readers who have graduated from early chapter books. There was plenty of action and adventure with a satisfying ending leading into the next installment. However, I found the numerous cultural references cliche, the character names (and nicknames) confusing, and the patchwork plot disjointed. Although a solid 3.5 stars for originality, I would hesitate to recommend this book to just anyone; there are some pretty gruesome and scary events and lots of characters to keep track of. Not terrible, not great.