I just finished reading this for the second time (a very rare occurrence for me), mostly to confirm that it still deserves a place on my top 10. And, indeed, it does. What a masterpiece - I just cannot fathom why it has such a low score and gets such little attention. The magic system and world are perfect - soft magic, grown up Hogwarts, and big boy Narnia - old tropes that Grossman pays just service to. I suppose I am most in love with the angst of the main character - the "I've got a shitload of great stuff going on in my life but I'm still a dissatisfied punk" that I can totally identify with my early 20's self. This just feels so REAL. I think all of the main characters are brilliant, the writing is brisk, grown up and witty, and the pacing and end of the story are excellent. Grossman is coming out with a King Arthur retelling this year and I can't WAIT to devour it!