I'd give this 2.5 stars because I thought it was better than "okay" but I can't bring myself to call it "good." I had so many issues with the women characters and with the character development overall.

The scientific information was interesting (but if that's what you're looking for, just read The Hidden Life of Trees), as was the structure (though in the end it was just a framing gimmick that resulted in an unsatisfying ending).

I know I'm in the minority with this opinion (though my book club babes were also underwhelmed), but it really reinforced why I continue to avoid books written by straight white middle-aged American men (and I'm being generous calling Powers "middle-aged"). They're just not that interesting.