I bought this book despite a number of negative reviews because the storyline sounded so good and different from anything else I've read. And I'm so glad I did -- it turned out to be one of two of the best books I've read in a long time. Yes, it's not perfect, but it's far from flawed enough to disrupt the reading experience -- at least for this reader. The only reason I give it four stars is because the ending was a bit bizarre and difficult to follow, and not where I would have went with it were I the writer. My husband asked me what happened, and I had to tell him that I honestly wasn't sure! But overall, a great story, believable characters, and good prose.