Some interesting philosophy at the end, but, boy! What you have to go through to get there is not all that entertaining. If you like video games, this book may be appealing - as a study in cross-domain literary devices.

This book was a departure in style for my book group. We all agreed it had to be read with a grain of salt/suspension of disbelief and be taken for what it is. This is not a literary masterpiece. We did not find much to discuss in this book, other than how graphic, violent, and gory it was.

Reading this book was like playing a video game. The main character ventured away from reality and into a different "realm". He faced many challenges that needed to be cleverly beaten and overcome. When he did that there were rewards, rest time, and a collection of items to be used for the next challenge.

Like many studies suggest happens with violent video games, each challenge was more graphic and lasted longer, but as a reader, I felt you became more desensitized to it and just accepted it as the norm. I also felt like I was on the path with the main character and felt myself wondering "Where are we going", "Where is this leading?", and "Will it be worth it in the end?" Sadly, I felt the answer to that last question was no.

As a club, it was good to be pushed out of our comfort zone and read something completely different. I just wish it has been a better book. I would not recommend this to other book clubs or friends.