This started off really annoying. It was slow, it was predictable. Had it not been recommended by two friends, I'd have put it down and never picked up again. Luckily I kept going on, it really got better page after page once Darrow was kicked into the game/school/whatever the hell that was. While reading the last 200 or so pages, I literally couldn't put it down.
I'm not sure why there are no women except for LoveInterestGirl and RandomBystanderGirlWhoCouldBeAGuyAsWell in the game, but I'll take a guess at "because that's how it always has been".