It was difficult to give this one 3 stars, because it was such a brisk, entertaining read. The premise is fascinating, and I'm craving more information and stories about this world Scalzi has created.

But... and I know this critique is going to sound contradictory when we're discussing a novel about kaiju and alternate earths, but the characters just weren't realistic enough. Not believable or grounded enough. Every single character in the world has the same razor-sharp wit, snappy comebacks, and elevated charisma. As if they were all cut from the same model and then just given different names, pronouns, and histories.

To put it bluntly, while the dialogue is downright hilarious, it just wasn't remotely believable. Regardless of the dire circumstances we see them in, they're cheery and witty, cracking jokes and barely showing any speck of genuine human emotion.

That's just my opinion as someone who really values dialogue and deep characters I can sink my teeth into. This is absolutely worth reading though! And I hope Scalzi revisits this world at some point.