I must say, I'm surprised I'm able to give this book the high rating that I am because for a long while, I wasn't sure I'd even want to finish it.

Parts of this book are painful and difficult to digest. For the first third of the book, I passionately disliked the protagonist. I was disgusted with the narrator, and I was tempted to stop reading more than once. How could I follow the tale of someone I despised so much?

I'm not sure I ever grew to like the narrator... but that's okay. I think that's part of why I liked the book so much. Because it's unexpected. A couple of plot progressions struck me hard, and the ending--while predictable--didn't play out the way I thought it would. I was left satisfied, and every character got what he or she deserved... one way or another.