Just awful. I bought the book after reading the blurb, which suggested a philosophical science fiction book (although having re-read it I can now see the warning signs of excessive teen angst). Unfortunately, the book is a complete mess; one I'd have given up on quickly if its review score hadn't been so positive. The author's decision to touch on such a wide range of subjects doesn't allow him to delve deeply into any of the issues. A few issues: the writing is dry and simplistic; we're told a character feels something, but aren't shown that they do; horrific acts are frequently brushed aside; relationships and motivations never feel convincing; and the book is overly crude despite its framing as an extra credit report. It's also incredibly repetitive and overly long. Finally, and given my reason for reading the book, most damningly, it doesn't do a decent job of attempting to solve the question posed by the aliens: why not press the button? There wouldn't be anyone around to miss out on those good experiences if everyone is dead. I breathed a sign of relief when I saw the Acknowledgements page and plan to immediately start another book to remove the bad taste this has left.