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This book was not for me. I have always preferred character-centric stories, and this book � while it has interesting characters � is written in such a way as to keep everything distant and at arm’s length. I am constantly being told what’s happening, told what characters are thinking, told what they’re doing and what they will do and it’s just not a writing style I, personally, enjoy. The characters themselves weren’t all that interesting to me; Esme having a breakdown about her reliance on her boyfriend, or choosing Arjun because he makes her feel safe. Arjun who manages to somehow end up having done the right thing even though he did it without thought or planning and who I found frustrating in his “I’m a good guy, ma’am� approach to life.

The side characters were moments of me being told how interesting they were when I didn’t find them interesting or even that sympathetic. I pushed through the book to see how it ended, but I can’t honestly say I enjoyed it. However, that said, there are ideas in this book that almost work for me � if only they were followed through. I don’t need to know why the Unmapping happened, I’m fine with it being a mystery, but the reactions to it � and the lack of reactions � but I would have liked for more people to actually care about what was going on.

I feel like there’s an idea here, but it’s one that got lost in the delivery. However, the writing is competent and the book is easy to read with a nice, brisk pace. But my lack of interest in the characters and the passive writing style kept me from enjoying this book, and as much as I liked the idea � I didn’t like what the book did with it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.