holes in my brain

I liked this book, that much is easy to say. I liked the fluidity of the writing, and characters, the way it tied in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle in a way that doesn't make me cringe (I personally wasn't a huge fan of the A Wrinkle in Time). I thought the characters were well written, fleshed out, complex, and intriguing, along with the mystery being pretty darn good. The setting was so realistic, and the narrative so well done that I could definitely see and feel as if I were in the book.That aside, I kind of felt that even thought the plot and mystery was really good, I just couldn't get myself to connect with it. Maybe it was because I'm not as used to the genre, or MG books in general, but I felt that although the writing was excellent, it couldn't suck me into caring (a lot) about what would happen. Do you know what I mean? Like it doesn't take a genius to know that the plot/writing is well done, yet I couldn't get myself to like it.I didn't understand the ending until thinking back about it, which I thought was a bonus because I love books that make you think. I thought the way Stead expertly weaved the answer to everything throughout the book was superb. 1978 Manhattan, and $20,000 Pyramid game was a unique addition to the book too. I also thought that above all, the friendships portrayed in the book was exceedingly realistic, and the turmoil experienced by each character is smart.3/5 - because I don't know how to put this down into words, basically: I can recognize the excellence in the book, yet that didn't make me like it. It was enjoyable on some level, but not on other levels that I actually care about. I can see many many people of all ages loving this book though. It has it all: mystery, plot, characters, writing, and sci-fi! I recommend it and hope you like it more than I do, because it is definitey worth the read.