I'm not a big fan of Mr. Colfer's Artemis Fowl series, so I started this story with some trepidation. I listened to this book and that may have added to my enjoyment, as I found the reader, Chiwetel Ejiofor (I kept rewinding the reader's pronunciation of his name and I still don't know how to say it!), quite delightful. However, I also think I just liked this story better.
It takes place in the same dystopian future as Artemis Fowl, with teenagers who are living on the fringe of society, evil corporations, and supernatural creatures. I thought the characters were quite interesting, especially Ditto, the Bartoli Baby - a 20-some-year-old in a six-year-old's body.
The main character, Cosmo, offers humor and lightness to the story, though his life has been anything but.
While there's there slight love-interest aspect to the story, I felt it focused more on the desire to belong and be safe, as that was a driving force behind many of the character's actions.