First of all, I loved the prose. Damn, she can write so beautifully. Also, I'm a sucker for grim dystopian settings and hope thrown all over it. The characters were imperfect but likable. I loved the prota's way of talking and thinking and her actions. For my liking, it was all a bit too happy, however. If you can overlook the fact that it starts off with the prota's wife dead and her hopeless with a newborn, that is. I think I liked the beginning more than the ending. The child was fun and interesting, but ultimately, that's not my kinda story - that's alright. Still, lovely book and rightly loved by many. I heard someone say they prefer this book over Our Wives though and that's proof of how we're all different, right?