Review: Expect the unexpected, a great book full of surprises
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 13, 2013
This is a classic retelling of the "friends on a quest" story, a la Lord of the Rings, Stand By Me, the Goonies, but with a refreshing and unique spin on the trope.  The characters range from awful to barely likeable, which gives the audience a moral high ground and the characters themselves a rich and realistic depth.  Instead of turning you as a reader off to them, you are more engaged, as they seem more like real people instead of stereotypes.  That alone makes the book more immersive and gets the author buy-in from the reader, which is key considering how many things happen so quickly.Misfortune after mishap befalls our motley crew of friends on a mission to space to visit the planet of holograms and see their favorite actor living on past the grave.  Again, the author decides to take risks and go against the grain, by offering an ending that is not "happily ever after" at all.I feel a bit guilty smiling and liking the violent, bloody ending, but what I liked most was how this book ended up being the exact opposite of what I expected, in the best possible way.