I read this book and enjoyed it immensely. Although it was written as a coming of age book for youth, I believe this is a story for all ages and genders. There was history, suspense, fantasy and love with a real twist of reality. As I read through the book I began to assess my own feelings and values on real life issues as well as having fun with some of the sense of fantasy versus reality through the life of a young person. Great book and look forward to the next one.