After reading all the reviews here on Amazon I decided to give this book a chance. I'm so glad I did because this book is an absolute gem. I know some people will be turned off by the magic used through the summoning of demons, but its light hearted and if anything the humans are far worse than the spirits they summon. That's one of the things I loved so much about the book was how no one was perfect. Most of the people in the book including the boy are selfish, cruel and arrogant, it's hilarious reading Bartimaeus's notes on his many observations of human behavior that oh so true. So if you're looking for a fresh and original book with a great story, and characters I highly recommend this book.