As a former English teacher, I just always appreciate a book that begins with a cast of characters. I don't know why this always makes my nerdy heart so happy, but it does. I also love a book with setting chapter headings, so this one is just chalking up to a big a great big win for me. On to the actual story....I enjoyed a lot of this First Look. I always feel a bit intimated by books with place settings unfamiliar to me, but this one doesn't feel quite that way. The writing is great, but there are some graphic parts that I can do without. Overall, this will be a great choice for a lot of readers.