This book has two halves, and unfortunately they end up with different ratings. The first half works okay, introducing the situation and the characters and the overall breakdown. The second half is a weak road trip that finally leaves the reader hanging.

Both halves use flashbacks to tell the story, and both have interesting characters. Like the main character, few of these reach resolution. Reading the first half, I was reminded of [b:The Girl with All the Gifts|17235026|The Girl with All the Gifts|M.R. Carey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403033579s/17235026.jpg|23753235]. Late in the second half, the groundwork is laid for a "where are they now" moment - the main character sees a TV news report - but even that is abandoned without resolution.

In summary, too many mysteries are introduced and far two few are concluded. The first half is in the 2-3 star range, but the second half falls way short of even that. I read nearly all of this on a four hour plane flight, which perhaps saved me throwing it across the room on completion.