This book reminded me of Starship Troopers. More of a manifesto than a plot-driven story.

Confusing, although I felt like I understood a lot of the points made. ( )

A great book questioning if a society can be "too good". Is it possible to force people to live a balanced and healthy life? ( )

This story is a deeply social SF, exploring the effects of hyper-advanced medical technology that makes humans essentially invulnerable to disease, and the social system that forces conformity to that technology. Three girls are so resistant to the restrictive nature of a "kind" society that they try to kill themselves, and this stuff the course of not only their futures but all of humanity.

This is a very thought provoking story, but I can see it causing some consternation in current society, with certain discussions of Naziism and politically correct ideas in lights that many people might not like. However, the base concepts of the cost of absolute safety and the choice between dangerous freedom and safe oppression is one that's always worth probing.

The translation by Alexander O. Smith is also excellent. It's smooth and natural, and never feels awkward. ( )

The ending was very satisfying. There was a moment where I doubted whether the author would actually go through with that sort of ending. But then he did, and gained my admiration. Very philosophical, heady, psychological. A real book of ideas. ( )

The formatting is somewhat jarring. Looks interesting so far. ( )