The Country of Ice Cream Star

How it reads

The Country of Ice Cream Star is science fiction (post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction, specifically), and its dominant mood is adventurous. It's driven by momentum, discovery and getting into trouble. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in several locations, in the future, told in the first person by a single narrator. Its central concerns are survival, identity and family. In weight it's heavy and literary — denser, more serious, and more demanding of you.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is bittersweet: it resolves, but at a price. It's a long book, and a real commitment. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.