I wonder if Lev Grossman ever read this book? It's almost the Russian version of The Magicians, which is a compliment in my book! I managed to make the most out of a winter storm that left me stuck at home with this book and devoured it in a day and a half. If I hadn't had to do laundry and feed my family, I could have finished it faster! I really didn't know what to expect here, there wasn't a lot of information on the plot or characters when I researched this novel. I'm so happy I took a chance and picked this up!

The lead character, Sasha, resonated with me. Although her future was hijacked and she was forced to leave her family and skip out on the University life she had worked so hard for, she becomes fascinated, obsessed, with her new studies. Kicking and screaming the whole way, she rises to the top of her class. Failure is quite literally not an option if she wants to stay alive and keep those she loves safe. There is no way anyone can say they saw it coming. What "it" is, I can't even begin to explain. You just need to read the book. Let me say that again. YOU JUST NEED TO READ THE BOOK! Really, what are you waiting for??

The pacing of this book is breakneck! Which is good, because I quite literally couldn't put this down. Sometimes when plots flip back and forth between the present and the past, I get annoyed and distracted. Goldin works the breaks in at just the right times, leaving you hanging and breathlessly anticipating how everything comes together.
You know from the get go that there wouldn't be a happy ending for everyone. They mystery is what the group stuck in the escape room did to deserve their torture. Teasing out how each person in the elevator was tied together and what led to their predicament was so well done. This was addicting and kept my interest the entire read!