I hated this book. It does, however, get two stars simply because it contained a kick-ass gun-wielding evil cyborg Jesus. I mean, who doesn't love that?

There is something to be said for taking artistic/non-traditional approaches to a book's structure. When that approach leaves the story line clear as mud coupled with what I suspected was an already difficult reading due to translation from Japanese, there is nothing good to be said. While things do become more or less clear if you trudge it out until the very end, you will want to throw the book (or kindle) against the wall more times than is healthy before you make it there.

The good things that this book does have going for it are: beautiful opening prologue of the creation of the universe, massive scope and scale, fun conspiracy-esque infusions of exogenesis, ancient aliens, different dimensions, and, finally, existentialist reflection on life, destruction, and the relentless search for meaning. I couldn't help but feel that if the book wasn't so muddled, it could have been something I really would have enjoyed.

But, such is life. It is what it is, and it's not what it's not.