Jeff Hays is the only reason I made it through this book. To facilitate the main character looking more intelligent, driven, and resilient than everyone else, Virdi had to craft a swath of characters who are dumber and weaker than his dull boring whiny bitch of a protagonist. It’s done in an effort to make us rooot for him to succeed, I get that. But he’s not worth rooting for.
All the characters are an archetype with little to prop them up beyond that. The second book might flesh everyone out more, but I’m getting off this ride. I can hear Jeff Hays’ sweet voice in a better book..