I quite enjoyed the righting style! The plot was a bit obvious, but still conveyed the message and held my attention.

i want to love it. i definitely enjoyed the main themes (based on my interpretation - 1: striking a balance between living a pragmatic/arguably rigid life while not missing out on what life has to offer; and 2: western interference on “developing” societies and its negative impacts). however, maybe i’m a lil spoiled because i feel like i’ve read books that addressed the second theme in a more comprehensive, emotionally detailed way that made me feel (italics) for the characters and their predicaments (i’m looking at you the poppy war trilogy). but anyways, this book fell a bit flat for me. the way the book was written was very black and white, and that’s exactly how the characters were portrayed too. it’s easy to understand what the author was trying to get at, but i felt that the delivery just lacked for me. i want to see dynamic characters, internal struggle (we did see a teeny tiny bit), conflict! everything just seemed a little touch and go. don’t get me wrong tho, it’s a book that appeals to the portion of readers who enjoy books like “the alchemist”. however, it’s not for readers who enjoy feeling strong feelings while reading.

Two men, simply called Four and Nine (no reason to get personal here), are foreign contractors in an unnamed war-ravaged country. They're paving a road that will connect what equates to America's North and South after our Civil War. Four is a straight-laced, Type A guy who just wants to pave the road and get the hell out of there. No interacting with the locals, no eating the local food, no deviating from the plan. Nine is just about the polar opposite. His flowing locks are always in his face, he's not much for doing work, and is quickly entranced by the local culture. It's very much an Odd Couple scenario, played out to the extreme. Four and Nine are caricatures of their traits. And that's about it. Four and Nine have a road to pave—one of them is eager to get it done; the other is not. Eventually, there's some consequences for their actions, and neither character comes out the other side looking all that admirable, or all that deplorable. I like Eggers' writing style enough to have fully appreciated that part of it, but the story itself didn't do a whole lot for me. It was enjoyable at first, but quickly became a thin tale that didn't offer back story or personality or . . . fullness. I still love the guy. And I'll still snag the next book as fast as I can. But this one is a pass for me. The only stipulation is that if you like Eggers, it's worth reading—especially given the minimal time investment required.