A difficult read, no way around it. This is the most realistic of any of Butler's work. I enjoyed the problem solving bits of figuring out what would be best to bring from 1976 California to Antebellum Maryland. On the whole, I'd describe my reading experience as like taking medicine - unpleasant but I'm better for it. It was really hard for me to read the first 1/3 and then I was able to settle into a reading rhythm (not sure why that is because the violence and abuse ramps up as the story goes on). I'd already read the graphic novel and knew the general plot. If I hadn't already known the ending, I think this would have been a much slower read for me.