Fast-paced, tightly written "juvenile" fiction. Cloning, drug lords, twisted politics, despair, morbid torture so old bad guys can live... It's an excellent read, and I highly recommend it. And just when the action winds up and you think it will become trite or boring or cheerful, it twists back into eerie sci-fi concepts. More action and cool stuff. It does end up on a "happy" note, but the ending still leaves complex issues up in the air. Definitely a satisfying book.