The beginning of the story is quite boring. Quentin apathetically muses about high school, applying for college, and how jealous he is of his best friend. At this point he is a very grey, boring character. He briefly mentions the fantasy novels he rereads every year, and how he wishes he could be one of the characters in those books (which you would think would make him more interesting!).
After you slog through the set-up, you are rewarded with a trip to Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy. This is by far the best part of the novel. During this section, you can see why the comparison to J.K. Rowling's work was made. Although Grossman's writing doesn't hold a candle to Rowling's at any point, this is where it gets closest. He describes the tedium of studying magic, the friendship and competition between classmates, and the bad habits - drinking, chain smoking, and one-night stands. This could actually be what Hogwarts would be like if it were a college rather than a prep school recruiting eleven-year-olds. If you're really into the magic/fantasy genre, the book may be worth reading just for this section. Fair warning though, the other half of this book reads like an unfunny parody of the fantasy genre, written by someone who thinks he is far too cool for this genre.
Without spoiling too much of the ending, I'll say that this entire book feels like an opportunity missed, but the ending is heartbreakingly bad. The only semi-developed character who isn't a insufferable narcissist dies, because of course she does, and Quentin sinks back into depression after realizing his dream. The book basically ends exactly as it begins, and leaves you feeling like you've wasted your time. Instead of reading this book, pick up a book by an author who embraces the genre they write...Grossman is just too cool for school, and it kills this book.
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