Would recommend: Maybe

I really liked the majority of this book, which takes place on an island in Papua New Guinea (which I had to look up), ravaged by civil war and blocked from international commerce. I enjoyed getting bits and pieces of the story, and the language is sort of seductive and lilting, especially the commentary on how escapist reading can be. The book makes many references to Great Expectations, as in the title, but I don't think there's much lost if you haven't read it. However, just before the end, the plot took a sharp, violent turn that took me by surprise and left a sour taste in my mouth. The last portion seemed so different from the rest of it, and I'm still not sure what to make of it.