I would definitely recommend the book. Was it one of the best pieces of literature I've read, no. Was it entertaining and enjoyable to read, absolutely.

I don't know what it's really similar to, but I felt it paid homage to a view others, whether intentional or not. There was a "Lord of the Flies" feel to portions of the book; a bit of "Ender's Game"; and one I haven't seen reviews mention was that I felt some parts were reminiscent of the "Codex Alera" series. Some have also mentioned it makes them think of "Hunger Games" but I've never read those so I can't comment.

I'm looking forward to the second book in the trilogy, which I believe just got sent off to the editors, and has a expected publishing date of January 2015.