I read the novel when I was 15. I enjoyed it. Partly, because at that age, I found the concepts presented in the book very cool. Now, I find these declarations in the book a bit pretentious, and I had a similar feeling when watching the trailer for the series.
Out of curiosity, I watched it. It started out as I expected. Some lightly cringy lines and humour. But after a short time, I found myself enjoying it, despite not necessarily relating to these ideas. The first few episodes are harmless, even funny at times. I quickly began getting attached to the characters, just the same as I did when I first read the book. The series explores them quite in-depth (for a teenage-drama series), and they do it fairly well. I especially enjoyed the backstory of Dr. Hyde and his expanded involvement with the characters. Kristine Froseth is a good Alaska, and embodies the complicated and mysterious character very well. But in my opinion, Denny Love, who plays The Colonel totally steals the show. He has multiple scenes (in the later episodes) where his performance and intense emotional expressions really left an impression on me. I hope I will get to see his performances in more series.
The show sets up a wonderful atmosphere, and with great music, watching it was quite an experience. I wasn't planning on it, but I binge watched it all. Yes, not everything about it was perfect; the cinematography was nice, with few bright moments, but not exceptional. Acting of the supporting cast was similar. The reason I give it a 9, though, is because it did exactly what it was supposed to - that is, make you care for the characters and their story. It was quite an emotional roller-coaster, and for me, that makes it worth watching.
