I have never read a self-published novel and I still haven’t. Although it was originally, but by the time I read it was published by Simon & Schuster. Why is this important? Because out of all the self-published novels, only the best get traditional offers on the books.
This novel offers a unique style like all of Hugh Howey’s works. It was originally serialized in novella length sections. The first 3 sections could be read as standalone, the last 2 could not. They all build up to the novel as a whole and subsequently to the series.
Read as a whole, this was an originally unique idea. In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies.
While the story was amazing, the true best thing about the writing was the characters. The protagonists, Holsten and Juliette were fully flashed out characters even if Holsten was only there for less than 50 pages. Juliette was the main protagonist of the story and she showed a full variety of emotions.
The novel was a page turner.  My hands couldn’t top moving. It was a nonstop adventure. As you go on in the story, the different threads from the different sections come together and weave an interesting tale of deceit and intrigue which surpasses numerous other novels of the dystopian genre. It is a new modern classic of Science Fiction.