I just got finished with the book today. My assessment is:

-Tough to be original working with another person's characters. Winegardner had to come up with a little of something in everyone to personalize this story.

-He could have been more original in the plot though, literally stealing the entire Rat Pack/Kennedy/Cuba/CIA thing. I know Puzo did a little of this with Fontane and such, but there wasnt enough original plot for me.

-The book kept me reading and wanting to read more, though, which is the main thing you want in a book, I guess.

-Could have used more Francesca/Billy Van Arsdale in my opinion. Good sideplot and showed Francesca to have the Sicilian cunning gene.

-I kind of liked that they showed Michael as a character with the flaw of not always being right (questioned with the Fredo appointment of Underboss and his dream of Cuba when everyone else knew it wouldnt happen).

-Didnt mind the Fredo character flaw, as he never got into any kinda of detail about the actual sex. That would have been bad.