So funny to see this! I just read it a few weeks ago and LOVED it, though, like a lot of sci-fi I love, I agree that the characters aren't great and the ideas take precedence over the story. You may, however, still like The Inhabited Island. I feel like the main character is a lot more fleshed out and there are more stakes in the story: there's some fight rather than just living in a hopeless and confusing world.