Review Detail of Vanja in Steampunk Apocalypse!

This review covers the first 20 chapters, I shall probably not continue after this, unless I find absolutely nothing else to read. The characters lack the main aspect, character. They are bland two dimensional and without any psychology to explain their actions. The MC is is supposed to be this intelligent geek with high tenacity, sadly his only plan is "lets hop factions for no good reason", he left the government faction because apparently wanting something in return for breaking the law and saving his dad for desertion was "threatening him" and he joined a faction who tried to brainwash him, as apparently trying to turn you into a mindless zombie is not threatening. There is a character that can clone himself and seems to just exist to make things "interesting" as the MC is too dumb to actually make progress without being forced. He went to join an anti esper organization after he had ran around the city as an esper for multiple days without changing his own face, as a precaution of being identified by someone who could have seen him. But nothing compares to the classical fact that almost every post apocalyptic steam punk novel does. "oh noes there was some random stuff, a new energy was born and we needed to start using steampunk to survive". This has so many plot holes in it that I don't even know where to start. First off, before apocalypse it was modern world, so we had combustion engines, we still have alcohol. So why not make ethanol based combustion engines? They are much better and more powerful that anything steam can ever produce without the change in the laws of physics or how chemistry works. "But mister reviewer maybe those things did change and the author just hasn't gotten to it yet", well the problem is if physics changed it would need a wider affect, it cant be just steam engines that improved and if you change the chemical properties of just one element then the whole landscape would change. For example if coals energy release got better (more heat faster = faster pressure buildup with steam engines) then this would effect steel making as you couldn't properly carbonize iron to make steel. Oh and manastones growing in peoples heads, and not with one word it was mentioned how cranial pressure was relieved when this happens. And please don't come with the argument "it was in prep school" there where multiple "geniuses" in the class, and no-one asked.