Book Reviews #17-2021

Well it seems like this one will be the last one of the year. I’ve been trying to read what I want to read the last month or so since I am mostly done with required reading for book clubs at the moment. That being said I read a really random assortment of books, but that seems to be par for the course for me. I did at least pass my book challenge for the year, which was 150 books (I’ve read 158 so far). Happy Holidays to everyone!

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor written by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by Felicita Sala

I grabbed this book after my son and I got super interested in snakes/reptiles, as he got one for Christmas, and I have been wanting to know more about reptiles in general to help him. Plus the book seemed pretty cool. I mean what’s not to love about a lady scientist that studies reptiles for a living? Turns out Joan Procter was a bit of an oddball, and I mean in the most affectionate sense, because she “would rather play with snakes and lizards instead of dolls” (and I’m a little jealous that she got to, but honestly though I hate that that was pretty much the exact phrase they used in the book, like girls can’t want to study reptiles and have to conform to gender norms – ugh). Anyways, she got to hang with the curator for reptiles at London’s Natural History Museum (one of my favorites in the city) and eventually got a job there during WWI. She also collaborated with the London Zoo to redesign their Reptile House and became famous for working with them, and especially the newly discovered Komodo dragons that were brought back from Indonesia. After helping out one called Sumbawa, he followed her around the zoo for the rest of her life while she worked there. She was unfortunately always a sick child and continued to be throughout her life. She died in her early thirties. I thought the book was a nice introduction to a fascinating woman I had never heard of before, but I honestly wished the book went more in depth. There is a nice author’s note in the back, and an extensive bibliography. Recommended for ages 7-11, 3-1/2 stars.

The Search for Wondla (Wondla #1) written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

Originally reviewed Jan 2011:

I knew next to nothing about this book when it came out, other than it was the new DiTerlizzi book, and since I’ve liked his other books, I figured I would eventually give this one a shot. The story is basically this: a 12 year old girl named Eva Nine lives underground but is never allowed to go to the surface until her robot, named Muthr, allows her to. Someone attacks the compound and Eva is forced to the surface, but nothing could have prepared her for what she discovers on top. She can identify none of the plant or animal species in her Omnipod (handheld computer) and then she is captured by a mysterious animal who seems to be looking for her. She escapes with another creature called Rovender, who she nicknames Rovee, and they eventually rescue Muthr. They decide to journey to the capital city to see if they can find more humans and figure out why this creature is pursuing them. Wondla is something Eva found as a child but can’t figure out what it is. You must read to discover its secret and what happens next.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book once I got into it, which pretty much coincided with Eva reaching the surface. Once she begins her travels, her time in the compound begins to make more sense than it does when you are initially reading it. The illustrations were amazing and really helped to place the story as the author creates an entirely new world and culture, even going so far as to include an alphabet and commonly used phrases in the back of the book. My favorite character was Otto and I hope we are seeing more of him. The ending was a little frustrating, but I loved it when the reader found out what Wondla is. Recommended for ages 8-12, 4 1/2 stars.

Re-reading to my son (Nov 21-Dec 19, 2021): I have been wanting to read this one to him for awhile because of how much he loved the Kenny books, though this one goes in a completely different direction. Had to put it on hold for a bit to read Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep before it needed to be returned, but he is still into it so we’ll continue reading it. He really enjoyed the book and the characters and can’t wait for me to read more! 5 stars.

Mothstorm (Larklight #3) written by Philip Reeve

Originally read May 2010: Loved this book and it was so much better than the last book in the series, Starcross. This had the non-stop adventure of Larklight and yet there was more because of David Wyatt’s brilliant illustrations. He really helped make the characters come alive. This time the Mumby family is interrupted during their Christmas preparations by an SOS message from an old school chum of Mr. Mumby’s. It is coming from Uranus, whose proper name is Georgium Sidus (but of course). When the Mumby’s and later the Sophronia’s crew goes to investigate, they find a world overrun by giant moths led by another Shaper, whose intentions are pretty nefarious to say the least. So they must save the universe and the British Empire again, this time directly rescuing Queen Victoria and the royal family. Highly recommended for ages 9-12, 5 stars.

Listened to the audiobook version with my son (Nov 23 – Dec 24, 2021): My son wanted to get started on this right away, so I know he likes the series as a whole. I was probably getting more laughs from the book versus my son, but he enjoyed it as well. Plus I got to yell “Huzzah!” a lot as that was their major declaration for most of the audiobook.

Resistance Reborn (Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) by Rebecca Roanhorse, narrated by Mark Thompson

Was this needed after the end of The Last Jedi? No, but it was still a fun read, especially if you have listened to your fair share of Star Wars books and watched all the movies/shows. The Resistance is devastated, both in size and mentally, after the standoff at Crait. Poe has got to live with his decision that he tried to mutiny against Admiral Holdo, and try to do better. Leia is feeling weak after the loss of Luke but also because things are pretty grim right now, but she still has hope. Rey is pretty quiet this book, and I actually would’ve liked to get more in her head after everything that happened with Kylo Ren. I was psyched to hear from Norra Wexley, her son Snap, and her husband, the Wedge Antilles! I loved those characters during Chuck Wendig’s the Aftermath trilogy, and it was fun to revisit them. They end up regrouping on Ryloth of all places, the Twi’leki homeworld, and I really thought their secret ally would be Hera from Star Wars Rebels (sadly it’s someone else I’ve never heard of but apparently Leia knows). One thing this book did do was help keep me pleasantly distracted while I went through several stressful things, and also helped me remember how much I adore Maz Kanata. Seriously, why have we not written a story on her? I may try my hand at some fan fiction, especially if she gets to school Hondo! Recommended for ages 15+, 4 stars.

Tea at Five written by Matthew Lombardo, performed by Kate Mulgrew

I originally was looking for audiobooks narrated by Kate Mulgrew, as I love her voice and when I found this one, I got excited because Katherine Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses! The audiobook is only about 1-1/2 hrs and is broken into two parts. The first part is featuring Kate when in 1938, when she is waiting to hear if she got the part of Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With the Wind or not (interesting as I didn’t even know she was up for the part) and right before she made my favorite movie of hers, The Philadelphia Story. I must have forgotten that Howard Hughes was courting her and asked to marry her, but she turned him down. I kept picturing Howard Stark (from Captain America: The First Avenger and the show Agent Carter in place of him. The second half of the book was Kate when she was in her late 70s in the 1980s. Still as irascible as ever and taking no prisoners. I wanna be her when I am old. The very distinctive accent of Hepburn is pretty well done for most of the play, but it does drop a bit in places. Overall it was a delightful interlude between two weightier books. Highly recommended if you like classic films or just want a quick fun audiobook, 5 stars.

Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? written by Harold Schechter and Eric Powell, illustrated by Eric Powell

Ok confession time: I love true crime stuff. Not like I’m obsessed with murders, more just why people do/act the way they do and love solving a puzzle. My dad has been telling me forever to listen to the Harold Schechter’s book on Eddie Gein (the original murderer that Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho is based off of), in his 1989 book Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original “Psycho”. I had never gotten around to it, but then I learned about the graphic novel and I thought I could probably handle that better. The subject matter is very well-researched and the book itself is pretty wordy at times (sometimes too much), but it will give you an accurate picture of Eddie Gein, what led to his numerous crimes, and what the fallout was afterwards. I’m gonna quote a bit from the Nov 26, 2021 Goodreads reviewer Sam Quixote who talks about how Schechter created the book: “I like that Schechter stuck to the facts of the case. There was a lot of sensationalism around the story at the time that Schechter points out and instead highlights only the proven facts.” And if you don’t get a measure of the man from the text, the amazing but downright creepy/morbid illustrations will assist. That being said, do not read this before bed, you will have nightmares. This guy was seriously mentally ill (he was diagnosed with schizophrenia during the trial), and his relationship with his mother, and to a lesser degree his father, is the majority of the reason for his later behavior and actions. Gein for sure murdered two women, maybe his brother (and possibly more based off the bodies found on his property), along with grave-robbing many other female bodies for sick purposes. Sam Quixote also comments on Gein’s influence on modern movies and books: “Initially there was Robert Bloch’s bestselling novel Psycho followed by Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic movie adaptation which introduced the world to Norman Bates, and then later emerged other incarnations like Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. Carrie’s mother in Stephen King’s debut novel was also probably inspired by Augusta Gein. It’s quite a legacy.” Overall, I enjoyed the graphic novel even if it was kind of hard to read sometimes. 4 stars.

Book Reviews #15-2021

I’ve been trying to keep these reviews not crazy long so you’re not scrolling forever, but I know I can be pretty wordy at times. Ah well. There are worst things to be in the world than really descriptive. I’ve also decided I probably won’t write a review for every book I read in the future as it is taking forever to get through them. Maybe just the ones that particularly leap out at me and/or scream for a review.

Pangolina written by Jane Goodall, illustrated by Daishu Ma

Suffice it to say, Jane Goodall should not write children’s picture books about pangolins. She does it with such a clinical/academic eye. I was a little traumatized after reading this and I knew why they are endangered before reading the story. I would not share this with children. It was a fictionalized account but she should’ve just gone for a factual book only. The factual information in the back is way better than the story part. Recommended for ages 6-10, 2 stars.

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess written and illustrated by Tom Gauld

This story was a play off fairy tales about a King and Queen who can’t have any children and so the Queen ask for a child from the local witch and this time around gets an enchanted Log Princess, and the King asks his inventor for a child and gets the Little Wooden Robot. The two “children” are the best of friends, as well as being brother and sister. The only catch is that every night the little Log Princess turns into a log of wood, and must be awoken by the phrase “Awaken, little log, awake”, and of course one times the Little Wooden Robot fails to perform his one job. The log is discovered by her maid, who mistakenly tosses it out the window and this act begins their adventures. They do eventually make it back home safe and sound. The illustrations were so detailed, and I enjoyed scouring the pictures to see what all I could find. I liked the adventures of the tiny beetles who lived inside the chest of the Little Wooden Robot, who helped save the day, and the panels that briefly discussed their untold adventures. Highly recommended for ages 4-8, 5 stars.

Larklight (Larklight #1) by Philip Reeve (original book design, the audiobook version is boring)

Originally read May 2010: I loved this book! It was a bit pretentious in parts, but overall, the story was witty and well-done. The book tells the tale of Art and Myrtle Mumby, children of a scientist who live at Larklight, a house past the moon. It’s steampunk in space, and so is filled with fantastical creatures, spaceships, and danger at every turn. The Mumby’s are attacked for seemingly no reason, and end up on the moon where their adventures begin. Once the book finally got going, the story was way more interesting. I agree that Jack’s story was definitely the most interesting and well-developed, and that Art/Myrtle were a bit one-dimensional, however the emergence of their mother made up for that. Some may find the British accents boring, but I thought the upper crust British accents made the story all the more hilarious with all its fainting dead away and prim/properness of the Victorian society. I am looking forward to reading the next book! Recommended for ages 9-12, 4 stars.

Re-listening to with my son (Aug 27 – Oct 27,2021): Thought we needed a change of pace from all the mythology-retelling, so I started this series. My son rather enjoyed this one but insisted it was a 4 star not a 5, so I lowered the scored. Honestly after hearing it again, it did rather drag so deserving of 4.

The Graveyard Book written by Neil Gaiman, illustrations by Dave McKean

Originally read March 2009: Granted, I am partial to Neil Gaiman, but I really enjoyed the book. Read it in two days. I thought it was interesting that the boy, Nobody Owens, Bod for short was raised in a cemetery by ghosts and learned to do all the things that the dead can do. Some of those skills would come in handy. I wish he would’ve elaborated more on Jack Frost and all the Jack of all Trades/Knaves, as that story sounded interesting and also on the Honor Guard and who besides Silas and Miss Lupescu was on it. The whole Sleer in the barrow tomb was creepy and fascinating, though again, I wish there were more details about it. I’m sure he could have done books on those three stories alone. Recommended for ages 10+, 4 stars.

Re-read for Teen Book Club (Oct 10-19, 2021): Honestly it took me awhile to get into the book this time around. Once it got about halfway through it started getting good and I whizzed through it in a couple of hours. It should make an intriguing discussion for my Teen Book Club Oct 30th.

Kaleidoscope written and illustrated by Brian Selznick

I cannot say enough about this book and how brilliant I think it is! It is a collection of very short stories,usually 2-5 pages, that all run off the themes of grief, love, and loss. They feature elements like apples, butterflies, and gardens. They are all about a young boy and his friend James who has died, and the stories are about the other boy’s time spent with James in many different kinds of adventures. While I adored the text and the stories, I’m not sure a child would randomly pick up this book unless it was assigned for class. I honestly think this would be a great read-aloud book for a fifth or 6th grade class, and would definitely make for some good discussions. I will, however, say that if you are expecting this book to be like his other books, you will be sadly mistaken. Yes there are illustrations, but they mostly provide a visual clue leading from one story to the next versus really helping to tell the story like in his books The Marvels or Wonderstruck. Highly recommended for ages 10+, 5 stars.

Originally read April 2009: Awesome book! Can’t believe it’s the last book in the series though. I know I could read another five in this vein, like what happens to Gregor now that the he’s back home in NYC and feeling lost.

Re-read to my son (Aug 29 – Oct , 2021): My favorite character of the series was Ripred as he was the most fun do voice-overs for, as I made him sarcastic as hell throughout the series, and he had the best lines. I thought I should do a proper review this time around, as you probably have no idea what I’m talking about in the above review. The entire Gregor the Overlander series, the other four books, has led to this final battle in the fifth book. The last showdowns between the human or “killers” as they are known to all other Underland creatures and their allies the bats, mice, and cockroaches, and their bitter rivals the rats aka “gnawers” and the moles or “diggers”. Gregor learns the truth about the Prophecy of Time, Sandwich’s last prophecy about the fate of the Underland and his role in it, and he is devastated. He knows he must help the Underlanders out as the Warrior and to protect his mother and sister. He fights the Bane twice and eventually defeats him but at what cost? I thought it was stupid that Gregor had to leave the Underland as the story pretty much died after that. The book dragged way more this time than the first time I read it, and even though my son liked the series as a whole, I think he was ready for it to be over too. Recommended for ages 10-14, 4 stars.

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics written and illustrated by Tom Scioli

When I was a kid, I occasionally read comics like “Archie” or Berkeley Breathed’s books of Outland/Bloom County/Opus. But I didn’t really get into comics/graphic novels until I started working at the library in Phoenix a bit over seven years ago. They had so many to choose from and I could read all the adult, kid, or teen comics I wanted to read. I have read a lot over the years and love finding new series for myself or my son, who is also graphic novel fan. When I randomly found this Jack Kirby biography comic on the adult fiction/graphic novel cart at work, I had to borrow it. I knew a little bit about the history of comics and Jack Kirby, but this book was very comprehensive and I learned a lot. Kirby was born a German Jew named Jakob Kurtzburg in NYC and grew up rough on the streets during the Great Depression, joined a street gang and fought in WWII. Scioli draws Kirby like a wide-eyed manga character, I’m guessing to differentiate him from all the other characters, but it is kind of distracting. The rest of the book is meant to look like classic comics from Kirby’s heyday. He tells the story of Jack Kirby as if the man himself is narrating, and got most of his material from interviews Kirby did at the end of his life. The basic gist I got out of it was he loved sci fi and mythology and used them in his work. Pretty much every major character you can think of from Captain America to Iron Man, Black Panther, the Hulk, Nick Fury, Thor, the Silver Surfer, the Fantastic Four, the Eternals and many more were created by Kirby and people he worked with, so don’t believe all the hype. Both DC and Marvel screwed him over for many years, and Stan Lee was the worst of them all, continually stealing credit for work that Kirby did. Compensation and credit for work done did eventually get better for comic book artists/writers, but it took till nearly Kirby’s death for it to start happening. 3-1/2 stars.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) by Nghi Vo

This was an intriguing novella. I had originally discovered it Summer 2020 as it was one of the 1000 point books at the end of Summer Reading that adults could pick, but I chose a different book, so it’s been on my to-read list since then. Chih is a nonbinary cleric who travels with a talking hoopoe bird with perfect memory. She is from Singing Hills Monastery and it’s her job to record the history at Scarlet Lake, the banishment site of the former Empress In-yo, through the items left behind that she is cataloguing. But the real bit of interesting information comes from the stories told by Rabbit, by now an elderly woman, who used to be a very close servant of the Empress. The title comes from two different stories that Rabbit elucidates. I liked that I read the story in three days and probably could’ve done it in a couple of hours if I had enough time. I really enjoyed the feminist Asian story of the Empress from the North and her time at court and it reminded me a lot of the nonfiction book we had read previously for book club “Empress Cixi”, about the last dowager empress of China. I am very excited to read her next novella “When The Tiger Came Down the Mountain”. Highly recommended, 5 stars.

Moment of Zen: Aug 15-19

As I said before in the previous post, things have been pretty crazy this summer in my professional and personal life.The Summer Reading program is fun but keeps us super busy at the library. Plus I’ve been trying to decide where I want my career to go next within the library system I currently work in, and have only just now made a decision. Plus my personal life is a whole other minefield I won’t go into right now. So I’ve been trying to find new ways to become less stressed and more calm. I should take some examples from Bill the Cat and Opus the Penguin and have a spontaneous “monarch flash mob” instead of a nervous breakdown. 

Because of all the stress and worry I’ve been having lately, I thought it would be good if I could find one awesome moment that made me smile each day. I’ve been thinking about this for ages, but have never managed to write it out. So in the future, I will be having at least one post a week about my daily “Moments of Zen” that I’d like to share. 

Tues: I was working at one of the branches for the first time, to get a feel for what it was like working there and they assigned me Kids Cafe. I’m the site supervisor at my location, so doing this on my own is no big deal. This little girl who was probably about 7-10 yrs old started talking to me as she was one of the first ones in there. She was so positive and happy to talk to me, excited even, and helped me put away chairs at the end of the program and gave me a hug. I had never met her before or visa versa, but it was just a nice experience. It made me feel really loved. 

Wed: I got complimented by one of my fellow co-workers who just became a supervisor. It was interesting because before then I had never really ever got direct positive feedback from him and to hear him praise me to another new co-worker was very cool because it made me feel very wanted/needed (which I hadn’t been feeling that there lately).

Thurs:  Experimenting with a completely new recipe and using beef (which I hardly eat) and having it turn out really tasty. 

Fri: Reading Imprudence by Gail Carriger, a book I’ve been waiting months to read and it was really hilarious and just enjoying my lunch break whilst reading it.

Favorite Books Read in 2015

I’ve done pretty good this year with reading, as I ended up trying to read 285 and have read 290 (that’s over 42,000 pages!). I know it’s been awhile since I’ve done a proper non-review post as life and work especially has been crazy. I’m getting ready for 4 library programs that I’m presenting in the New Year and so have been busy working on those and making sure everything is put together. I’m doing an Art History/Craft program called Art Explorers (which is basically what I was doing before with Kids Cafe but no longer have time for), Discoverytime (Storytime + STEM for 2-5 yrs olds), a Tween Book Club called Page Turners, and I’m assisting with another program called Crafty Science. And that’s not counting my duties with Kids Cafe as Site Supervisor (mostly organization and paperwork) and occasionally presenting an easy craft on a Wednesday session. Anyways, on to the books in no particular order. The links are to my reviews of the books, might have to scroll a bit as the monthly reviews can be long. Liam’s choices are books my four year old son particularly liked and I read to him multiple times.

Favorite Picture Books

 

Emily’s Blue Period   – a cute book about self-expression and dealing with parent’s divorce

Hi, Koo! – a great way to introduce kids to haikus, plus adorable illustrations as always. I love Jon J. Muth’s books!

How to Cheer Up Dad  – This book made me laugh out loud b/c it is exactly what it is like to have to deal with a toddler, and the author/illustrator should know as he was inspired by his own son. Great illustrations.

Snoozefest – loved the idea of this book and the illustrations, plus cutest name ever in a picture book (Snuggleford Cuddlebuns)

If You Plant a Seed  – Kadir Nelson, what can I say? I love the man and his work keeps getting better and better every time he comes out with a book. I loved the moral message of this book and even my son got it.

The Big Princess – I love Taro Miura’s storytelling and bold simple graphics in this book and The Tiny King!

Beautiful Birds – Another gorgeously decorated illustrations for an ABC book

I Will Take a Nap – I love naps so a book advocating them is always a bonus in my book. Plus this one is extra silly, and I love Mo Willems books.

Liam’s Choices

What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot – a funny book that my son adored and had me read over and over again, including to his Preschool classmates

  

The Mustache Baby series – Hilarious books with adorable illustrations, trust me, kids and parents will love these! Both me and my son loved these!

  

Wolfie the Bunny – I loved it for the fabulous illustrations and got the humor of the “Wolf in Rabbit’s clothing”; My son just loved the story of the misunderstood Wolfie

Bea Makes Tea – A Rhyming/Phonics book that my son just fell in love with and we both knew most of the lines by heart (in separate voices) after we finally returned it.

Rutabaga: The Adventure Chef – really cute graphic novel featuring your classic knights and dragons tale but with an “adventure chef” kid for a hero and his kid companions. Looking forward to more from this author/artist; My son also really enjoyed this one as well.

Favorite Children’s Books 

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters  – I haven’t read an Alvin Ho book in a over a year and forgot how funny it is, esp because of his Shakespeare cursing father.

I am Albert Einstein – A great simple introductory biography to the world famous physicist

Wideness and Wonder: The Life and Art of Georgia O’Keeffe – after using O’Keeffe for one of my Kids Cafe Art Lectures, I was ready to learn more about her and this biography was very-well researched for a kids book and a great introduction to this fabulous artist

    

Smile and Drama – Cannot express enough how much I love these two graphic novels!

The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co. #3) – love this series (adore the author’s work in general) and this is the latest one which literally keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Can’t wait for the next book in the series, but hate when they end on a cliffhanger!

Favorite YA Books

The Kamisama Kiss series by Julietta Suzuki- both the anime and manga (I’ve read through #19, though review is for #1-5) are a lot of fun to read, even though they are a bit silly and over the top

Prudence (The Custard Protocol #1) – a continuation of the Parasol Protectorate series by the same author but from the viewpoint of Alexia Tarabotti’s daughter Prudence many years later and all sorts of supernatural steampunk fun ensues

Manners & Mutiny (Finishing School #4) – Adored this series by Gail Carriger! Really her stuff just keeps getting better and better!

An Ember in the Ashes – Hard to believe this is her first book as her world-building is so awesome in this pseudo-Roman world! Probably one of the best books I read this year, definitely one of the best ARCs (Advanced Reader’s Copies).

Wolf by Wolf – Another of the most original stories I’ve read this year, this alternative history (what if Nazis and Japan won WWII) with a shape-changing Holocaust survivor

Templar – Fantastic illustrations and a great story (very well-researched), very Indiana Jones meets Ocean’s Eleven in terms of an impossible task being pulled off

Library Wars #12 & 13 – Futuristic militant librarians battle censorship with a bit of romance thrown in, what’s not to love?  I have had #14 on hold forever waiting for it to come out

Favorite Adult Books

Outlander series – introduced to this series by watching Season 1 Vol 1 of the new Starz show; have now read through book 5 and loved all except 2nd book (which was okay but not as good as first one); Jaime is seriously one of my favorite book characters ever

Lord John Grey series – Usually spin-off series aren’t this good, but she puts just as much work and research into this series as she does with Outlander and I really like Lord John’s character (have read/listened to 10 out of 13 stories)

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand – This book club selection was a fabulous first book by the author, despite being about 60 yrs old romance and racism; looking forward to her new book coming out in March 2016 called The Summer Before the War.

Transatlantic – another book club selection, I really enjoyed this book even though I was a bit lost for awhile as to what the connection between the stories was

  

Fool and its sequel The Serpent of Venice – hilarious comedies based off the tragedies King Lear (Fool) and The Merchant of Venice/Othello/Cask of the Amontillado (The Serpent of Venice). Two of my favorite Christopher Moore books.

Did She Kill Him? – a fascinating look at Victorian True Crime and sexuality/gender

Rebel Mechanics

Rebel Mechanics (Rebel Mechanics #1) by Shanna Swendson

To be published: July 14, 2015

It is 1888, and the British are still controlling the American colonies through the use of magic. Sixteen-year-old Verity Newton has come to New York City to become a governess to a rich magister’s (magic-users) family. She soon discovers that everything is not all as it seems, with the family and in the city. Verity finds out that there is an underground organization of mechanics and engineers called the Rebel Mechanics who are developing non-magical sources of power by creating steam-powered inventions. She ends up becoming a spy for the Mechanics due to her connections with the magisters, but she harbors a secret herself. Will she be able to help the right cause? Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars.

I love alternative history books, especially steampunk ones, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Add in an independent YA heroine, and I’m sold. I really liked Verity’s character because she questioned everything, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. I liked that she was educated like a university student. She was very naïve in the beginning but her character definitely developed as the story progressed. I honestly would rather she have gone for Henry, than the Rebel inventor Alec (who was exciting at first until the reader found out he was just using her).

Disclaimer: I received this advanced reader’s copy from the publisher Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.