Book Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Steel Corset
by Kady Cross


Genre: YA Fantasy / Steampunk / Science Fiction
Ages: 14 and up
Note: I represented this novel in the 2011YABGB here and I will be saying many of the same things in my review. To read my interview with Kady Cross and enter a giveaway for her next novel (open through Feb. 29) go here.

Description:

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

My Thoughts:

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross is one of my very favorite books ever. There are so many reasons why I love it so much that I am not sure if it possible to list them all, but I will do my best. :)

The world in this book is fantastic! A steampunk Victorian era with a blend of magic and science, it is positively bristling with gadgets and marvelous creations. The wonderful world-building shows in every page from the clothes to the manners and conventions and the places they visit. I love the corsets, goggles, carriages and curtsies that are all part of the scenery. I love how the cover perfectly shows the feel of the book, even though Finley is supposed to be blonde. :)

The storyline is a lovely fantasy with all sorts of twists and turns and just a touch of romance. There are so many secrets to be revealed and mysteries to be solved. It strikes the perfect balance between action and character development. The Girl in the Steel Corset is a fun adventure with hints of darkness. It is so wonderful to read  book that is more focused on the story than it is on teenagers swooning over each other…not that there isn’t a bit of swooning.

I read books for the characters. The plot, writing and world are all secondary to me; if I don’t fall in love with the characters then there is no point. In this book, I fell in love with each and every one of them.
Finley Jayne, the heroine, is all polite manners and kick-ass fighting skills. The secrets of her past are unknown even to herself and she is constantly at war with her darker side. And then there is her growing attraction to the handsome Griffin King…

 I love all the characters and how they interact with each other, with their own little jealousies and disagreements and jokes. Kady Cross did a marvelous job creating this quirky little family and all of their friends and enemies. They are the kind of characters that stick with you and make you laugh. Griffin King, their leader, is inherently honorable but has a dangerous edge. He reminds me of Jane Austen's heroes, only with a dark side. Sweet, practical, grease-smeared Emily of the marvelous inventions and an unrequited love for Sam...or at least she thinks it is unrequited. Sam, a part-automaton who hates what he has become and is furious with his friends for saving his life. Jasper, an American cowboy who is full of dark secrets and seems to be attracted to Emily. Even though I am Team Griffin all the way, I have a little crush on Jasper. And then there is Jack Dandy, a charming rogue who gives Griffin a little competition in his budding romance with Finley. I can hardly wait to meet them again in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

I hope that I have convinced you of the awesomeness of this book, but the only way for you to really see it is to read it yourself!



Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence.
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I give it a 4.10 for mostly mild with occasional mid-level swearing.

Sexuality:
I rate it a 2.10 for vague references and an intended rape that did not get very far.

Violence:
I give it a 7.10 for murder, fights, attempted murder, intended rape and a few bloody injuries.

                        Lieder Madchen