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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I really liked the idea of this book, I mean, I really really liked it. For a start Marie Lu suggested to me right on the cover this was a steampunk Harry Potter, and with a female lead?! Amazing, I can't wait this will be amazing! No.
I could not have been more wrong with my assumptions. I mean, it wouldn't have been awful, if it wasn't for the lack of a plot (something I've become accustomed to in a novel to be honest)
A lot of stuff happened, don't get me wrong. But nothing seemed to happen for a reason, there was no real goal for the main character. And as a main character, she was pretty unlikable. I'm pretty bored of the whole "I'm a strong female lead because I'm not like the other girls" thing.
...and it's nothing like Harry Potter.
I could not have been more wrong with my assumptions. I mean, it wouldn't have been awful, if it wasn't for the lack of a plot (something I've become accustomed to in a novel to be honest)
A lot of stuff happened, don't get me wrong. But nothing seemed to happen for a reason, there was no real goal for the main character. And as a main character, she was pretty unlikable. I'm pretty bored of the whole "I'm a strong female lead because I'm not like the other girls" thing.
...and it's nothing like Harry Potter.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sophronia has never been that interested in learning about the proper ways of a lady. She would rather be sneaking around and taking apart different things in her house. That all changes one afternoon when her mother has a visitor to the house. Sophronia is being sent to finishing school, and from what her sisters have told her, this is the absolute last place she wants to be. That is until she learns more about Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, maybe finishing school isn’t that bad after all…
I saw this title on bookstagram and thought that it would be a fun read, I was correct. Sophronia reminds me so much of Elona Holmes (from the Netflix movie), she is curious and determined. She is a great main character who additionally has a strong sense of connection with those that she cares for. I am really enjoying reading through her experience at this new interpretation of a finishing school.
The world that Gail Carriger created is filled, not only with strong-willed females and males that support it, but also all types of mechanical inventions/aids and locations that do not adhere to the rules as we know them. It was such a fun world to discover, I loved the mechanimals and the mechanical support staff. The characters were extremely diverse, from young females to werewolves to vampires, there was a place for everyone.
I absolutely loved the finishing school, and wished that there was a place like that when I was in school. I love the idea of learning to be what is expected but also having the unexpected thrown in. The bond that was displayed between Sophronia and the other girls that she shared her rooms with was unlike most that you read in historical fiction books. They supported one another and were there when their nemesis became too much.
With fast pacing and chapters a little on the longer side this was an incredibly fun summer read. I already have the rest of the series requested from the library and should be able to get them soon. I look forward to seeing what the finishing school has in store for Sophronia for the next couple of years. If you enjoy curious women and the unexpected this is definitely a series that you should check out.
The first time I read this, I found it so annoying that I couldn't get past the first few chapters.
The second time, I enjoyed it more. Sophronia is a strong character. The story is full of subtle humor, adventures, danger, and mystery. And, the setting of the story is detailed and unique.
Yes, it would've been nice if they spent less time noticing men, or obsessing over the size of their decolletage. However, it was a fun read nonetheless.
Similair Reads:
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Content:
Romance: lots of obsessing over men and their looks, talking about women's corsets, their underskirts and their decolletage. There's a girl who dresses and acts like a boy, and who, another girl is questioned if she's sure she's not a boy, and a boys are mentioned to put kohl around their eyes. There's also a few few questionable comments, including being enamored with a handsome werewolf who wears nothing under his coat, and "men who make the best... ooh la la." said with a torso wiggled suggestively.
Violence: some scary scenes of fights, gunshooting, and mentions that the Finishing School is training girls for murder.
The second time, I enjoyed it more. Sophronia is a strong character. The story is full of subtle humor, adventures, danger, and mystery. And, the setting of the story is detailed and unique.
Yes, it would've been nice if they spent less time noticing men, or obsessing over the size of their decolletage. However, it was a fun read nonetheless.
Similair Reads:
[bc:The Mark of the Dragonfly|18077836|The Mark of the Dragonfly (World of Solace, #1)|Jaleigh Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1381287167l/18077836._SX50_.jpg|25384237][bc:The Faceless Mage|55920924|The Faceless Mage (Legends of Abreia, #1)|Kenley Davidson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605581236l/55920924._SY75_.jpg|87134331][bc:The Lady and the Highwayman|44025141|The Lady and the Highwayman (The Dread Penny Society, #1)|Sarah M. Eden|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560048405l/44025141._SY75_.jpg|68454173][bc:A School for Unusual Girls|22238184|A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1)|Kathleen Baldwin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421198469l/22238184._SX50_.jpg|41612061]
Content:
Romance: lots of obsessing over men and their looks, talking about women's corsets, their underskirts and their decolletage. There's a girl who dresses and acts like a boy, and who
Spoiler
Sophronia only realizes is a girl a few chapters after meetingViolence: some scary scenes of fights, gunshooting, and mentions that the Finishing School is training girls for murder.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was honestly way better than I expected. I got it for free and didn’t expect much just looking at the cover and the synopsis thing, but it really surprised me. Funny, engaging, and well-written, with fully fleshed out characters. It took me about eighty pages to adapt to the writing style and the characters, but once I did it was a great read.
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Když jsem se dozvěděla, že u nás má vyjít knížka, která kombinuje vraždící akademii s učením etikety, dostavilo se obří nadšení. Dokonce jsem Etiketu a Špionáž vyhrála v kubulácké soutěži (I AM SUPER_STEAMPUNK_STAR), ale ke čtení mě donutil až "Knižní maraton aneb Čteme jako o život.."
Zpět k nadšení a očekávání, které (vzhledem k hodnocení mých friendů) bylo NECHUTNĚ vysoké. :D V mé hlavě jela představa, že budu číst o bandě holek se stylem MILADY ze Tří mušketýrů. :3 Zákeřné, podlé, smrtící, dokonalé.
Bohužel se mi dostala jen bláznivá a VTIPNĚ PODANÁ směska něčeho, co mi trochu připomínalo film "Barbie a Škola pro princezny". A to rozhodně není můj šálek čaje. :)
Sooo .. IT WAS OK. :)
btw.. Sotva jsem sklidila úspěch ve vysvětlování mé milované sestřičce (ta je z Etikety a Špionáže nadšená, má 10 let), že správní UPÍŘI se vážně NETŘPYTÍ (období Edwardismu), přijde STEAMPUNK_UPIR .. => na ledničce momentálně visí .. Edward v krajce a cylindru. -_-
Zpět k nadšení a očekávání, které (vzhledem k hodnocení mých friendů) bylo NECHUTNĚ vysoké. :D V mé hlavě jela představa, že budu číst o bandě holek se stylem MILADY ze Tří mušketýrů. :3 Zákeřné, podlé, smrtící, dokonalé.
Bohužel se mi dostala jen bláznivá a VTIPNĚ PODANÁ směska něčeho, co mi trochu připomínalo film "Barbie a Škola pro princezny". A to rozhodně není můj šálek čaje. :)
Sooo .. IT WAS OK. :)
btw.. Sotva jsem sklidila úspěch ve vysvětlování mé milované sestřičce (ta je z Etikety a Špionáže nadšená, má 10 let), že správní UPÍŘI se vážně NETŘPYTÍ (období Edwardismu), přijde STEAMPUNK_UPIR .. => na ledničce momentálně visí .. Edward v krajce a cylindru. -_-