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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Such a fun read.
Loved the idea of a place where other worlds lost items come to the Merrow, and a lot of creative ideas. Exciting for any of the targeted age range.
Loved the idea of a place where other worlds lost items come to the Merrow, and a lot of creative ideas. Exciting for any of the targeted age range.
A fun middle-grade steampunk fantasy, starring feisty Piper. A "scrapper," barely surviving in an industrial wasteland of a town, Piper's uncanny abilities to fix broken machines helps her make a living even after her father had died. When she discovers an injured girl who can't remember her own identity in the wreckage of a caravan after a meteor storm, the adventure begins. Hand this to fans of the City of Ember series.
Naaaah. This was a slog to get through. I probably should have abandoned it earlier, but I'd been eyeing it for a while so I wanted to see it through. I'd found some surprisingly decent books that way, but this wasn't one of them.
Love this book!! Amazing story. Love the characters. I really think there should be a 2nd book.
A fantastic story for younger readers that's engaging and different enough to keep older readers interested.
Technically a 3.5. I didn't realize this was middle grade book until I started reading it. Which is fine, since I often like middle grade books. They are a nice change from the "edgy" tone YA usually takes. I would've liked to know before going into it, because it was a little disappointing. With that aside, the premise for this book is incredibly unique. The concept of the storms bringing in remnants of ancient civilizations was fascinating to me (there was a nice little reference to The Wizard of Oz in there too). Almost everything about the book is original, and I give the author huge props for creativity. I would've eaten this book up if I was 11-13. This book just didn't come through for me like I thought I would. It's a book I should like a lot more than I do. Reading this actually reminded me of Perfect Ruin, another book with original ideas that I didn't connect with on a personal level. When I think about it, nothing's wrong with this book. The plot is engaging, and I read it in one sitting. The author doesn't talk down to her target audience of middle grade readers, which I appreciate. There is barely any romance, and it doesn't take anything away from the book. I liked the characters, and the three leads, Anna, Piper, and Gee, are all well-developed with their own strengths and flaws. I guess one of my problems with it is that it feels pretty short for a book that is almost 400 pages long. Some more development would have been nice. All in all, it was a good read with some neat twists, and if the author wrote a sequel (the book leaves some room for that possibility), I'd probably read it. This book just didn't do it for me, and I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't like as much as I think I shoild.
Middle grade steampunk. Meh it was ok. Piper is a likable character but I was somehow still annoyed by her at times. It also felt like there were some pacing issues.
Piper is a scrapper in a scrap town on the fringes of society. Scrappers pick through the bits that come into their world from the meteor showers. These meteor showers deposit things from other worlds. Piper works to fix the things up and make them work again. One day she chases a friend into the dangerous meteor shower and discovers a destroyed caravan with a girl inside. She brings the injured girl back home with her. Soon Piper and Anna are running for their lives as they are chased by a mysterious man who claims to be Anna's father. Anna has no memories. The only thing she has a is a dragonfly tattoo which marks her has protected by the king of the Dragonfly territory. Anna and Piper make their escape onto the 401, a train headed to the Dragonfly capital. Along the way they become friends with the 401's crew: Jeyne, Trimble and Gee. There is danger, adventure and new insights into who exactly Anna is.
This was a fun steampunk story for middle grades. I really enjoyed learning about Piper and Anna's backgrounds and abilities. I think kids will really enjoy the adventure of this story; however, it is a bit on the long side which might turn off some readers. I think my complaint is that it started out one way and ended up another. I was fascinated by the meteor showers and the debris from other worlds at the beginning of this book. However, that pretty much got dropped once they boarded the train. I think I would have liked for the two parts to tie together a little bit more. I still really enjoyed reading it though and the ending does leave the story open for further adventures.
This was a fun steampunk story for middle grades. I really enjoyed learning about Piper and Anna's backgrounds and abilities. I think kids will really enjoy the adventure of this story; however, it is a bit on the long side which might turn off some readers. I think my complaint is that it started out one way and ended up another. I was fascinated by the meteor showers and the debris from other worlds at the beginning of this book. However, that pretty much got dropped once they boarded the train. I think I would have liked for the two parts to tie together a little bit more. I still really enjoyed reading it though and the ending does leave the story open for further adventures.
I'll be honest, if it wasn't for a few details, I would have given it a 4 star review.
First of all, Gee and Piper are both 13. My biggest problem is that at the end of the book, Piper and Gee seem to end up in what appears to be a dating relationship. Most kids are allowed to date when they're 16 (although I hold the personal belief that dating should only happen once you're 18). 13 year olds aren't even in high school yet, they're too young to date.
Anna and Piper's relationship is rather sisterly, but it's hard to see where Anna gets the concept from. In the story, it's a subject never discussed until the very end and then they just both agree that they're sisters now.
My only other issue is how the concept of the chamelins was handled, since I think it could have been done a little better, and I do think that Gee bounced back a little too quickly from the poisoning. On the other hand, the book was a generally fast-paced story.
I did like all the concepts involved, like the dust, and the objects that fell from others worlds. I am going to finish rereading all the books in this series(?) because I liked them when I was younger and want to see if they're as good as I remember.
But yeah, 3 stars.
First of all, Gee and Piper are both 13. My biggest problem is that at the end of the book, Piper and Gee seem to end up in what appears to be a dating relationship. Most kids are allowed to date when they're 16 (although I hold the personal belief that dating should only happen once you're 18). 13 year olds aren't even in high school yet, they're too young to date.
Anna and Piper's relationship is rather sisterly, but it's hard to see where Anna gets the concept from. In the story, it's a subject never discussed until the very end and then they just both agree that they're sisters now.
My only other issue is how the concept of the chamelins was handled, since I think it could have been done a little better, and I do think that Gee bounced back a little too quickly from the poisoning. On the other hand, the book was a generally fast-paced story.
I did like all the concepts involved, like the dust, and the objects that fell from others worlds. I am going to finish rereading all the books in this series(?) because I liked them when I was younger and want to see if they're as good as I remember.
But yeah, 3 stars.
I didn't start to enjoy this story until Piper and Anna make it on the train. The mystery surrounding Anna was predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying how their friendship developed. I loved Gee, Jeyne, and Trimble--the vagabond family that keeps the train running. It's a fun adventure story that in many ways reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle (movie version).