Scan barcode
kberry513's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the steampunk backdrop of this novel, with all its fun gadgets, although none of them were truly explained. But it's a first person narrative and sometimes the explanations in this sort of book bring me out of the story, so in some ways, I preferred it. I think the other characters could have been fleshed out a little more than they were and that the romance was a little over done/predictable but not dissimilar to most Young Adult romances (or any literary romances, tbh), so it didn't detract much from the enjoyment of the story. I'm just personally not a big love-at-first-sight type.
Overall, though, I very much enjoyed the story.
Overall, though, I very much enjoyed the story.
kenzee06's review against another edition
3.0
*I won this book in a GoodReads First Reads Giveaway*
Goodness, this book is absolutely ridiculous. And yet...I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually kind of liked it. Nothing in the book made sense: from the actual world and all its trappings (why is NOTHING ever explained - I don't know what those words mean!) to the character interactions (with friends and family like that, who needs enemies?) to the way the MILITARY just allows a civilian, aged 16 mind you, to do whatever she damn well pleases and take over their operations.
So what was likeable about it (besides the cover, wow!)? The idea, though certainly not the execution, is pretty interesting. The writing is fairly decent in terms of style. I enjoyed the phrases and some of the quips the characters exchanged. Really, the book wasn't very good...but there was just something about it.
Goodness, this book is absolutely ridiculous. And yet...I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually kind of liked it. Nothing in the book made sense: from the actual world and all its trappings (why is NOTHING ever explained - I don't know what those words mean!) to the character interactions (with friends and family like that, who needs enemies?) to the way the MILITARY just allows a civilian, aged 16 mind you, to do whatever she damn well pleases and take over their operations.
So what was likeable about it (besides the cover, wow!)? The idea, though certainly not the execution, is pretty interesting. The writing is fairly decent in terms of style. I enjoyed the phrases and some of the quips the characters exchanged. Really, the book wasn't very good...but there was just something about it.
thecky's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kay_slayerofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I kind of wanted more!
I want to know what happens to Penny, Marcus and Cora. Do they become a family? And Nic and Violet. What is their future like? And Sebastian. Does he ever redeem himself? With all of that being said, I REALLY enjoyed this story.
5 stars
I want to know what happens to Penny, Marcus and Cora. Do they become a family? And Nic and Violet. What is their future like? And Sebastian. Does he ever redeem himself? With all of that being said, I REALLY enjoyed this story.
5 stars
laden_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I got this as a kindle deal and it was a fun, quick read. Other than the de rigueur immediate chemistry between leads, it really kicked along at a nice clip and had an interesting story. Very nice standalone.
erikaellr's review against another edition
2.0
The writing is fluid enough, and there are some enjoyable descriptions about the setting. But overall the world-building is only surface-deep. The character development is equally shallow, and the plot is driven only by the cardboard cutout evil scientist bad guy. A quick read, though, and probably still worth a few hours if you're in the mood for a cutesy steam-punk short story.
amanda1011's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A story about a teenage girl, her faulty mechanical heart, a hunt to rescue her kidnapped parents, and to catch the kidnapper who also happens to be the only one that can give her a new heart.
It took me a few chapters to get used to, but the world was thoroughly steampunk, and the author did not let you forget it.
I found it to be a fun, fast-paced read.
It took me a few chapters to get used to, but the world was thoroughly steampunk, and the author did not let you forget it.
I found it to be a fun, fast-paced read.
jscarpa14's review against another edition
4.0
Saw the cover for this in my feed and couldn't resist checking it out. It was a good story though a couple parts seemed a bit rushed and I almost feel as though a lot more could have been done if it was slowed down and extended into a trilogy instead of trying to wrap up the story in one book. I also say this because my other complaint is some characters could have used a bit more depth and details. I might have missed it but I don't think the writer even tells us how old Penny is in the story. Overall though it was a good story that I'd recommend.
ladypalutena's review against another edition
2.0
This is the story of a girl with a clockwork heart, but it’s so loosely wound that I expected to die before I finished the book.
Disclaimer: I did sort of like this book. It had a rather interesting world and a wonderful concept. However, it was not pulled off as smoothly as it could have been. I’m going to attempt to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.
The number one complaint I had while reading was the PACING. Everything seems to take place over just two or three days (with maybe a few days of Penny being unconscious in there somewhere). The story just seemed so incredibly rushed that it was difficult to enjoy. The final confrontation with the villain especially so: we get to the villain’s hideout, a few things happen, and suddenly we’re escaping back into the world. I’m still not sure why the villain behaved as he during those final moments of confrontation, but maybe I missed something. The pace is just absolutely blistering fast, and I feel like it definitely could have been drawn out a lot more.
We could have been given more character development: I’m still not sure who Sebastian is, although I think I have a pretty good handle on Violet. The military guy, though… I’m still not sure about him. Did Penny know him beforehand? Was everything just a happy coincidence? Everybody’s thrown together with no mention, really, of the friendships or other relationships that they’ve held before this book began. It doesn’t seem like anyone changes throughout the book, either.
I know Penny’s supposed to be the daredevil/rule-breaker, but she does things that a girl of sixteen would have to be a downright idiot to do. She almost dies several times because she’s putting her Ticker on the front lines, with no idea how that’s going to make her parents or especially her brother feel. (Even though she’s already had two sisters die from the same heart condition she has, so she knows how it’d make her family feel were she to suddenly drop dead.)
The second thing I noticed was the incredibly heavy feeling of “Look at me! I’m writing Steampunk!” while beginning the book. Ms. Mantchev frontloads this book like no tomorrow, shoving everything she possibly can into the beginning so that we are just overwhelmed with what we’re reading. It feels too heavily like she’s telling us everything instead of showing us. Penny goes on and on about the boxes at Sugar Werks and all the different things that make up this world. Every few paragraphs, there’s some new description. Instead of easing us into the world gradually and making it seem natural, Penny describes everything she comes across like she’s never seen it before or like her readers are not the brightest of the bunch. This ended up being a major reason why I didn’t love the book: I felt overwhelmed with descriptions instead of being able to peel back the mysteries bit by bit on my own. The character names as well are especially in-your-face Steampunk.
I did enjoy the story, but I wish I could’ve seen more of everyone. I want to feel an attachment to Demetria, the sister who died a year ago. I want to know what happened to the baby, if she was born dead or if she died before her first day on the earth was up. I need to feel an emotional connection to the characters, not have them as background information. “Oh, yes, the villain only did this because of so-and-so” is not an acceptable reason.
I really did like the book. I wish I could have loved it. The concept was refreshingly new to me, but it wasn’t executed nearly as well as it should have been.
Disclaimer: I did sort of like this book. It had a rather interesting world and a wonderful concept. However, it was not pulled off as smoothly as it could have been. I’m going to attempt to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.
The number one complaint I had while reading was the PACING. Everything seems to take place over just two or three days (with maybe a few days of Penny being unconscious in there somewhere). The story just seemed so incredibly rushed that it was difficult to enjoy. The final confrontation with the villain especially so: we get to the villain’s hideout, a few things happen, and suddenly we’re escaping back into the world. I’m still not sure why the villain behaved as he during those final moments of confrontation, but maybe I missed something. The pace is just absolutely blistering fast, and I feel like it definitely could have been drawn out a lot more.
We could have been given more character development: I’m still not sure who Sebastian is, although I think I have a pretty good handle on Violet. The military guy, though… I’m still not sure about him. Did Penny know him beforehand? Was everything just a happy coincidence? Everybody’s thrown together with no mention, really, of the friendships or other relationships that they’ve held before this book began. It doesn’t seem like anyone changes throughout the book, either.
I know Penny’s supposed to be the daredevil/rule-breaker, but she does things that a girl of sixteen would have to be a downright idiot to do. She almost dies several times because she’s putting her Ticker on the front lines, with no idea how that’s going to make her parents or especially her brother feel. (Even though she’s already had two sisters die from the same heart condition she has, so she knows how it’d make her family feel were she to suddenly drop dead.)
The second thing I noticed was the incredibly heavy feeling of “Look at me! I’m writing Steampunk!” while beginning the book. Ms. Mantchev frontloads this book like no tomorrow, shoving everything she possibly can into the beginning so that we are just overwhelmed with what we’re reading. It feels too heavily like she’s telling us everything instead of showing us. Penny goes on and on about the boxes at Sugar Werks and all the different things that make up this world. Every few paragraphs, there’s some new description. Instead of easing us into the world gradually and making it seem natural, Penny describes everything she comes across like she’s never seen it before or like her readers are not the brightest of the bunch. This ended up being a major reason why I didn’t love the book: I felt overwhelmed with descriptions instead of being able to peel back the mysteries bit by bit on my own. The character names as well are especially in-your-face Steampunk.
I did enjoy the story, but I wish I could’ve seen more of everyone. I want to feel an attachment to Demetria, the sister who died a year ago. I want to know what happened to the baby, if she was born dead or if she died before her first day on the earth was up. I need to feel an emotional connection to the characters, not have them as background information. “Oh, yes, the villain only did this because of so-and-so” is not an acceptable reason.
I really did like the book. I wish I could have loved it. The concept was refreshingly new to me, but it wasn’t executed nearly as well as it should have been.