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A review by astraia_sun
The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
4.0
Catherine, you may be saying, why do you give this book 4 stars, which in Catherine-land is really good, and you give similar books one or two stars?
Great question. My answer is, 'YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE I DO WHAT I WANT.'
Okay honest answer: The Characters. I've said for years that a book can have a ridiculous plot, execution, or high cheese factor, but if the characters are engaging and fun, I can forgive ALL of that. And this book 100% knows that it's ridiculous. It embraces it. It uses it as a selling point. And for me, it worked. The narration was kind of jarring from what I was expecting, because being Steampunk, I figured it'd have a more Victorian Air. It doesn't. In fact, it wouldn't be out of place in most modern YA books. Same with a bit of the dialogue.
I honestly can't remember if there was a year given at the beginning (I listened to the audiobook version as I drove and sewed... not at the same time), but this book obviously takes place in a "fast and loose" version of London. And that's okay with me. That's what steampunk is for. The plot is nothing special: Villain threatens to blow up London unless they get cash and people are turning up dead. Three girls, all from different backgrounds but in similar circumstances, vow to stop it.
THe author definitely knew what she was doing. Sometimes in these types of books it's hard to differentiate each character, and they're only defined by their occupation or gender. Not so with Michiko, Cora, or Nellie. I definitely got the sense that each was a rounded character, with their past and present shaping who they were. I laughed out loud several times at Nellie's antics (c'mon, breaking into the Tower of London in her underwear? Ridiculous but awesome), loved Michiko's storyline and development, and grinned at Cora's tinkering and engineering (some of my favorite stuff in Steampunk). In the end, the villain(s) were a bit of a surprise to me, even though I probably thould have figured one of them out. It was a ridiculous, fun ride and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Oh, and the Nellie and Officer Murphy scenes were the cutest.
Great question. My answer is, 'YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE I DO WHAT I WANT.'
Okay honest answer: The Characters. I've said for years that a book can have a ridiculous plot, execution, or high cheese factor, but if the characters are engaging and fun, I can forgive ALL of that. And this book 100% knows that it's ridiculous. It embraces it. It uses it as a selling point. And for me, it worked. The narration was kind of jarring from what I was expecting, because being Steampunk, I figured it'd have a more Victorian Air. It doesn't. In fact, it wouldn't be out of place in most modern YA books. Same with a bit of the dialogue.
I honestly can't remember if there was a year given at the beginning (I listened to the audiobook version as I drove and sewed... not at the same time), but this book obviously takes place in a "fast and loose" version of London. And that's okay with me. That's what steampunk is for. The plot is nothing special: Villain threatens to blow up London unless they get cash and people are turning up dead. Three girls, all from different backgrounds but in similar circumstances, vow to stop it.
THe author definitely knew what she was doing. Sometimes in these types of books it's hard to differentiate each character, and they're only defined by their occupation or gender. Not so with Michiko, Cora, or Nellie. I definitely got the sense that each was a rounded character, with their past and present shaping who they were. I laughed out loud several times at Nellie's antics (c'mon, breaking into the Tower of London in her underwear? Ridiculous but awesome), loved Michiko's storyline and development, and grinned at Cora's tinkering and engineering (some of my favorite stuff in Steampunk). In the end, the villain(s) were a bit of a surprise to me, even though I probably thould have figured one of them out. It was a ridiculous, fun ride and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Oh, and the Nellie and Officer Murphy scenes were the cutest.