A review by catpingu
The Girl with the Windup Heart by Kady Cross

2.0

Took me a while but I've finally finished the series. As a new adult, I see little substance. But if I peer through the lens of a young teenager, then perhaps yes, I would see this book as amazing.


Mila lives with Jack Dandy in his fortress in Whitechapel, but she wants to be more than a ward for him. Finley and Griffin seem to be settling down after helping Mila out and establishing a plan with Jack, when their old enemy Garibaldi kidnaps Griffin and takes him to the Aether. In this final installation of the Steampunk Chronicles, we're finally going to destroy the evils haunting the characters: Lord Felix, Jack's miscreant father, and the Machinist.


I completed this out of loyalty to the series. It's hard, maintaining a passable Cockney accent in my head while reading the book and watching Jack switch his idiolect depending on the situation. Annoying, actually. What else is annoying is how it takes four freaking books for Finley to acknowledge that she loves Griffin. What kind of backstory keeps Finley in denial of her loving Griffin, despite literally every single action she's taken proving her devotion? Horrible attempt at love denial and pretending that there was even a sliver of a chance Finley would ever end up with Jack.

Jack and Mila, personality-wise sweet and cute. I think there could have been more development, the whole thing honestly feels just a little rushed. I agree with Jack, cute childlike Mila is so heartwarming to see, but honestly it feels a little like cradlerobbing. Are we supposed to endorse Mila joining the circus for a night and running away as her grand "maturity" arc and Jack Dandy falling for that shit is anything less than pseudo-pedophilia? I'm sorry, I really do love Jack, but I can't condone this relationship.

Okay what's a positive? Jasper calling Cat his girl and that they're officially together. I wish they got some more action. Jasper's main feature was The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, and come on Finley and Emily and their couples' sweetness is cute and all, but I want more Jasper. I settle for knowing they have their own side story, but Jasper deserved more action than staking out Mila's runaway hideout.

Oh yeah,
Spoilerwe meet Finley's bio dad Thomas. That was cool. We get to see Griffin be the bad-ass he was meant to be in the spirit world.
Guess that's all the good things we've gotten from this.