Waiting on Wednesday #6- The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

I LOVED the first book in this series, The Girl in the Steel Corset, and I can't wait to read the sequel! The first book left such a huge cliffhanger, plus the summary of the sequel sounds so mysterious... I can't wait to see how Finley and her friends will fare in New York... And heck, that clockwork collar is such a cool invention! I really wanna read this book now! :D

So what was your pick?

Jen @ Midnight Book Thief

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Top 10 Books I've Read in 2011 (+1!)

Hey! This year, I'm participating in this event called Top 10 of 2011, hosted by Rachel from Fiktshun, Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic,  Lisa from A Life Bound By Books, and Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books. Basically, you just recap your favorite books, covers and characters.

So, for today, I got to list the Top 10 Books I've Read in 2011. But I kinda cheated and placed 11. ;)


11. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Yup, totally loved this book. Steampunk fan? Then read this! This book had so many cool gadgets and whatnots. Not convinced? I gave this book 5 stars here! And come on, the cover's totally drawing you in, right?

10. The Death Cure by James Dashner

A totally amazing conclusion to an epic dystopian trilogy. Do read the Maze Runner- you'll love it! It's totally action packed and filled with suspense. Heck, I even gave it 6 stars here!

9. Plague by Michael Grant

So this book is dystopian-ish, but not exactly one. But yeah, this book is filled with violence, death, blood and gore... And I totally enjoyed it. But so totally disturbing. (In a good way!)

8. Wildefire by Karsten Knight

So I totally cannot resist a good story about gods and goddesses. And this book had a totally diverse culture- you have a Polynesian and a Japanese goddess, and even a Norse god! Plus, Ashlyn is one tough chick!

7. Abandon by Meg Cabot

So how can I not include a book by Meg? I really loved Abandon as well- It was a really cool retelling of Persephone's myth, one that I really enjoyed!

6. White Cat by Holly Black

This series is so cool. Trust me. The whole curse workers thing in unbelievably amazing- plus, I love the MC, Cassel. I've always loved Holly's books, since I read the Spiderwick Chronicles- this though, is my absolute favorite.

5. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Yet another good dystopian. This book isn't really the action/adventure type- more of romance and drama, yet it still creates a huge impact. I really loved this book!

4. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

I loved this book. So much. It's an epic mix of fantasy, romance, suspense, humor, action... A totally amazing read. But the ending? Talk about a killer cliffhanger!

3. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The best book about fairies out there! Fast paced, full of adventure, and an awesome romance. Totally lived up to its hype!

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Yup, yet another dystopian. Can you blame me for loving this series? This was mindblowingly amazing. Definitely my favorite dystopian book.

1. If I Die by Rachel Vincent

C'mon guys. Did you really think I was gonna forget about this book? I love this series so much, you guys have no idea. Like seriously- I don't think I can wait that long for the sixth book! Did you guys know that this was the very first book I reviewed on this blog? :)








Well that was fun! Yet really difficult. In a way, I'm glad that I haven't read some really hyped-up books out there yet- like Shatter Me, Delirium, VA, Clockwork Prince- or I don't think I could have stuck with 11!


Jen @ Midnight Book Thief

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So what were your top 10 books of 2011? Leave a link if you also made a list and I'll check it out! :)

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The Steampunk Chronicles #1- The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross: Review

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her. 

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch... 

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret. 

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in. 

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

The Girl in the Steel Corset is not my average book. Based on the summary, it's clearly complicated and not one of those shallow reads with the over-used plot. I finally was able to read this after it being on the pile for a looong time.

The Bad:
The predictable ending. This is the only flaw in the book I could find. I could easily guess who the Machinist was, and the mystery surrounding Queen Victoria was a tad bit predictable. But then again, maybe that's just me. The other stuff though keep you guessing til the end.

The Good:
The characters. Kady Cross created a truly unforgetable cast. From Finley, the mysterious girl with two personalities, to Griffin King, the orphaned duke with his own secret powers, to Emily, the sweet but amazingly brilliant girl who has a way with machines... I loved them all. Mysterious powers, flaws, strengths, and all.

The Awesome:
The plot. I love love LOVE the plot of this book. If Victorian England was anything like how it was shown in the book, then I would have loved to live in it. Kady Cross brilliantly created an England that is advanced in technology, and even mixed paranormal elements into the story. Not only that, there was romance, mystery, and TONS of action as well. This is truly a one-of-a-kind book.

The ending. The last chapter was perfect. It wasn't a cliffhanger, thank God. However, it left me wanting more. It left just enough mystery so that you would want to read the sequel. So in a way, it had a cliffhanger ending, but not an extreme cliffie. Which is good.

The rating:
I guess that just by reading my review, you already know I'm giving it 5 out of 5 stars. This book seriously made me love the Steampunk genre all the more. I mean, this had everything! Awesome heroine? Check. Crushworthy guy? Check. Action? Adventure? Mystery? Romance? Check, check, check, and check. This was by far the most unique book I've ever read. It doesn't matter what genre you like, this book has everything, so go read it now!

Oh, but before you do- and I strongly suggest you do- read its prequel novella first, the Strange Case of Finley Jayne.

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

It helps you appreciate Finley more and gives you a nice peek on as to what to expect. It's a short read, but really fun. I totally loved it, but compared to the amazingness of The Girl in the Steel Corset? It doesn't hold a candle.

Jen @ Midnight Book Thief

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I obviously loved this book. Did you as well? Are there any other reads like this, or is this really a one of a kind book? Let me know!