Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Li...
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reviews
Jul 16, 2011
Stephen
rated it: 
DAMN YOU YA NOVELS!! Why do you so often strut around flashing such delicious, mouth-watering premises only to end up tasting like rice cakes dipped in peanut butter and leaving me feeling unsatiated, frustrated...and very, very thirsty. I certainly don't mean all YA novels as there are quite a few that have left my literary gluttony stuffed and smiling (you good ones know who you are). This story, however, just another under-delivering promise tease.
Now, this tale isn't terrible, More...
Now, this tale isn't terrible, More...
13 comments
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Jul 07, 2011
Jenn
rated it:
eh, i'm just not seeing what everyone else seems to be seeing in this book. it's not steampunk, not bradbury-esque (it takes more than a carnival and a bit of evil to call up mr. ray), and it's not filled with writing i feel is remarkable.
perhaps i am contrary. perhaps you will like it.
eta: i just read a bunch of blog posts on this book. they were all pretty glowing. so maybe this is my "when you reach me" of the year - the book everyone loves but me, which will More...
perhaps i am contrary. perhaps you will like it.
eta: i just read a bunch of blog posts on this book. they were all pretty glowing. so maybe this is my "when you reach me" of the year - the book everyone loves but me, which will More...
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Jan 12, 2012
Michelle
rated it: 
I have put off reviewing The Boneshaker for some time now because it leaves me feeling absolutely inadequate to the task. It is quite possibly one of the best books I have ever read.
The Boneshaker is the story of Natalie Minks, a young tomboy with a passionate love of all things mechanical. Few things give her more pleasure than tinkering with her father on their automata, unless it is perhaps her red Chesterlane, a beautiful boneshaker of a bicycle he built for her. Except that s More...
The Boneshaker is the story of Natalie Minks, a young tomboy with a passionate love of all things mechanical. Few things give her more pleasure than tinkering with her father on their automata, unless it is perhaps her red Chesterlane, a beautiful boneshaker of a bicycle he built for her. Except that s More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 15, 2012
One of the most difficult things I've ever had to do as a reader is to give myself permission to abandon a book. As a child I would always force myself to finish a book once I had started it, no matter how badly I disliked it. Not so anymore. I have finally gotten to the point where I firmly believe, and I tell my students this all the time, there are too many goods books out there waiting to be read to spend your time finishing a book you just don't like. This book is one of those books. I
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Jan 07, 2012
Rebekah
rated it:
Situated at a dusty crossroads, strange things happen in Arcane. Milford s debut novel, set in 1913, does not stray far from the classic lore regarding crossroads. Characters strike deals with the devil, and questions of good and evil give the plot momentum, but Milford also mixes in some unique features that make this an excellent read. Natalie Minks, the thirteen-year-old protagonist, has an interest in anything mechanical. When a medicine show rolls into Arcane, Natalie is instantly suspici
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Mar 15, 2011
Siobhan
rated it: 
Natalie Minks is a tomboy living in the small town of Arcane, Missouri in 1914. Since Natalie’s father is Arcane’s mechanic, it only makes sense that he would build her the world’s fastest bicycle. However, a problem lies in that no matter how hard she tries, Natalie cannot ride the bicycle. It is as if the bike fights her every time she even attempts to ride it. Despite how embarrassing that is, Natalie remains fascinated by all things mechanical. So, when a traveling caravan of “healers”
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Dec 30, 2010
Karissa
rated it:
I have heard great things about this book and was excited to read it. I received this book as an advanced reading copy through the Amazon Vine Program. It was a wonderful book and I really enjoyed it.
Natalie Minks loves working on all things mechanical. She has an awesome bike that she built with her dad, but cannot ride. When a company of traveling medicine men shows up in town she thinks something is not right with them. When the lead Dr. of the group, Jake Limberleg, makes one of Na More...
Natalie Minks loves working on all things mechanical. She has an awesome bike that she built with her dad, but cannot ride. When a company of traveling medicine men shows up in town she thinks something is not right with them. When the lead Dr. of the group, Jake Limberleg, makes one of Na More...
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Dec 29, 2010
I really struggled with this one. I was fascinated by the story - the traveling show arriving at a sleepy town, the fight between good and evil, proximity to a location where strange things happen (Buffy's Hellmouth, anyone?). It's so different from some of the other books nominated for the award, from the setting to the writing. Natalie is a strong character and the quasi-steampunk angle of automons was neatly done.
But the book itself was so hard to get through. It took me the bette More...
But the book itself was so hard to get through. It took me the bette More...
Nov 05, 2010
Ahimsa
rated it: 
I don't read a lot of YA these days, so my review should be read with that in mind.
The Boneshaker is an enjoyable read, but Milford's first novel is pretty obviously just that. The setting is interesting, and the stakes reach a nice level of danger without getting too apocalyptic. Natalie is in a character in the vein of Lyra Silvertongue and it's easy to root for her. The mixing of classic tales is nice as well. One Robert Johnson like character is immensely interesting.
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The Boneshaker is an enjoyable read, but Milford's first novel is pretty obviously just that. The setting is interesting, and the stakes reach a nice level of danger without getting too apocalyptic. Natalie is in a character in the vein of Lyra Silvertongue and it's easy to root for her. The mixing of classic tales is nice as well. One Robert Johnson like character is immensely interesting.
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Oct 31, 2010
Cecelia
rated it:
A relatively complex, layered YA read, this book is most basically about the battle between good and evil. Natalie lives in a small town located near a crossroads, which, as we are reminded a number of time, is a place where strange things can happen. At the same time that Natalie is struggling to learn to ride "the fastest bike in the world," built for her by her father, a mysterious travelling medicine show comes to town and Natalie seems to be the only one who notices that anything
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Aug 27, 2010
Sharon
rated it:
Not to be confused with the similarly steampunk Cherie Priest book. In a way I feel like this book was tailor-made for me with all its pieces: Natalie is a young girl interested in automata and the bizarre stories her mother has always told about their small town, Arcane, circa 1913 : including the classic American Jack tales and a tale about an old man in town who met the devil at the crossroads. When Dr. Jake Limberleg brings his mysterious traveling medicine show into town, Natalie uses her k
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Aug 23, 2010
reed
rated it:
Fair warning: I am easily disappointed with books written for children.
People I really respect rave about this book. And it has a lot going for it - the steampunk version of early 1900's Missouri; the stories that Natalie's mom tells her, the struggle to master a weirdly-made but intriguing bike. But the plot was predictable and often needed to be moved along by someone being unnecessarily vague or by Natalie conveniently getting a headache and a vision.
Also, aside from More...
People I really respect rave about this book. And it has a lot going for it - the steampunk version of early 1900's Missouri; the stories that Natalie's mom tells her, the struggle to master a weirdly-made but intriguing bike. But the plot was predictable and often needed to be moved along by someone being unnecessarily vague or by Natalie conveniently getting a headache and a vision.
Also, aside from More...
Aug 14, 2010
Sandra
rated it:
Just received the book yesterday. Yea!
I just went back to school and found the book in my box. I am glad I had the opportunity to read and review it. This story is set in 1913 and the main character is 13 year old tomboy Natalie Minks from Arcane, Missouri. She likes all things mechanical and helps her father. When she isn't helping him she listens to her mother who is a master story teller. Things plug along smoothly until the traveling medicine show comes to town. At this point I have t More...
I just went back to school and found the book in my box. I am glad I had the opportunity to read and review it. This story is set in 1913 and the main character is 13 year old tomboy Natalie Minks from Arcane, Missouri. She likes all things mechanical and helps her father. When she isn't helping him she listens to her mother who is a master story teller. Things plug along smoothly until the traveling medicine show comes to town. At this point I have t More...
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May 28, 2010
Ellen
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 03, 2010
E.J.
rated it:
A magical tale of secrets and wonder and the power of one's own confidence. The Boneshaker by Kate Milford (not to be mistaken with Boneshaker by Cherie Priest) begins with Natalie Minks in her sleepy little town of Arcane, where her biggest concern is trying to master riding her new bicycle, a bizarre contraption that her father built for her. Natalie's life, and the lives of Arcane's inhabitants, rapidly changes as a band of strangers, claiming to be Dr. Jake Limberleg's Nostrum Fair and Te
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Jun 19, 2011
Cassandra
rated it:
A really unusual book for me, but I loved it. In theory, I like some IR/YA books, but in reality I don't read very many and when I do I often find that for my tastes, they don't live up to their promise. But this book did. I admired the writing greatly and loved the world she created and the characters in it. Another thing I liked about the characters was that they weren't all just good or bad--they had shades of grey. You found out more about them as the book went on, and what you found out was
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Mar 19, 2011
Marleigh
rated it:
First line: "Strange things can happen at a crossroads."
Summary: Bicycles, mystic powers, clockwork, patent medicines, and the Devil.
I recognize that's a fairly odd summary, but I'm not sure how else to describe it without giving too much away. The book is less about the plot and more about building some rather creeptastic imagery in your mind. Kind of felt like the Gormenghast novels that way, except for young adults and with a sensible editor keeping things in c More...
Summary: Bicycles, mystic powers, clockwork, patent medicines, and the Devil.
I recognize that's a fairly odd summary, but I'm not sure how else to describe it without giving too much away. The book is less about the plot and more about building some rather creeptastic imagery in your mind. Kind of felt like the Gormenghast novels that way, except for young adults and with a sensible editor keeping things in c More...
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Apr 28, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
It seems that no successful book is an island. Or, to put it another way, no successful genre of book. In the children’s book world Harry Potter does well and suddenly the market is flooded with wizard tales. Twilight stars vampires, so now you can’t walk down the teen aisle in a bookstore without fifty different kind of knock-offs. The Hunger Games sells relatively well and now dystopian fiction is the buzzword of the day. That’s all well and good, but to the victor go the spoils of establ
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11 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Apr 02, 2010
Cindy
rated it:
A fun, fantastical YA story about standing your ground especially when you are at a crossroads, and a strong analytical girl who needs to be brave enough to help the people she loves.
_________________
Thirteen year old Natalie Minks loves bicycles, clockwork gadgets, solving puzzles and listening to her mother's endless stories about their town. Growing up in rural Missouri in 1913, she lives near a major crossroads with the ruins of the former town left perplexingly in-tact dow More...
_________________
Thirteen year old Natalie Minks loves bicycles, clockwork gadgets, solving puzzles and listening to her mother's endless stories about their town. Growing up in rural Missouri in 1913, she lives near a major crossroads with the ruins of the former town left perplexingly in-tact dow More...
6 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jul 07, 2010
Tasha
rated it:
Natalie Minks grew up surrounded by strange tales about her town near the crossroads, and everyone knows that odd things happen at crossroads. Natalie’s father was the bicycle mechanic in town and he also worked on the new cars like the one for the town’s doctor. Natalie too loved machines, especially automatons. She was also trying to master riding a strange bicycle that her father rebuilt for her, but embarrassingly enough, she simply couldn’t ride the thing at all. The town too was used t
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Feb 08, 2012
Sharon
rated it:
6th&up
3.5 stars
Like Natalie's automata, this story requires a little bit of work and quite a bit of winding up, but once it gets going it is a wonder to behold.
In the same vein as Something Wicked This Way Comes, Natalie's quiet little town- which lies at the crossroad of somewhere Missouri and nowhere special- is on the brink of monumental change as a Medicine Show comes into town and brings nothing good along with it. Powerful forces are at work, and Natalie has a vital role More...
3.5 stars
Like Natalie's automata, this story requires a little bit of work and quite a bit of winding up, but once it gets going it is a wonder to behold.
In the same vein as Something Wicked This Way Comes, Natalie's quiet little town- which lies at the crossroad of somewhere Missouri and nowhere special- is on the brink of monumental change as a Medicine Show comes into town and brings nothing good along with it. Powerful forces are at work, and Natalie has a vital role More...
Feb 03, 2012
Vincent
rated it:
One of the blurbs on the back of this book compares it to Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes," and though the two books do share some things in common, in my opinion, this book is not nearly as good as Bradbury's book. For one thing, I felt this book could have used some editing, even though it's only 372 pages, it felt too long. It starts off wonderfully, Milford does a great job of setting the scene and introducing the characters but then it seems to take way too long
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Jul 11, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
I really enjoyed The Boneshaker, but it is a pretty sophisticated read for kids. The publisher advertises it as "ages 10 and up." I'd peg the readership more as beginning around 12 or 13 years-old.
Milford does a great job creating a convincing sense of small-town life in 1913. She's equally adept at insinuating strands of the fantastic into this setting. I thought the world she created was completely believable. Natalie's feisty and tomboyish unconventionality is real More...
Milford does a great job creating a convincing sense of small-town life in 1913. She's equally adept at insinuating strands of the fantastic into this setting. I thought the world she created was completely believable. Natalie's feisty and tomboyish unconventionality is real More...
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Jan 06, 2011
Josh
rated it:
This books revolves around Natalie Minks and the town she lives in called Arcane during the early part of the 20th century. Just outside her town there is crossroads between Arcane and a deserted town that no one seem to know why it was abandoned and two towns over there has been a mysterious flu that has been causing people to lose control of their bodies. Strange things seemed to start occuring after Tom Guyot, a character similar to the real-life Robert Johnson, beat the devil in a guitar s
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Jul 28, 2011
Ulrike
rated it:
I read this book in little, little bits, so that may explain why I liked it, but am not overly excited about.
The setting is pretty intriguing, a 13 year old father's daughter who's into mechanics. A small American pre-depression town with a lot of mystic history. Hints that something wicked is on it's way. You have your American Gothic, your bit of Steampunk, your Good and Evil, friends and helpers, narrow escapes, supernatural villains, eerie details and descriptions and a final battle, w More...
The setting is pretty intriguing, a 13 year old father's daughter who's into mechanics. A small American pre-depression town with a lot of mystic history. Hints that something wicked is on it's way. You have your American Gothic, your bit of Steampunk, your Good and Evil, friends and helpers, narrow escapes, supernatural villains, eerie details and descriptions and a final battle, w More...
Oct 01, 2011
M.
rated it:
Set in 1914, Natalie Minks loves machinery and her dad, her town's bicycle mechanic, wheelwright, and all around fix-it person, teaches her as much as she can absorb. A traveling medicine show comes to town and has all sorts of mysterious people working for it plus a variety of automatons, clockwork toys that seem to have no mechanisms inside and no way to wind them up. Natalie believes that there is something bad going on and she sets out to find out what it is and how to fix it.
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Oct 23, 2010
Charlou
rated it:
Natalie, 13, is fascinated by automatons and is able to work on all things mechanical with her father in his workshop, including an unusual bicycle she just can't manage to ride. She lives in Arcane, Missouri in 1913, a town with some dark stories about it's past. When Dr. Limberleg's traveling medicine show has to make an unscheduled stop, she realizes all is not what is seems with his amazing machines and there is real danger. Can she do what's necessary to save her family and the town? It's q
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Jan 21, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
Natalie, a bit of a tomboy, lives in the dusty small western town Arcane located at some crossroads that hold great power for good and evil. One day an odd traveling medicine show stops in Arcane, claiming to be able to cure all ailments. Natalie and some other townspeople suspect Jake Limberleg cis a fake, and expect the residents to be swindled. But there is more to Limberleg and his cures. Natalie finds that Arcane and some of its residents, including her own family, have had supernatural
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Aug 05, 2010
Theresa
rated it:
A small town set at a crossroads in Missouri gets turned upside down when a traveling medicine show appears unexpectedly one day. Natalie, the daughter of the local mechanic, is fascinated, and also repelled, by the carnival-esque show and all the mechanical do-dads. But all kinds of weird things make Natalie think twice about the show-shadowy conversations, men with hypnotic and headache-causing eyes, and Natalie's strange new abilities to SEE things she shouldn't be able to know about. It's
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Mar 04, 2011
Alison
rated it:
I'm really disappointed in this book. It looked to be a one-of-a-kind story that I would want to reread until I could quote every line. I thought it would be like The Invention of Hugo Cabret with a dash of The Series of Unfortunate Events and a sprinkling of Roald Dahl. Now, if that book existed, it would be AWESOME. Sadly, The Boneshaker is not that book. The cover is too busy, and the title just doesn't fit very well. There were wayyyy too many 1-dimensional characters, and I stopped keeping
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