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, sh...
read full description
reviews
Apr 05, 2011
Vinaya
rated it: 
OhthankyouGodJesusit'sfinallyover!!!! Phew! Reading this book was a constant battle against narcolepsy.
The Girl in the Steel Corset pretty much embodies everything that is wrong with YA today. It's all about the packaging, and nothing to do with substance. This book had one of the most attention-grabbing titles I have seen this year; the cover moves beyond pretty into a new realm of gorgeous (notice the little clockwork design on the wallpaper? so awesome!); and it has a More...
The Girl in the Steel Corset pretty much embodies everything that is wrong with YA today. It's all about the packaging, and nothing to do with substance. This book had one of the most attention-grabbing titles I have seen this year; the cover moves beyond pretty into a new realm of gorgeous (notice the little clockwork design on the wallpaper? so awesome!); and it has a More...
58 comments
like
(106 people liked it)
May 23, 2011
Alana
rated it: 
Within the acknowledgments at the end of her book, Kady Cross describes her original desire to write The Girl in the Steel Corset as "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets teen X-Men." There's really no better way to describe this novel than that -- for Kady Cross did obviously want to write that novel. Her talent seems to rest in creating an interesting world and atmosphere where those kinds of elements can come together. The problem, though, is that a great number of other things
More...
2 comments
like
(17 people liked it)
May 29, 2011
Wendy Darling
rated it:
This book is the first part in a new series called The Steampunk Chronicles, and there is some measure of success in some of the devices used here. The Organites in particular are pretty cool (if borrowing somewhat from Star Trek), as they are tiny life-giving creatures that can heal scars and mend bones. Many of the other steampunk elements are also fun, including the decorative but useful steel corset designed for Finley by her friend Emily.
But after awhile, there's almost too much More...
But after awhile, there's almost too much More...
10 comments
like
(25 people liked it)
Jun 20, 2011
Tonya
rated it:
Sigh. I really wanted to love this one. I'm a sucker for pretty covers, the author was sweet as pie when I met her and the excerpt she read from the beginning of the book was great. Unfortunately, I only just barely liked it, and if it hadn't been for the fact that I'd received an advance copy of it, I probably wouldn't have finished it.
Things I liked about it:
Finley Jayne has the potential to be a great character. I was on board with the whole Jekyll/Hyde dichotomy and the More...
Things I liked about it:
Finley Jayne has the potential to be a great character. I was on board with the whole Jekyll/Hyde dichotomy and the More...
2 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Sep 25, 2011
slayra
rated it:
RATING: 2.5 stars.
The Girl in the Steel Corset. You look at the title and it makes you interested; if you're easily swayed by a cover (like I am) you'll be impressed with the beautiful red dress and the hint of the aforementioned steel corset. Then you read the synopsis... and you think "well, this definitely sounds good". I know that is what I thought. The neat packaging, the steampunk world and the fact that our main character is a strong female in Victorian times, a char More...
The Girl in the Steel Corset. You look at the title and it makes you interested; if you're easily swayed by a cover (like I am) you'll be impressed with the beautiful red dress and the hint of the aforementioned steel corset. Then you read the synopsis... and you think "well, this definitely sounds good". I know that is what I thought. The neat packaging, the steampunk world and the fact that our main character is a strong female in Victorian times, a char More...
May 09, 2011
Amanda
rated it: 
★★★★☆ I loved it
Quick Summary: Finley has tried to ignore the darkness that takes over her body whenever she's mad. The problem is, it's getting stronger and her situations keep leading her toward people that deserve to see her other side. After a particularly bad experience followed by almost being killed, she finds herself with strangers who may just hold the answer to what's wrong with her. The more she learns about them, the clearer it becomes that not only do they hold the answers, bu More...
Quick Summary: Finley has tried to ignore the darkness that takes over her body whenever she's mad. The problem is, it's getting stronger and her situations keep leading her toward people that deserve to see her other side. After a particularly bad experience followed by almost being killed, she finds herself with strangers who may just hold the answer to what's wrong with her. The more she learns about them, the clearer it becomes that not only do they hold the answers, bu More...
2 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
May 11, 2011
Hot damn that was good. I really loved all the classic lit references. Lots of action, a little love, twists and turns. Yeah. I'd read it again. Can't wait for the next. (I don't give stars as a personal rule, but if I did, I've give it alot)
~Review below posted at Steamed -- ageofsteam.wordpress.com ~
The Girl in the Steel Corset is steampunk YA by debut YA author Kady Cross (who’s written historical romance for adults under the name Kate Smith)
I love t More...
~Review below posted at Steamed -- ageofsteam.wordpress.com ~
The Girl in the Steel Corset is steampunk YA by debut YA author Kady Cross (who’s written historical romance for adults under the name Kate Smith)
I love t More...
0 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
May 02, 2011
Isamlq
rated it:
I could list out all the things that just annoyed me. I could say its abrupt. With one thing after another and no breather in between it just become a series of unfortunate events. I could say the tech aspect was a bit too much. I could even say all that describing was too much. But I will go with this: I do not like characters that lack depth which is not really the problem here. Rather it's the complete opposite. I can tell you precisely what Finley, Griff, Sam and Emily all look like; I can
More...
Mar 28, 2011
Mel
rated it:
Wow! I don't know where to start about how awesome this book is, and how much I want to read the next one *right now*!
Described by the author as "League of Extraordinary Gentleman" meets teen "X-Men," it's that and more. Set in a steampunk Victorian England, we meet Finley, who is a bit different than your typical nanny. She has a temper, and let's just say Jekyll and Hyde have nothing on her. Soon enough, she's on the run, and she stumbles into an enclave of peo More...
Described by the author as "League of Extraordinary Gentleman" meets teen "X-Men," it's that and more. Set in a steampunk Victorian England, we meet Finley, who is a bit different than your typical nanny. She has a temper, and let's just say Jekyll and Hyde have nothing on her. Soon enough, she's on the run, and she stumbles into an enclave of peo More...
2 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Jun 05, 2011
Gabby
rated it: 
Book review originally posted here
i just recently finished the e-novella of this book (the strange case of finley Jayne) and i was really ecstatic for this book, good thing netgalley grant my request for a copy of this book, gee! a million thanks to netgalley!!! yay! yay!
this book is actually set from the 1800s where girls wore fine and sophisticated dresses and guys are chivalrous and ware tux and a baler hat instead of a shirt and jeans, don't let the setting of t More...
i just recently finished the e-novella of this book (the strange case of finley Jayne) and i was really ecstatic for this book, good thing netgalley grant my request for a copy of this book, gee! a million thanks to netgalley!!! yay! yay!
this book is actually set from the 1800s where girls wore fine and sophisticated dresses and guys are chivalrous and ware tux and a baler hat instead of a shirt and jeans, don't let the setting of t More...
3 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Nov 09, 2011
Taneika (Flipping Through The Pages...)
rated it: 
More of my reviews can be found at Flipping Through the Pages!
I've never read anything of the Steampunk genre before and I had to wiki it in order to get a rough idea of what I should expect. When I read the blurb on Goodreads I didn't know what to think. I mean, robots and American cowboys in Victorian England? It sounded sort of strange to me, but I went into this with my head high thinking, "Maybe it's not so weird as it seems".
Well, it took a bit to get my head arou More...
I've never read anything of the Steampunk genre before and I had to wiki it in order to get a rough idea of what I should expect. When I read the blurb on Goodreads I didn't know what to think. I mean, robots and American cowboys in Victorian England? It sounded sort of strange to me, but I went into this with my head high thinking, "Maybe it's not so weird as it seems".
Well, it took a bit to get my head arou More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 09, 2011
Phair
rated it:
At first I really loved this one- you are slowly introduced to this world where there are people with "abilities" and strange inventions and I liked the way things were revealed through the action rather than just described. Maybe the book was a little too long and some parts seemed to devolve into rambling teen drama. I was also annoyed by some of the descriptions of the girls' clothing choices. This must be a much more tolerant Victorian era what with all the short trousers on the ga
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 11, 2012
The Girl in the Steel Corset is, well… WOW! I believe this is only the second Steam-Punk novel that I have read so far, and I really, really enjoyed it! If I hadn’t have been so busy this past week, I totally could have read this book in one sitting. It was that good.
I loved the characters, especially the main character, Finley. She’s torn between her two selves, the good side and the bad side. (Think Jekyll and Hyde.) She’s a bad-ass, but she also has a conscious. I like that she’s More...
I loved the characters, especially the main character, Finley. She’s torn between her two selves, the good side and the bad side. (Think Jekyll and Hyde.) She’s a bad-ass, but she also has a conscious. I like that she’s More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 07, 2011
Krista
rated it:
The very first thing that stood out to me while reading was that this book changes point of views between characters. I did think that when I picked it up that the story would be told only from Finley's perspective, but was very pleasantly surprised to see that it does jump around.
Why I say pleasantly surprised is because I actually liked Griffin's perspective the best. I liked Finley just fine, she was not my favorite character, but I just thoroughly enjoyed all the parts told from More...
Why I say pleasantly surprised is because I actually liked Griffin's perspective the best. I liked Finley just fine, she was not my favorite character, but I just thoroughly enjoyed all the parts told from More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 25, 2011
Savannah (Books With Bite)
rated it:
OMG! I know I say this plenty of times but, WOW! I really, really, LOVED this book! Steampunk is becoming my new favorite genre.
What I like most about this book is the plot. The plot instantly grabbed you and took you away. The plot starts off fast sucking you into the world of 1897. I adored walking in the shoes of Finley. She was so strong and courageous! As the storyline unfolds, you see begin to find answers to the questions that are popping up in your head. What I also like are th More...
What I like most about this book is the plot. The plot instantly grabbed you and took you away. The plot starts off fast sucking you into the world of 1897. I adored walking in the shoes of Finley. She was so strong and courageous! As the storyline unfolds, you see begin to find answers to the questions that are popping up in your head. What I also like are th More...
3 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
May 30, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
A man, known only as The Machinist, has been committing a slew of rather unusual crimes around the city of London, and Griffin King, the Duke of Greythorne, is determined to discover his identity and unveil the plot behind this man’s actions before these plans can come to fruition.
As he and his friends, Sam and Emily, work to solve the puzzle, Finley Jayne, a girl with a bit of a dark side, comes crashing into their lives and finds herself quickly entwined in this mystery.
More...
As he and his friends, Sam and Emily, work to solve the puzzle, Finley Jayne, a girl with a bit of a dark side, comes crashing into their lives and finds herself quickly entwined in this mystery.
More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jul 17, 2011
Cinnamon
rated it:
This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.
2.5/5
After reading a whole slew of horrible reviews of The Girl in the Steel Corset, I had mentally prepared myself for a train wreck. Well, I confess: the novel didn't turn out that badly for me. It wasn't exceptional, but it didn't enduce fits of hair-tearing frustration, mostly. Perhaps I've been desensitized by the unhealthy amount of mediocre YA I've been reading lately.
The characters here are pretty much More...
2.5/5
After reading a whole slew of horrible reviews of The Girl in the Steel Corset, I had mentally prepared myself for a train wreck. Well, I confess: the novel didn't turn out that badly for me. It wasn't exceptional, but it didn't enduce fits of hair-tearing frustration, mostly. Perhaps I've been desensitized by the unhealthy amount of mediocre YA I've been reading lately.
The characters here are pretty much More...
4 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 15, 2011
the golden witch.
rated it:
This is a gorgeous, wonderful book. I just have to say that right up front. It has all that I look for in this genre (alternate history/steampunk) – mad scientists, detectives, general paranormal activity, feisty females, and a little (but not too much) romance. Oh, and did I mention it also features a primitive version of Skynet?
When you throw all of the above mentioned features together and put it into an accessible YA package, you have my heart for life. This is a great adventure More...
When you throw all of the above mentioned features together and put it into an accessible YA package, you have my heart for life. This is a great adventure More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 20, 2011
Novels On The Run
rated it:
MICHELLE'S REVIEW:
RATING : 4.5 GRIFFIN STARS!!!
I’ve decided I really am a , ‘steampunk’, lover at heart. If you enjoyed reading Cassandra Clare’s, ‘Clockwork Angel’, then this is the book for you.
Kady Cross has me badly wanting to read her next book in the ‘Steampunk Chronicles ‘, series. I shall have to settle for her #0.5 , ‘The Strange Case Of Finley Jayne’ until I can get another fix.
London 1897, Finley Jayne ( awesome name for a character) More...
RATING : 4.5 GRIFFIN STARS!!!
I’ve decided I really am a , ‘steampunk’, lover at heart. If you enjoyed reading Cassandra Clare’s, ‘Clockwork Angel’, then this is the book for you.
Kady Cross has me badly wanting to read her next book in the ‘Steampunk Chronicles ‘, series. I shall have to settle for her #0.5 , ‘The Strange Case Of Finley Jayne’ until I can get another fix.
London 1897, Finley Jayne ( awesome name for a character) More...
4 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Jun 11, 2011
Nickey
rated it:
The first thing that comes to mind when asked to describe The Girl in the Steel Corset is X-Men meets Steampunk in Victorian London - therefore: perfect for me :)
I loved the plot, fast paced, dark and constantly on the verge of changing course; I love the characters, a rag-tag band of youngsters from all social groups developing super-powers and working for Queen Victoria to keep the Empire safe plus a very charming criminal dandy that won my heart in stride; I love the little romances bloo More...
I loved the plot, fast paced, dark and constantly on the verge of changing course; I love the characters, a rag-tag band of youngsters from all social groups developing super-powers and working for Queen Victoria to keep the Empire safe plus a very charming criminal dandy that won my heart in stride; I love the little romances bloo More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Sep 11, 2011
Brandy
rated it:
ARC de NetGalley. Y ultimo que pruebo, porque vaya kk
Llevo unos días realmente tontos con la lectura. Habré empezado 6 ó 7 títulos y no termino ninguno. Pero es que no me enganchan lo suficiente.
Este título en concreto, lo inicié hace unos días, y durante un par de días logró embaucarme con el tema de los autómatas pero le falta "chispa" por todos lados. El prota masculino es de un descafeínado que aburre soberanamente y no he logrado que la prota femenina me gustara. More...
Llevo unos días realmente tontos con la lectura. Habré empezado 6 ó 7 títulos y no termino ninguno. Pero es que no me enganchan lo suficiente.
Este título en concreto, lo inicié hace unos días, y durante un par de días logró embaucarme con el tema de los autómatas pero le falta "chispa" por todos lados. El prota masculino es de un descafeínado que aburre soberanamente y no he logrado que la prota femenina me gustara. More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 03, 2011
Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker
rated it:
I really liked it. It was enjoyable. Didn't WOW me but it was actually a very good read. How about this, I liked it alot more than I thought I would and I wanted to read it to the end.
Actual review to come soon.
Actual review to come soon.
4 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 05, 2011
Stacia ~ platonic
rated it:
Too much, too much, too much. The book had potential, but was lost in a lengthy and overworked story. I love steampunk, but almost felt like the steampunk aspect was being crammed in my face, just in case I happened to forget that the book was steampunk.
I didn't have an intense dislike for the book, but couldn't find a lot to like about it either. I really wanted to like this one because the first few chapters grabbed me right off the bat, but something stalled out for me around chap More...
I didn't have an intense dislike for the book, but couldn't find a lot to like about it either. I really wanted to like this one because the first few chapters grabbed me right off the bat, but something stalled out for me around chap More...
3 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Jan 29, 2012
Abigail
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 24, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
“The Girl in the Steel Corset is everything I love about steampunk - fun aesthetic, slightly-silly-but-just-go-with-it plot, creative characters and reinvented historical era. Fun fun fun.
Kady Cross has fun with the damsel-in-distress concept, making our heroine in need of rescuing BECAUSE OF her strength, not because of her lack of it. Her split personality makes her dangerous at the best of times and downright lethal at the worst. Her love interest, Griffin, is not a hulking brute of More...
Kady Cross has fun with the damsel-in-distress concept, making our heroine in need of rescuing BECAUSE OF her strength, not because of her lack of it. Her split personality makes her dangerous at the best of times and downright lethal at the worst. Her love interest, Griffin, is not a hulking brute of More...
Jan 23, 2012
Laura (Roses and Vellum)
rated it:
Review from my blog,
http://rosesandvellum.blogspot.com/2012/...
There are two sides to Finley Jayne's personality. One is sweet and meek, like a good Victorian girl shoudl be. The other is fast and strong and enjoys violence. It is this part that protects her when her employer's son tries to force his unwanted attentions on her. Terrified of what will happen to her for hurting a rich and important young man, Finley flees. Which is the best thing that could have happened to More...
http://rosesandvellum.blogspot.com/2012/...
There are two sides to Finley Jayne's personality. One is sweet and meek, like a good Victorian girl shoudl be. The other is fast and strong and enjoys violence. It is this part that protects her when her employer's son tries to force his unwanted attentions on her. Terrified of what will happen to her for hurting a rich and important young man, Finley flees. Which is the best thing that could have happened to More...
Jan 18, 2012
Splash Of Our Worlds
rated it:
Reviewed by Nina
What I first noticed on the book was the title, it caught my attention, and then the cover which is identical to the title and so beautiful, that I didn't need more persuation into reading the book. Last time I saw my Boss, aka Yiota, she asked my opinion about the book, but her question was out of the blue and I didn't have the time to prepare myself and answer her correctly. So here's my answer. I'd like, also to say that this was the first Steampunk novel I've ever r More...
What I first noticed on the book was the title, it caught my attention, and then the cover which is identical to the title and so beautiful, that I didn't need more persuation into reading the book. Last time I saw my Boss, aka Yiota, she asked my opinion about the book, but her question was out of the blue and I didn't have the time to prepare myself and answer her correctly. So here's my answer. I'd like, also to say that this was the first Steampunk novel I've ever r More...
Jan 16, 2012
Bronwyn
rated it:
This is the story of a group of young teenagers that have been affected by a compound found by their parents on an expedition before the teenagers were born. Unfortunately the parents all died while the kids were young so have had to learn about the "organites" from one parents notes. These organites can not only be applied to humans to heal them, but also help machines to run more than efficiently- and the exact uses of the organites are discovered by the heroes as the story is re
More...
Jan 10, 2012
Rachel
rated it:
The Girl in ths Steel Corset was my first successful steampunk novel. I have tried others before and could not find one that held my interest. I finally found one!
Although there is a love triangle in the book (isn't there always in YA?) it does not consume the story or the characters. Finley keeps the pressing matters, just that. Finley keeps the love triangle thoughts to mull over in her down time and between the action. For me this love triangle works. No one male is fighting const More...
Although there is a love triangle in the book (isn't there always in YA?) it does not consume the story or the characters. Finley keeps the pressing matters, just that. Finley keeps the love triangle thoughts to mull over in her down time and between the action. For me this love triangle works. No one male is fighting const More...
