Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a delightful alternate universe steampunk/biopunk story that fans of steampunk will enjoy! Deryn Sharp wants to serve in the British Air Service. The only problem, is that she is a girl and this is the early 1900s when girls were expected to stay home and knit while the men went out to do the fighting of The Great War. So what does she do? She convinces her brother to lend her some clothes, dresses up as a boy, changes her name to Dylan Sharp, and goes to join. By an unfortunate weather condition, she is separated from the first group she was about to join as she is testing out a Huxley (a flying jellyfish type creature) and is blown away over London. Fortunately, she is rescued by the Leviathan, a giant flying whale and its crew, and joins them. As they embark on a quest to try to smooth some ruffled feathers in Istanbul/Constantinople, they have more mishaps as they're attacked by German clanker machines and crashland in the Alps where it just so happens that Prince Alexander, the son of Arch Duke Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie is hiding out after his parents are assasinated. Alex, being a decent sort goes to help the injured airship and its crew, and he and his men are recruited/compelled to join the Darwinists even though they are technically Clankers as the other Clankers, the Germans are after both groups. Alex and Daryn become friends. But will their friendship last or will the dangers of war and messy politics end their friendship and/or their lives? This is an excellent book that I recommend to anyone who enjoys steampunk, or just a really great adventure! It is clean and appropriate for youngsters.