Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School, #1) in And So It Begins Reading Challenge

May 26, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it it was amazing

When I saw this book come through the Library, I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy it as some of them are great but Steampunk novels don't seem to be one of my favourite genres to read, this could be stemmed from as a friend pointed it out that I am not keen on historical programmes etc as I tend to find things from the past boring which I do- I'm more of a Cyberpunk girl rather than Steampunk. However what made Gail Carriger's book interesting and enjoyable is that it combined two of my ...more

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Mar 22, 2012 thuy rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, review-written, arc-own, steampunk, 52-books-in-52-weeks-2013

Etiquette & Espionage is Gail Carriger's first foray into the YA market. As a fan of Carriger's steampunk historical Parasol Protectorate series, I was excited to see what she would do with new characters and see what she could add to this world. The cover to this book is also gorgeous, leading to some high expectations on my part.

Unfortunately the book fell short of those expectations. I usually enjoy Carriger’s whimsical and flowery prose, but it soon began to wear on me. Because there is a my Etiquette & Espionage is Gail Carriger's first foray into the YA market. As a fan of Carriger's steampunk historical Parasol Protectorate series, I was excited to see what she would do with new characters and see what she could add to this world. The cover to this book is also gorgeous, leading to some high expectations on my part.

Unfortunately the book fell short of those expectations. I usually enjoy Carriger’s whimsical and flowery prose, but it soon began to wear on me. Because there is a mystery plot, I expected a lot of action and intrigue. However, I found the story to be slow and not very suspenseful. I never felt that Sophronia was ever in any real danger and I wasn’t as invested in the mystery as I should have been. This book felt more like a middle grade novel to me than YA, with a main character who is only fourteen and a strong focus on friendship with little romance. That’s not to say that I don’t like middle grades books. I like them very much. But I still expect the plot to be engaging and this one just didn't go anywhere.

Despite my issues with the book, I did enjoy aspects of it. Sophronia is a really fun character. She has a curious and rebellious nature and I enjoyed watching her get into crazy situations and then attempt to get herself out of them. There is also some really great world building and it was fun to immerse myself in an imaginative world full of mechanical creatures, werewolves and floating finishing schools. I also loved the friendships that Sophronia forms with her new schoolmates I hope that we get to explore those relationships further as the series goes on.

I did not love this as much as I’d hoped but Carriger has laid the groundwork for what could be a really fun series and I am looking forward to the next installment. Readers new to Carriger’s may want to start with the first book in the Soulless series. Carriger fans will enjoy this one.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book. ...more

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May 28, 2013 Amy Ferrantino rated it really liked it

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in, but intimidated by, steampunk. It's super accessible, never coming off as being "too smart" or "too cool" for the reader. I never felt as though I needed to have a "steampunk dictionary" on hand while I was reading.

'Etiquette & Espionage' is a lot of fun. Ms. Carriger has built a very believable world that is mainly set in a totally unique and interesting location, and is peopled by charming and likeable characters. These lucky chara ...more

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