The Girl in the Steel Corset(Steampunk Chronicles 1)Author: Kady CrossPublisher: Harlequin Teen, 2011Genre: YA SteampunkIn 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....
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 against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a 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 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 no one believes her.
Finley Jayne knows she's different from other girls. She has unnatural strength, and when she feels threatened a darker side of her takes over. After fending off the unwanted advances of a young lord leaving him knocked out, she runs away before they call the police. On the run, she gets hit by a velocycle and blacks out…Griffin King not only feels responsible for running over this girl, but he also feels she has powers of her own. Powers like his and his friends; Emily a girl with extraordinary intelligence and an affinity for machines, Sam who is part robot and has incredible strength and healing abilities, and Jasper an incorrigible flirt and real American cowboy with a secret past. Griffin believes Finley will fit right in, maybe even help them with their latest case, chasing the criminal mastermind known as The Machinist. Friendships will be born and tested, romance will stir hearts, and action will await at every corner as this band of supernatural youths tries to save England!
This is steampunk at its best, and there are really no words to explain how much I enjoyed reading The Girl in the Steel Corset. The characters, the outfits, the gentlemen, the inventions! Finley's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde effect is probably one of my favorite things. I grinned and laughed evily every time Finley let that other self take control, because every time she did there was sure to be violence, awesomeness, and maybe a little bit of blood. I mean, the girl can headbutt, back flip on walls, and throw men around as if they were dolls! She's like a freaking ninja! And she's just one character. One thing I'd never encountered before is that every POV is interesting. I kid you not. Finley wants to control her darker side, Griffin seeks justice for his parents, and Sam is tortured between loving and hating Emily for what she did. Each of their stories are so richly wrought, that I never felt the need to skip a single sentence, or word, or punctuation mark.
Another thing I loved about this book was the abundance of gorgeous gentlemen. Oh, yes! Griffin King, Jack Dandy, Samuel Morgan, and Jasper Renn. Each of them with their own flaws, yet I couldn't help but love them all! I know, I sound boy crazy but the story is not like that. Though there is a romantic side to the story, it is not the focus, and for once I have to say that is a great thing. The Girl in the Steel Corset is more about the adventure and the mystery. Kady Cross comes up with some amazing contraptions to aid our heroes during their investigation. From velocycles, to portable wrist telegraphs, automaton cat, and of course the steel corset.
Every turn of the page was fascinating, because I never knew what to expect. What new thing would be revealed, what new steampunk device would be presented. I couldn't get enough! And might I just say that was the damn best cliffhanger I've EVER read? Oh, hell yes. I'm now dropping everything I'd planned to do to read The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, because seriously I won't be able to function otherwise. Lovely bloggers, I urge you to read this series because you won't be disappointed!
Favorite Quotes:
~Sam and Emily~
"What else did you replace?" His shout reverberated through the room, seeming to shake the very foundations of the house. Emily winced, but she did not cringe. She straightened her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye.
"Your heart," came the unapologetic reply. "I replaced your heart."
~Griffin and Finley~
"Why are you here?"
"For you."
He had to know she didn't belong at his house, with him and his friends. They wouldn't want her after yesterday. "Griffin, I…"
Suddenly he was in the doorway, looming over her in a determined fashion. Gone was the sweet, patient Griffin. This was the Duke of Greythorne, one of the most powerful men in England.
"I don't care that you came to Dandy," he said, his voice low, but sharp. "If you want to blame yourself for Sam's injury, then go ahead and be a fool. And I don't care that you could cosh my head in if you wanted. I came here to get you and if I have to, I'll toss you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carry you all the way to Mayfair. I'm taking you home where you belong."
~Jack and Finley~
Finley didn't want to know, but she went to the tall, lanky young man and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. "Thank you," she said, tears leaking out of her eyes. "Thank you so much."
A gentle hesitant hand came down on her back. "Don't cry, Treasure. You'll get me all wet and then I'll melt. I'm made of sugar, don't you know."
