Book Review: The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

"I wish there was more back story given and I wish the few twists weren't as predictable but overall, a good read."

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 354
Series: no
Acquisition: I received a free ARC e-galley for review from NetGalley

Summary:

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears. (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS:
The Peculiars takes place in an alternative late 1800s. While the synopsis calls it steampunk, I wouldn't necessarily put it in that category. Nor would I be hard pressed to call it a fantasy and certainly not a romance. So...I guess I'm having a hard time placing this book in any set genre. It's an alternative history for sure. Most references do come from the end of the 19th century but the author has taken some liberties - which I think is kind of cool.

The peculiars themselves are another issue I had with this book. Are they supernatural beings? Genetic abnormalities? Both? Neither? Does it really matter? For me at least, it was a little bit of a confusing aspect of the storyline. Exactly what a peculiar is or isn't is never really discussed. Some people don't believe they exist. Some think they are monsters but when we actually meet and get to know them, they are just people. Some have deformities and there may have been more to it all but it was never explained.

I did really grow to love Lena. She's had both a hard life but also a somewhat sheltered life. Undertaking the journey she does and the hardships she faces along the way really tested her fortitude and I for one was routing for her the entire way. Now the romance? Honestly, I wouldn't even say there was a romance. Sure Lena finds herself with feelings she doesn't know what to do with occasionally but it doesn't really amount to anything.

FINAL VERDICT:
With an interesting cast a characters and a storyline that was intriguing, overall I would have to say I enjoyed The Peculiars. I wish there was more back story given and I wish the few twists weren't as predictable but overall, a good read.

If you're looking for a steampunk adventure, I'm not sure The Peculiars is the way to go but if you're looking for a good adventure story in general then I would suggest you give it a try. Also, I love when historical aspects of a story are tweaked just a little bit. It gives the characters an extra something to hang onto and make their own.

Overall Rating:

3.5 / 5 Stars

Author's website / Goodreads / IndieBound

Audio Book Review: The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Reading Level: Young Adult
Pub Dates: Book-Feb 2011 / Audio-Feb 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books For Young Readers
Length: 16 hours
Narrator: Katie MacNichol
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: Library

Summary:
In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.
Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
Felt like I was kind of stuck in the middle for a lot of the book. I kept waiting for the plot to move forward and although it felt like it took awhile to get through, the end came before I was ready for it. A lot does happen in The Iron Thorn but it feels like it takes a little too long for the story to fully reveal itself.

I did very much like the characters. Although, there was a twist towards the end that didn't make a lot of sense to me. It felt convenient and it didn’t help to explain anything (for me).

The setting of this story is amazing! It's steampunk but it's supernatural at the same time. It's historic but nothing like the history we know. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the exact rules of this world but in the end, it was better to just go with it - letting the story carry me away.

Audio critique:
Very well done. A lot of different characters but I never felt confused as to who was speaking. Not heavy on the sound effects which works well for a book like this where there is already a lot going on.

Final verdict:
A multi layered story that screams steampunk awesomeness. A little heavy at times perhaps but it deserves it. There is so much story to tell and so much depth to each character that anything other then a massive tome would have been unsatisfying.

I'm glad I listened to this one. The imagery my mind created was more vivid, I think.

I'm defiantly reading book 2, or rather, I think I'll try to the audio book again. Don't let the size of this one hold you back - it's well worth the read (and listen).

Overall Story Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Overall Audio Book Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Books in the Iron Codex Series:
#1 The Iron Thorn
#2 The Nightmare Garden
#3 The Mirrored Shard (February 2013)

Linkage Love:
Author's website / Goodreads / IndieBound