Writing a 'novel' to try and cement herself in a world she was a stranger in. Clockwork people rising up against their suppressors but in a way that caused terror and not understanding. We see the Shadow Boys being forced to work in secret, being forced underground, so that they could help people, fix people. In a wonderful parallel on racism, and also homophobia and other prejudices, we see throughout the book how anyone with clockwork parts is treated as second class citizens, wrong, unnatural. It is not surprising therefore that once Oliver is free, he acts as the monster that he assumes everyone sees him as.Īnd sadly, he is right. He took someone elses work and fixed it because he could but he didn't take a second to think about if he should and the outcome was a sad, isolated Oliver who saw himself as a monster and knew others would to. Almost every one of them is flawed with a good heart, affected by something that is deemed important in their world which causes them to act selfishly or sometimes dangerously whilst maintaining that basic 'goodness'.įor example, Alasdair misses his brother so badly that he uses the very science that his brother dissaproved of to bring him back. One of my favourite things about this book is the characters. Honestly, I loved this book so much so I have no idea why I just can't write this review!!įair warning: there is no structure to this review.
God this has been a long time coming! I don't know why its taken me so long to get round to this review. Strongly recommended for those who loved The Lost Girl and Of Metal and Wishes, as well as those who enjoy Inspector Javert/Jean Valjean chase dynamics. I liked the relationship between the two brothers and I liked the characters, though I do think many of the secondary ones could've been developed a bit more, especially the women. You'll feel the pinch of gears melded to human flesh and your heart will quicken as they're pursued through the streets of Geneva.and you'll feel compassion for everyone involved. The author has clearly done her homework on the time period, as well as the story's literary roots-and beyond that, she makes this story of clockwork men and women, struggling to survive in a world where they are feared and despised, seem solidly urgent and real. This book seamlessly blends history, gothic mystery, and steampunk into a thoughtful reimagining of the creation of Frankenstein, and it's one of the best YA retellings I've read.
"Have you ever thought.that maybe (he) only acts like a monster because you treat him like one?"
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