Book Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

In 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 with one punch….

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 from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy 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 little 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 it seems no one believes her.

Finley Jane has a darker side and it comes out when she's angry or scared or in danger. She doesn't know why she can throw a full grown man or hear sounds from a different room. She just can. So when a young lord, the son of her employer, tries to take advantage of her, she fights him. And wins. Of course, she can't stay so she runs away and by chance meets the infamous Griffin King. There's something different about him and his band of friends. Something unnatural. Just like Finley. 

Oh, wow, I'm so proud of myself. That was so dramatic, hehe. I loved this book so much! The characters were funny and smart (they also had distinct personalities), the plot twisted, and the pace was just right. The sarcasm was also a big bonus. 

Characters

The characters. were. the. best. They all had distinct voices, preferences, and hobbies. They fought (quite a lot actually) like real friends do. Some of them didn't get along at first. They had fears to get over and villains to conquer. But they did it. And they did it pretty darn well.

Finley was the best. She has a good side and a dark side, but she's constantly struggling to keep her dark side in check. She thinks of herself as a monster, something to be feared. Finley doesn't think much of herself...she's been in situations that have basically caused her to lose trust in mankind, but she keeps going. She's loyal. She doesn't wait for other people to take care of things, she takes care of things. She's incredibly confident. She has the best sarcastic retorts (and internal dialogue). She can carry a grown man. Is that awesome? Yes, I believe so. The secondary characters were equally as good. Griffin, Emily, Sam, Jasper, and even Jack all found a way to worm into my heart. Griffin, the calm and protective (sometimes too protective) leader, Emily the kick-butt genius, Sam the hard-headed and stubborn (and negative. and pessimistic) giant, and Jasper the charming (I call it flirty) and very fast cowboy. They all have grown on me *sigh*. 

The Characters as Understood Through GIFs

(may be exaggerated)

Finley (not exaggerated)

Emily glaring

The people at the receiving end of her glare

Griffin

Sam

Jasper

Plot

The book was very well written. There weren't any extreme plot twists or maybe it's because I've read a lot, but I was suspicious of the right character, guys. The end scene was totally unexpected though. Also, the groups' powers along with the automatons and the loony villain made the story weave in very interesting and fun ways. In which I smirk, shake my head, and say "Finley, oh Finley." 

Setting

It's set in England. The descriptions are detailed, but not overly so. There were automatons, strange weapons, steam carriages, air ships, and leather corsets. The clothes descriptions for the girls were delicious. Maybe it's because I've always wanted to dress up steampunk/historical but it wasn't tedious at all when the author described Finley's or Emily's clothes for the day. Instead, it was more like "I want those clothes so bad! GIVE." I have read other historical novels that weren't steampunk and it's really interesting to compare the small (yeah, maybe not that small) differences. 

Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2014. 

5/5 stars

You have to read this book! (and the rest of the series as well). I've read the prequel--The Strange case of Finley Jayne-- and the second book--The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. Both were really good as well, although I didn't like The Strange Case of Finley Jayne as much as the others. You'll love it, especially if you're into steampunk, paranormal, and science fiction. 

        

Disclaimer: I was not reimbursed for this review in any way. I have written it solely for the entertainment of the  readers of this blog and myself.