Mechanica

Oh, I love this book so much! It's been since A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas since I've found a retelling that speaks to me like this! Once I get my thoughts in order (and can refrain from nothing but fangirlish remarks) I will have a review up on my blog, so check back later!

This is a wonderful book. Sure, it's a little slow, but most retellings of fairy tales seem to be.

Nicolette is a lot of fun to read about. She's got her head in inventions and gears and springs - even if it's unusual for a woman to do that. Even though her mother was an inventor, too. And that's part of what I love about this story, the mother is the important parent for Nicolette.

Sure, her father remarries and that's how she gets a new ‘family' - but she acknowledges that she was always more her mother's daughter than her father's. I love this because, in the original tale, Cinderella's mother is, usually, nonexistent.

The supporting cast is all interesting enough, though I do wish more had been done with the ‘Steps'. I've read/seen too many retellings to hate the step-mother and step-sisters quite the way I'm supposed to. So I definitely can't help but wish they'd came round a little better - a little more sympathetic.

I also like how this story is so women driven. I mean, sure, you assume that a retelling of Cinderella would be populated by a lot of women, but they are so much more important than the men in this story. That makes me very happy.

The writing style is serviceable without being pushy - which is my favorite kind. There's a lot of non-dialogue, which is the kind of stuff that would usually make me impatient, but I actually enjoyed all the descriptions this time around.

That's probably because they were mostly descriptions of mechanical things, that steampunk stuff that I love, an I adore reading about it. And, let me tell you, there were a lot of gadgets and things - just things - that were so much fun to read about.

Now, the big things that made me love this book. First of all, don't pick it up thinking you'll be getting a romance story. Yeah, Nick goes through most of the major ‘Cinderella' moments, but she's more interested in the invention expo than she is the ball. Don't read this book if your wanting romance to take center stage, because it never does.

However, do read this book if you want a solid, strong friendship and three people that love and care about each other a lot. Because, for me, the friendship was totally the best thing about the whole book. And that's coming from someone that bought it for the wonderful steampunk!

I had rescued myself entirely.

(Originally posted on my blog: pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com)

I loved this book and after I read half of it I started to read small portions and then make myself stop. I hate when good books are suddenly over. I didn't want to just plow through it and have withdraws... although I still do. I am glad I slowed down because that let my imagination take over for a while and think of what will happen or what could happen.

This story isn't just a copycat of Cinderella. This is definitely not a Disney story and Mechanica is not a Disney princess. She thinks.... and makes her own fairy tale come true. Read it. I know I'll never let go of my copy.