Mortal Engines

Honestly, this book just wasn't for me. I read it for book club, but I pretty much knew from the premise I wasn't going to be into it. I'm not automatically against YA fiction, but the basic, flat characters, quick-developing relationships, and rapidly shifting tone and tense really exemplify a lot of the problems that develop when people write for that age range. The gender-swapping nature of badass Hester and milquetoast Tom is a nice touch, but mostly I hurried to finish so I could start something new.

I'm still giving it 3 stars because I think it could make an exceptional comic or anime. Visuals would immensely help this story, both giving it scale, making relationships believable, and playing the jokes as quick, visual Easter eggs rather than laborious references. I genuinely hope it gets picked up by Gainax, though probably not now that there's a film. I have no idea how a live action film will work, but my prediction is not great.