TG’s review of The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, book 1) 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.

You’ll be hooked from the very first sentence, till the very last. Kady Cross is in every way, a genius. Every last twist and turn in the roller coaster pace she set is full of surprises. Every word was entrancing, every sentence held untold promises. The villains were villainous, the heroes were heroic, and the females were charming and eccentric. With every little detail of Cross’s steam powered Victorian setting, the world in which you’re reading comes to life.

I couldn’t put it down. This book is a well written piece of literature, that every little girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs should read. It teaches a valuable lesson of self worth, trust, and pride in who you are. I wouldn’t suggest this to many boys, but I also wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it, especially if they like romance and mystery novels. I hope that this book will be treasured for generations to come.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This book is available from Harlequin Teen. You can buy it here or here in e-format.