BOOK REVIEW - THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR by KADY CROSS - STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES # 2

By : Kady Cross

Published By : Harlequin Teen

Released : 22nd May 2012

Details : NetGalley , 411 Pages

RATING : 4.5 KICK ASS FINLEY STARS!!

Book Blurb : Taken From Goodreads

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

This book was a whole pile of kick ass Finley. The girl has summoned her inner fight club self and taken to the streets of New York in her endeavour to go undercover and get Jasper out of his pickle he has got himself in. Finley eventually winds up under the roof of Dalton , the villain of the story,  proving herself the bad girl, ready to ride with his gang, whilst hatching a plan with Griffin and the crew to get Jasper out from Dalton’s clutches.

Mei...errrr....Xing...yes ! That put a stop to me throwing that name around in my head on how to pronounce it. Amazing...get it...bahhahahaaa!!

Anyhoo this innocent looking young asian lovely ( yes ,she is the covergirl) , is the reason Jasper will not leave the clutches of Dalton. He is being rather chivalrous in his endeavour to keep her safe, even though that darn clockwork collar is causing a spanner in the works.

Mei ...errr...Xing and Jasper have a bit of history. Jasper, we thought he was falling for young Emily in the first book , that seems to have gone a float like a dirigible. ( an airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms) Yes, I have learnt some big words since embarking on my love of Steampunk genre.

For that matter, the Emily and Sam type courting thing from the first book seems to have turned into a dirigible too.

Kady has kept us entertained in this instalment while I was looking under all things for Jack....my dark Dandy where are you? I realise this is a ploy for Finley to spend time with Griffin, for the reader to get comfy with Griffin and Finley, and for the next instalment to throw us about when Jack reappears. I am thinking aloud here.....hehe! Or hoping and wishing.

I must admit I missed Jack terribly. Dalton was no match for Finley’s feelings and not a good sparring match for Griffin and his affections for Finley. Sure Dalton was all things villain and murderous and gang leader and after power..... but, my Jack, who we were left rather unsure of how dark he really was at the end of The Girl In The Steel Corset was nowhere....*pout*

Reno Dalton’s character is kind of leeching that dark side out of Finley, bringing it more to the surface. She quite appears to be enjoying herself playing the part of a would be gang member.

I love how fast paced this story is. Kady really lets us visually see Finley in our mind all dressed in her attire fighting away and being kind of scary. She does show some weakness and some femininity but she has become a force to be reckoned with. I am not sure how I feel about this? I like a woman who can handle herself...but....... 

Griffin is going through some discovery himself. He is still this guy that would make me swoon...if I was a swooner. I am still trying to figure out how the emotions changed in this book between Emily and Sam, and Jasper and Emily, and Griffin and Finley. They are still there but.......

Finley and Griffin are still verbally sparring, but there is a slight shift. Finley is strong and making her own calls in this book. Griffin is having trouble keeping up with her where-a-bouts.

Is it just me, or does everybody else forget that Finley is only sixteen? 

Emily is simply gorgeous. The brainiac, loyal to the core, so inexperienced in the ways of fighting, but she won’t let Finley down. I love her pet Panther and all her little steampunky gadgets, she is rather handy to have around.

Sam is not the grumpy bear that he was in TGITSC. He has mellowed. You still wouldn’t want to mess with the part machine, part man... you would not win. His disposition is more agreeable. I think I like him being a bear.

I love the new characters Kady introduced to us. Wildcat , I would love to see her make her way to England, she is quite a character. There is a certain somebody who needs a ‘stinky dead fish slap’ in this book.....well a couple somebodies. 

I think I would fit in quite nicely into the Steampunk era. I am still hanging for a pair of those goggles and a nice corset, I just think I would have a whole lot of smashing fun . 

It pains me no end how long I have to wait for a title for book 3, never lone reuniting with Jack. Where is one of those blasted countdown widgets to torture me!



FAVE QUOTES:

A soft hand curled around his fist, loosening his fingers so they could twine with hers. He lowered his head, opened his eyes and found himself gazing into her eyes the colour of warm honey, framed by thick , dark lashes.
Finley.
Suddenly he was breathless for an entirely different reason.




“Do you believe that I have led him on?”
He choked on a bark of laughter. “You spent the night at his house. Could you blame him for making assumptions?”
Hands fixed on hips, Finley glared at him. “And I live with you. What assumptions have you made, Your High and Mightiness?”


She realised then what he and Jack had in common. They liked themselves. They knew their own strengths and their weaknesses and had made peace with them both. She envied that. Respected it.



“Sweetheart , I won’t deny that you’re the kind of gal who sparks my tinder, but you’re not here for my entertainment.



“Thankyou” , she murmured as she hugged him. “I’ll always be your friend.” He meant it , and that was what made it so difficult. He would do anything for her, but if Finley gave in to the darkness inside her, he would have no choice but to stop her--- even if it meant losing her forever.



Finley dropped her head, squeezed her eyes shut and began to silently do what some might call praying. She called it begging.



“You’re stupid.”
“Not as stupid as you.”



Griffin looked away, annoyed by the sudden heat in his cheeks. “Yes, well, she was a much prettier sight to wake up to than your ugly head.”
I’ll have you know I’ve been told my eyes are like night sky” came the mock - indignant reply.


“Sorry ,” he said, breathless. “I meant to be on the bottom when we fell.”
Finley grinned at him. “Worse places to be, my friend.”




“You care about her, don’t you?” Emily asked, nodding at Finley.
“I care about all of you.”
“But you don’t want to be kissing Sam or me.”
“Hell, no.”

Michelle