Hiya there people!
So today is Monday and for me it is a Monday after a tough night shift at work and a tough Monday when I try not too sleep too much or too little so I can still function during the evening when I'm meeting friends from India here in vacation but also manage to fall asleep at night!
For this week's Mark This Book Monday I have yet another ARC review! This one I got both approved via NetGalley but also got gifted a physical ARC by my friend Britt from Please Feed The Bookworm! Such a lovely cover, so I'm super happy to have the physical ARC!
As a 2015 release it counts towards by 105 Challenge too!
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I fell in love with the cover of this book and really wanted to read a Cinderella retelling with not your typical ending. I ended up with both a physical and an eARC of this one and I'm beyond grateful for them!
Mechanica is a more "faithful" retelling than others that I have read before, but I cannot generalize much since I haven't read many. Nicolette is an orphan that's left with her Steps once her father dies. She's treated like a servant and lives like one. There's even a ball and a prince in this story too, but the setting and the way the story is woven sets it apart from the more known versions of Cinderella.
This is a world of clockwork and magic and secrets. Where the Fae were treated like servants before being expelled and where rebellion and a war are looming. I loved all the lil stories woven here and there about the magic and the Fae.
My favourite part of the whole book has to be seeing Nicolette working on her clockwork inventions and discovering all that had been shut down and finding a way to connect with her mother through the memories and diaries. And to see her planning and plotting a way to escape the Steps with her own work and talent, without needing anyone to rescue her!
I love that no matter what hurdles she faces, Nicolette continues to work and try to fix herself a new and better life, with her friends and some of those lovely mechanical critters that were her very first friends (and quite a wink to the Disney rodents).
I really loved many things in this book and you might be wondering why it didn't get a higher rating, but the thing is that the overall feeling was not one of overwhelming love or amazement, so I cannot give a 4 or 5 stars rating, but THIS is the kind of fairy tale I wish I could have read when I was a pre-teen and one I'll make sure young girls that I know will get to read.
We don't need books that have girls being rescued by marriage to a prince, but girls that despite being treated badly are still capable of finding friends and getting over heartbreak without bitterness and through their own work and talent rescue themselves. And this is a book that says exactly that. So big kudos to the author for writing a modern version with a very classical fairy tale feel to it.
Very much deserved 3.5 stars to this one. It'll be in the Xmas list for some young girls this year from me!
View all my reviews
So today is Monday and for me it is a Monday after a tough night shift at work and a tough Monday when I try not too sleep too much or too little so I can still function during the evening when I'm meeting friends from India here in vacation but also manage to fall asleep at night!
For this week's Mark This Book Monday I have yet another ARC review! This one I got both approved via NetGalley but also got gifted a physical ARC by my friend Britt from Please Feed The Bookworm! Such a lovely cover, so I'm super happy to have the physical ARC!
As a 2015 release it counts towards by 105 Challenge too!
Mechanica by Betsy CornwellMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I fell in love with the cover of this book and really wanted to read a Cinderella retelling with not your typical ending. I ended up with both a physical and an eARC of this one and I'm beyond grateful for them!
Mechanica is a more "faithful" retelling than others that I have read before, but I cannot generalize much since I haven't read many. Nicolette is an orphan that's left with her Steps once her father dies. She's treated like a servant and lives like one. There's even a ball and a prince in this story too, but the setting and the way the story is woven sets it apart from the more known versions of Cinderella.
This is a world of clockwork and magic and secrets. Where the Fae were treated like servants before being expelled and where rebellion and a war are looming. I loved all the lil stories woven here and there about the magic and the Fae.
My favourite part of the whole book has to be seeing Nicolette working on her clockwork inventions and discovering all that had been shut down and finding a way to connect with her mother through the memories and diaries. And to see her planning and plotting a way to escape the Steps with her own work and talent, without needing anyone to rescue her!
I love that no matter what hurdles she faces, Nicolette continues to work and try to fix herself a new and better life, with her friends and some of those lovely mechanical critters that were her very first friends (and quite a wink to the Disney rodents).
I really loved many things in this book and you might be wondering why it didn't get a higher rating, but the thing is that the overall feeling was not one of overwhelming love or amazement, so I cannot give a 4 or 5 stars rating, but THIS is the kind of fairy tale I wish I could have read when I was a pre-teen and one I'll make sure young girls that I know will get to read.
We don't need books that have girls being rescued by marriage to a prince, but girls that despite being treated badly are still capable of finding friends and getting over heartbreak without bitterness and through their own work and talent rescue themselves. And this is a book that says exactly that. So big kudos to the author for writing a modern version with a very classical fairy tale feel to it.
Very much deserved 3.5 stars to this one. It'll be in the Xmas list for some young girls this year from me!
View all my reviews
YES PILI! I'm LOVING the trend today's fairtyales/retellings are taking - no handsome prince to the rescue neccessary thank you very much! I'm a little bummed this one didn't blow you away, but I'm glad it was a solid, enjoyable read nonetheless:)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was a very enjoyable read that went by very fast and that made wish I could have read it as a young girl!
DeleteThank you Jenny!
I know you've been looking forward to this one for ages and I'm sorry it wasn't better for you. I don't read retellings if I can avoid them, and Cinderella retellings are my least favorite of all, but I LOVE that she doesn't need anyone to rescue her and that she always finds her footing all on her own. That is so very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteLovely review!
Thank you Maja! It was the kind of retelling I wouldn't mind reading more of! I'm just bummer I didn't connect more with it or felt more invested, you know?
DeleteI was just discussing with Aimie that I have seen no 4 and 5 star ratings for this, just all 3s and 2s. At least it didn't add to my list of ARCs I was sorry I didn't request. I hope you get just the right amount of sleep and have a great time with your visitors!
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda!
DeleteAwww yay! So happy I had this to give to you! I also really like the message it seems to portray. I, glad you enjoyed while it might not have been a hands down fav. They can't al be right?! 😜 enjoy your visit with your fiends lovely!
ReplyDelete❤️Britt
Thank you so much again Britt dear! <3
DeleteI've loved the cover of this one, but I think it might be too steampunk or robot sounding for me. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much though! Great review!
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty steampunk but even for me that I don't usually read it, it was not off-putting at all!
DeleteI love fairy tale retellings! I don't think this one is for me (though I love steampunk-esque novels), but I am very happy to see that you enjoyed it. I love the cover :D
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, Pili!
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Thank you Alyssa! The cover is AMAZING, isn't it? Cover lust for sure!
DeleteI had no idea this was a Cinderella retelling. With your descriptions of Nicolette and her inventions, it made me think of Cinder, even though the rest of your review sounds nothing like it. I still want to read Mechanica, but I think any retelling of Cinderella is going to have a time measuring up to Cinder.
ReplyDeleteI was sort of expecting to be reminded of Cinder a bit more, but not at all! If anything some things reminded me of the Disney movie, you know?
DeleteGorgeous review Pili. <3 Aw, I'm sorry you didn't love this one :\ But yay for still enjoying it lots :D I must say that I never wanted to read it, hah. Though the cover is all kinds of gorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteThank you sweetie! The cover is marvellous, isn't it??
DeleteI do like the idea of steampunk being used in this novel, but when it comes to retellings I do prefer it if there is something different about the usual Cinderella story. It doesn't seem like this one has that so maybe it isn't for me :/
ReplyDeleteIf you like retellings that go different paths (a la Cinder by Marissa Meyer) then maybe this one isn't for you...
Delete