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Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Clockwork Three

I will not be doing spotlights again this weekend due to Got Books? and catching up on reviews. :) Tune in next weekend for some cool bloggers!


Author: Matthew Kirby
Publication Date: October 1, 2010
Genre: YA Steampunk
Copy provided by: Book it Forward Tours
Summary (via Goodreads):

Three ordinary children are brought together by extraordinary events. . . Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom.

Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it.

And Frederick, the talented and intense clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage where she left him. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clockmakers' guild -- if only he can create a working head.

Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and that they can overcome even the darkest of fears.

Why I read this: Steampunk, and a debut author? - I couldn't resist!

Plot: This book follows three young people in 19th century America. The first is a street performer named Giuseppe who dreams of returning to Italy, back to his family. Hannah is a maid trying to help her family while her father hopefully recovers from his illness. The last is Frederick, the apprentice of a clockmaker who is trying to complete his own automaton. All of their lives become intertwined and they end up relying on one another to solve their individual problems.

A fantastic story full of adventure, passion, and friendship.

Characters: Out of the three, Giuseppe is my favorite character. I love the stories of street performers or thieves that are forced to work by padrones and find a way to get free. The whole book had a Dickens vibe and Giuseppe's story reminded me of my favorite book - Oliver Twist. The other two have their own quirks and strengths and I felt like they made quite an odd assortment of comrades.

Relatability: Anyone who likes rags to riches stories, Dickens, or steampunk will enjoy this book.

Cover Commentary: Love how steampunk-y it feels.

Rating: 5/5 Roses


Buy it on Amazon*
Find it on Goodreads



*If you buy this book on Amazon through the link above, I will receive a small portion of the sales.

11 comments:

  1. I haven't heard of this book before - it looks good!

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  2. This book is new to me! Glad you liked it, though. The characters sound great.

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  3. Oh my god steampunk? This looks awesome. Nice review.

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  4. Thanks. This is certainly on my list now.

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  5. I haven't read any steampunk yet. This looks like a good place to start!

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  6. Great review! I'll add it on my wishlist! I'm new steampunk fan & a big one, too so thanks for the recommendation :) This sounds great!

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  7. I just requested this one from the fall catalog - it looks very good.

    Uh...what the heck is steampunk? I think I missed something...

    Thanks for the review -

    Sue

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  8. Hi Sue,

    Steampunk is a subgenre of SciFi/Fantasy - usually involving historical settings with technology not from that period. Some other examples would be Magic Under Glass by Jackie Dolamore and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.

    It's gaining popularity in fiction all over right now. :)

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