Review - The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

by Kady Cross
publisher: Harlequin Teen
date of publication: May 22, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 416
source: Netgalley
read it in: 1 day

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.

Finley, Griffin, and crew return in the second book of The Steampunk Chronicles, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.  At the end of The Girl in the Steel Corset, things looked dire for Griffin's friend, the American cowboy Jasper Renn.  Now, it is up to the team to travel to New York to save him.  As a new enemy is introduced and a new plot unfolds, the faith of everyone from Finley to Griffin to Jasper will be tested.  In this riveting thrill ride, a new city will be traversed, new friends will be made, new enemies will come forth, and love will be tested once and for all.

Finley just keeps getting better and better with every story that I read about her.  Now that her two halves have merged, she is a much more complicated girl, which makes her an even more intriguing character.  As she grapples with who it is she really is, the full extent of her personality is revealed through the things she discovers about herself and the questions she now has about her nature.  Griffin, on the other hand, is beginning to have his confidence challenged, which makes him another interesting character to follow due to the ways in which he handles things.  As if that's not enough, we get to learn more about the charming Jasper Renn as he deals with his own dangers and adventures.  His story was a very welcome addition to this installment in the series, one which I enjoyed very much.  I could go on for lines and lines about all of the characters scattered throughout The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, but suffice it to say that I was thrilled with every bit of the character development within its pages.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar is possessed of great pacing and a wonderful storyline that I couldn't get enough of.  As I became immersed further and further into the story, I was provided with just enough of a mystery to keep me guessing, but not so many clues that the story got bogged down with excessive details.  The setting made for a great adventure, especially Finley's forays into the Victorian gang territory known as Five Points.  The descriptions of Five Points and all people, places, and gadgets are rich and fully fleshed out, which was also one of the story's key attributes.  When it comes down to it, there isn't a single thing that I disliked about this book.

If this series gets any better, I'm going to feel compelled to pinch myself.  The Girl in the Clockwork Collar has everything I love in a book: strong characters, interesting settings, and an action-packed plot that keeps me reading long after I should be asleep.  If you haven't read The Girl in the Steel Corset yet, trust me when I say you should read it immediately, then pick up The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.  This series is nothing short of phenomenal and I, personally, can't say enough good things about it.  I will be waiting anxiously for the next book.

Buy The Girl in the Clockwork Collar at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.