THE GIRL AND THE CLOCKWORK CAT BY NIKKI McCORMACK

Genre: YA, Steampunk/Science Fiction/Mystery

Source: Entangled Teen (in return for an honest review!)

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

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Synopsis:
Feisty teenage thief Maeko and her maybe-more-than-friend Chaff have scraped out an existence in Victorian London’s gritty streets, but after a near-disastrous heist leads her to a mysterious clockwork cat and two dead bodies, she’s thrust into a murder mystery that may cost her everything she holds dear.

Her only allies are Chaff, the cat, and Ash, the son of the only murder suspect, who offers her enough money to finally get off the streets if she’ll help him find the real killer.

What starts as a simple search ultimately reveals a conspiracy stretching across the entire city. And as Maeko and Chaff discover feelings for each other neither was prepared to admit, she’s forced to choose whether she’ll stay with him or finally escape the life of a street rat. But with danger closing in around them, the only way any of them will get out of this alive is if all of them work together.

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The Girl and The Clockwork Cat by Nikki McCormack Book Review

*I would like to thank Entangled Teen for the copy of The Girl and the Clockwork Cat and the chance to read and review it!*

By reading the synopsis of this book I just knew I had to read it! I have a secret obsession (really not so secret) with adult mystery and have been wanting to get into YA mystery. I was not really sure what to expect from this and had a feeling it might be easy plot of a crime, followed by a girl and a cat solving the mystery, but it was so much more complex than that! There were elements of love and family. I also felt like there were some feminist tones to the story and quite enjoyed that element. I thought it fit the world and time period wonderfully and who doesnt enjoy some kickass females that can protect and handle their own!

The world and setting were beautifully done. This had a slight feeling of a Dicken’s novel with the amazing details and descriptions of the streets of Victorian London. I was also a huge fan of the steampunk elements! I always find I am so fascinated by the technology and other industrial components that authors come up with and how well they are executed in the overall story and plot.

“Feel fear. Don’t show it.”

This was a fun and captivating story about a girl named Maeko, who is of japanese descent living on the streets of Victorian London. She is a “street rat” , a feisty thief that is making her living out on the streets. Maeko is not lacking in the clever and kickass skills that it takes to make it on her own. She is one badass character that can hold her own on the streets that is predominately “a place for blokes!” The character development and growth with Maeko was well done. I felt like I was not only in the story and could see everything that was happening because of the attention and detail that McCormack went to, but I also felt like I was in Maeko’s head a little and I could understand and see everything from her perspective.

I highly enjoyed the other characters as well and thought they added a lot to the story overall. Chaff was like that big brother figure that is tough and smart and uber protective. Then there was Ash who made a fantastic love interest. At the beginning he is quite set in his ways, but throughout the book he really begins to grow on you. Ash as the love interest was perfect and I enjoyed that it happened naturally and was not insta-love. I found it really adorable and I am always a fan of the hate to like relationships I feel like they add more depth to the characters and help to show character development and growth. However was a little annoyed with the faint love triangle stuff that appeared, but felt like it didn’t play a big enough role to deter me from the book. I have to say that my favorite character by far was Macak, of course! Love is not a big enough word for how I feel about cats. I loved the role that he played in this story. He has an awesome geared out fake leg and is one smart cat!

Although I felt the ending was a little rushed and wished the book would have been a little longer (I felt like it was missing some more content) I was left wanting (needing) more! There better be another book, so far from what I have seen this is a stand alone and if that is the case I am not happy. The end did wrap up most of the story, but there are a few things presented at the end that I need answers to.

Overall I thought this was a fantastic book! It was an easy fast read that was filled with action and mystery (although a little predictable). It had great strong characters and of course the awesome clockwork cat, Macak! The writing was wonderful, the language and wording really created a fabulous picture, setting the scene of Victorian London and the gritty and rough life on the streets. The details created a vivid lay out that made the book even more enjoyable.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys great world building, a strong kickass and witty female lead, action packed steampunk !

~PIN IT~