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It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.
Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore.
My thoughts:
I do not know what to write! I am really conflicted when it comes to this book. It was good, but at the same time that I liked it, I was bored.
Oh this is so sad. But I did not connect at all with this book. I was standing on the outside looking in. It looked fun, but I was not there.
I can't say what went wrong. It was funny, well-written, but at the same time maybe it tried to be too funny. Too witty, quirky, cool. Just too much. Or maybe it was that it was YA, and I either love it or feel disappointed. Never the middle way like with so many other books.
By giving this a 2, well maybe it does not deserve it. I have given 3s to books that were not as good. But at the same time there was that not connecting thing. I just could not even if I tried.
Conclusion:
It should have been awesome, but sometimes a book does not work. And I do not know why when it still is a good book.
Cover Thoughts
Once again I forgot and Chris made me remember so ok..looks good but head please. Then again I saw the head and it did not look like a young girl
Cover Thoughts
Once again I forgot and Chris made me remember so ok..looks good but head please. Then again I saw the head and it did not look like a young girl
Series: Finishing School #1
Genre: YA / steampunk
Pages: 312
Published: Feb 5 2013 by Atom
Source: Own
I like the colors on the cover.
ReplyDeleteI had to make a cover comment now ;)
DeleteI was thinking my daughter might like this one. At 13, she might be the perfect age.
ReplyDeleteI do think she would enjoy it more
Deletewell you spoke about it and I think I'll have to see by myself what I think about this one.
ReplyDeleteI do think you have to :/ I just can't say anything really
DeleteIt's hard when you don't connect with a book. I agree about the cover - definitely needs the head, and make it look like a young girl. Is misleading.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the pic with a head I just looked,so not 14! Not even now without a head
DeleteMy daughter's name is Sophia, though I may start calling her Sophronia, and see what she thinks. ;) Bummer this one didn't work.
ReplyDeleteHaha yes I do wonder what she would think about that ;)
DeleteI've read many similar reviews as yours Blodeuedd so I don't think it's just you - apparently this book is rather a miss than a hit.
ReplyDeleteReally? YAY ;) Honestly everyone on my GR friends list liked it and it just got me thinking :/
DeleteI love the Parasol Protectorate series, but I am not a huge fan of YA. I still want to read this and also pass it on to my daughter, just because I am a fan of the author and her steampunk world.
ReplyDeleteI do love Carriger, but YA so often fails for me. Here the failings were not around in the aspect I am used to but it still did not work
DeleteLOL! I'm wondering if it was the YA angle that you failed to connect. I enjoyed it because it was so quirky. You don't get too many of those so I just enjoyed it. Sorry you didn't like it as much as I did. :)
ReplyDeleteI really do not know. In YA books it's mostly the angst, drama and love triangles that bother me. But nothing of that here, so why no connection?
DeleteI am very happy that I am not alone. My friend list on GR sure made me feel like that. But it's just me then :)
ReplyDeleteIf parasol fell short..yeah then maybe not
Oh I'm sorry it didn't work for you! I hate when I feel like a book should be a good fit for me, and it just falls flat. Sometimes it's just a chemistry thing, you can't explain it. Thanks for your honesty. Great review!
ReplyDeleteSome things just can't be explained, so true.
DeleteI do hate when it happens, but it does
I haven't read any of her books yet but I've heard good things about them before. Is this stand alone? I like the colours of the cover though.
ReplyDeleteNope there will be more in this series. But it's a stand alone from the other series
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that it didn't work for you. I know you were really looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was cute and whimsical but I did think it approached cute overload at certain points and I didn't think the characters were developed as much as they could of been. But I do think I enjoyed it more than you anyway but maybe it's because I really wasn't expecting to.
Sometime low expectations are a good thing lol
I sure was :/ Ever since I heard about it.
DeleteI should know better. Never go in with any expectations at all! Oh woe me, why do I never learn?
I liked Parasol Protectorate series, but I'm on the fence about this one, I'm not sure I will read it.
ReplyDeleteYou can try it, anything more than that I can't say
DeleteI have this authors work in my TBR pile. Sorry this one wasn't all that great. I like the cover though.
ReplyDeleteI do like her other series
DeleteThis probably isn't for me.
ReplyDeleteYeah maybe not
DeleteA friend loaned me this one. I'm excited to read it because I loved the Parasol Protectorate. I'll lower my expectations a little. Thank you for your honest review.
ReplyDeleteyes that's the right thing to do, go in with lower expectations :) I hope it will work for you
DeleteIt is a shame, it sounds good but it doesn't sound like you were able to immerse yourself into the world.
ReplyDeleteIt floated on by :(
DeleteI am very sorry this one did not work for you Blodeuedd, especially as I liked it very much.
ReplyDeleteI know :/ I am still all bummed out about it. But it's not like I can something about it
DeleteI seriously need to start reading the series very soon. I got the first 3 books but actually dont have time to start!Hope to like it like you did ;p
ReplyDeleteActually only this book is out, you are thinking of her adult series ;)
DeleteOh well, darling, some books just rub us the wrong way! I'm sad you didn't like it but hell I seem to be not liking a lot of books with 5 star reviews lately too. Hope you enjoy your next one! :))
ReplyDeleteAt least it did make me not wanna read the rest so that is good. I will save a few bucks there ;)
DeleteOh no! And I thought it sounded so good too. Then again, I haven't read any of this author's books yet but I've heard her adult series is good.
ReplyDeleteI do like her adult books but these did not work at all for me
DeleteAw, what a bummer as I know you really like the Parasol Protectorate books, don't you? Well, can't win them all!
ReplyDeleteYeah I really liked those :/
DeleteI'm bummed to hear that it wasn't as good as you had hoped. I'm a HUGE fan of the Parasol series but I was worried that I wouldn't like these...it sounds like I might be right. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts on it. I'll definitely wait to get it from the library before I read it!
ReplyDeleteDo read it, but I can't promise you anything as it failed for me
DeleteOh bummer! Maybe the series will get better? I've heard another mention it was slower. But it is YA too...isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe..just not enough for me to buy more
DeleteSophronia...I like that name.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I will kindly bow out of not reading this book.
;)
DeleteI'm sad to hear it was boring at times. Sounds like a meh read.
ReplyDeleteIt was sadly very meh
DeleteSorry it didn't work for you, but I think my daughter might like it.
ReplyDeleteFor her, yes, it was quite the adventure
Delete