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jlorusso's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
librarycatnip's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Seems good, I got sidetracked part way through and since there weren't any queer characters I moved on. The love triangle that was starting up between the good boy and the bad boy wasn't interesting and watching them compete was just frustrating.
owlishbookish's review
4.0
This review originates from my blog, Starting the Next Chapter.
It has taken me a while to actually find the chance to sit down to read The Iron Thorn. For some reason, I had been under the impression that I had bought it for my Nook previously, so imagine my surprise when I learned that that was not, in fact, the case. I immediately purchased a copy and hopped to it. I am glad that I did. What I found within the pages was an intriguing blend of alternate history, dystopian, supernatural, and steampunk. That may sound like a lot of threads to weave together, but Ms. Kittredge has successfully created a story with many nuances and great imagination.
Much about The Iron Thorn was enjoyable for me. For instance, the main character, Aoife (a fine Irish name, by the way), is a spirited, feisty kind of girl who doesn't stand for coddling, which I found very enjoyable for a character. The creatures and magic included in the story are also fantastic and intriguing. I couldn't have enjoyed such fantastical elements more. The only component of the story that I had any sort of problem getting into was the setting. I failed to have my interest piqued by the city of Lovecraft, which I was disappointed by. I did, however, enjoy the more rural settings and the Rust Works scene immensely. I found these two settings to be much more dynamic and imagination-stirring. As a whole, The Iron Thorn made for an action-packed, gripping read and left me more than ready to read The Nightmare Garden.
If you love danger, intrigue, magic, and the paranormal, you simply must try this book. With a unique world and dynamic characters, The Iron Thorn is sure to capture your imagination and take it on a wild ride. If you've been meaning to read it, now is a good time, as The Nightmare Garden hits shelves tomorrow. The Iron Thorn has earned 4 hoots from me for the aforementioned reasons. Now, it's time to move on to The Nightmare Garden!
It has taken me a while to actually find the chance to sit down to read The Iron Thorn. For some reason, I had been under the impression that I had bought it for my Nook previously, so imagine my surprise when I learned that that was not, in fact, the case. I immediately purchased a copy and hopped to it. I am glad that I did. What I found within the pages was an intriguing blend of alternate history, dystopian, supernatural, and steampunk. That may sound like a lot of threads to weave together, but Ms. Kittredge has successfully created a story with many nuances and great imagination.
Much about The Iron Thorn was enjoyable for me. For instance, the main character, Aoife (a fine Irish name, by the way), is a spirited, feisty kind of girl who doesn't stand for coddling, which I found very enjoyable for a character. The creatures and magic included in the story are also fantastic and intriguing. I couldn't have enjoyed such fantastical elements more. The only component of the story that I had any sort of problem getting into was the setting. I failed to have my interest piqued by the city of Lovecraft, which I was disappointed by. I did, however, enjoy the more rural settings and the Rust Works scene immensely. I found these two settings to be much more dynamic and imagination-stirring. As a whole, The Iron Thorn made for an action-packed, gripping read and left me more than ready to read The Nightmare Garden.
If you love danger, intrigue, magic, and the paranormal, you simply must try this book. With a unique world and dynamic characters, The Iron Thorn is sure to capture your imagination and take it on a wild ride. If you've been meaning to read it, now is a good time, as The Nightmare Garden hits shelves tomorrow. The Iron Thorn has earned 4 hoots from me for the aforementioned reasons. Now, it's time to move on to The Nightmare Garden!
missazane's review
2.0
Meh it was ok. This is very steam punk and I'm not a huge fan of steam punk so that was kind of a negative for me. Decent story and writing but nothing wonderful. Won't be reading the rest of the series unless I get bored and run out of other books
crystalisreading's review
2.0
Finally! I'm finished with this interminable book. I've been trying to choke my way through it for 2 months now, and I was finally victorious! The story had a lot of potential, with some creative ideas in there, but it was too long, bogged down with dragging dialog, lots of descriptions, telling not showing, repetition, and so much else that made me crazy. High on the list of crazy-making was the main character herself. we're told over and over again how bright Aoife is, but I certainly couldn't tell that from what she did. She was hot-headed, impulsive, reckless, blindly loyal past any personal safety, and in general just not a reasonable or even likable character. I can concede that someone with her family history might have trust issues, but the amount of abuse she's willing to take from someone she does trust and still come back to them and fight for them is scary (specifically her brother). Her behavior was so irrational at times that I just felt like she was merely a device for the author to move the story along. (Like how do you break major rules in a brutal, controlling, totalitarian society, and then be shocked and outraged when they attempt to punish you and your companions for doing so. No, it isn't right. But it shouldn't have been news to her either. Not a cause for outraged surprise.) I didn't like Cal either--he was just kind of annoying, and the only other main character was Dean, who was almost too good (One wonders what he really saw in Aoife.). I liked Dean. Just not enough to care what happens with him.
It's a darker story than I usually prefer, but that along didn't account for my distaste for and frustration with much of the story. This book needed a brisk, merciless editing, one that would let Kittredge's creative world shine, and made the characters more reasonable and easier to root for. One that would resolve issues of logic, like how characters standing in the dark one minute can't see anything because it's dark, but the next minute are describing facial expressions on party members, as just one example. Or explain exactly how certain important events actually happened (like with the great engine) there were great elements to the story, so many twists and turns and secrets revealed. NO ONE was what they seemed, and that could have made for interesting reading. Only it didn't, for me, this time.
I own a few other books by this author, and now I'm honestly hesitating to read them. the only reason I finished this book was because I didn't want to waste the time I'd already put into it. I just choked it down in small sections between other, more enjoyable books. Despite a very open and dark ending, I have no intention of reading the remaining books in the series, especially since my local library doesn't have them. I'm not sure I'd like whatever closure they had to offer anyway.
It's a darker story than I usually prefer, but that along didn't account for my distaste for and frustration with much of the story. This book needed a brisk, merciless editing, one that would let Kittredge's creative world shine, and made the characters more reasonable and easier to root for. One that would resolve issues of logic, like how characters standing in the dark one minute can't see anything because it's dark, but the next minute are describing facial expressions on party members, as just one example. Or explain exactly how certain important events actually happened (like with the great engine) there were great elements to the story, so many twists and turns and secrets revealed. NO ONE was what they seemed, and that could have made for interesting reading. Only it didn't, for me, this time.
I own a few other books by this author, and now I'm honestly hesitating to read them. the only reason I finished this book was because I didn't want to waste the time I'd already put into it. I just choked it down in small sections between other, more enjoyable books. Despite a very open and dark ending, I have no intention of reading the remaining books in the series, especially since my local library doesn't have them. I'm not sure I'd like whatever closure they had to offer anyway.
middlekmissie's review
3.0
Liked the first third, loved the second. When they left Graystone, I was a little bored...then the stupidest plot twist ever happened, and I finished the book through sheer commitment. No, seriously, it's a really stupid twist. It's a pity, because there was a lot to like about this book.
songofthewolfy's review
4.0
Interesting... I didn't expect half of the things that occured in this book. I enjoyed it, but still not sold on the whole steampunk thing. I will be reading book two though.
miraeli's review
5.0
Despite some issues I really, really loved this book. The world isn’t something I encounter in YA very often: A fantasy/steampunk/clockpunk world set in an alternate 1950s. That, to me, is beyond awesome so right off the bat I was poised to love this book. And I definitely did. I found the world building very thoughtful and well done--a city running on a great Engine that protects them from the things that can cause madness, a world torn by the battle between science and magic (which itself isn’t an original idea but here it is pulled off exceedingly well). Kittredge definitely creates a very distant but still recognizable 1950s, where girls and women can hold certain jobs but still be expected to be “nice girls” and find husbands one day. The plot kept me intrigued throughout the book, even the times when the pacing was a bit too slow, though that was rarely a problem. The climax near the end was extremely well written and powerful, and it does offer some exciting possibilities for the next book.
The characters all have strong voices, though the strongest of them was probably Dean’s. His dialogue never felt forced or strained, in fact it was probably the smoothest and more consistent voice in the book. Cal, Aoife’s best and only friend, started off as a very nice character, but he slowly turned into a kind of stereotype of the typical ‘50s male; chauvinistic and sexist, expecting Aoife to conform to societal standards. He stays this way pretty much throughout the entire novel, to the point where I honestly started wondering why he was even there. He was serving little to no purpose except as a tool of creating some conflict for Aoife while the rest of the plot waited to be introduced. While at least Kittredge shows that his opinions and views of women were unreasonable, it got to the point where I just rolled my eyes whenever he showed up on the page. However Kittredge completely turns this on its head near the end of the book in a way that honestly made me put down the book and laugh with joy. It’s honestly brilliant and is a major part of why I love this book.
I was afraid, at first, that the traveling trio of Dean, Aoife and Cal would turn out to be a love triangle. It swung dangerously close to that mark briefly, but then it reins itself back in and, honestly, there was never any doubt in my mind who Aoife preferred. Aoife never stopped to think “hey, maybe I do like Cal as more than a friend” and when presented with the idea by another character, she waves it off. No, Cal was always her best and only friend, her confidant, but I never got the impression she saw it going further than that, probably because of her necrovirus. The way this turned out was so pleasing, because I am sick of the love triangles in YA, especially love triangles where it’s obvious who the girl is going to be with in the end.
Speaking of romance, Dean and Aoife were rather sweet. Dean respects her and her agency, which is always a big plus in my book. While there were a few scenes that made me discontent, over all they’re a sweet couple that work in YA. However I do think that, if there are going to be three books in this series, Kittredge could have taken the time to develop their relationship a bit more. The entire book takes place a little over a week or so, and yet she and Dean are kissing by the middle of it. Perhaps there’s a reason for this that will be revealed later but for now, it doesn’t sit well with me.
There was one main complaint I had during the novel and that was, besides Aoife, there weren’t many female characters. And the women Aoife does meet during her journey--hell, even before she starts traveling--she doesn’t view very kindly. She’s seldom outright rude to them, but her opinion of them is always very low. If they’re rightfully scared of something unearthly, she thinks them hysterical and silly. If they’re showing even a bit of kindness or interest in Cal or Dean, she gets territorial and possessive. There’s even a scene in the book where, after Cal sees Dean and Aoife kiss and throws a snitfit, and Aoife has to go after him to make sure he doesn’t run off to the Proctors in revenge, Dean mentions a girl he got into a fight over, and Aoife just stops and asks, “Was she pretty?” Um, hello, this is not the time. You need to go stop your former best friend from turning you all in.
Then I started to wonder why this bothered me so much, since, after all, the era is an alternate 1950s. Women are still taught to be critical and unkind towards each other even today; surely it was the same back then, too, if not worse? And then I realized: Well, duh, it’s because almost every YA book out there holds the same attitude towards teenage girls and their relationships with each other. Only it’s worse because the young adult books I’ve read that represent and normalize this attitude are set in modern times, when we really should know better by now, and should be calling this stuff out as unreasonable and, worse, destructive. After that I was much more forgiving of Aoife’s attitude towards the few female characters in the novel, even if it still grated. There is a chance in the next book that Aoife will change her way, as another female character joins the main cast, and I hope that same character gets more screen time and development than she did in this book. I sincerely hope so.
All in all I truly loved The Iron Thorn, even with its flaws. The characters were strong and three dimensional, the worldbuilding was extremely well done, and the cliffhanger at the end--yes, there is a cliffhanger--will keep me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
The characters all have strong voices, though the strongest of them was probably Dean’s. His dialogue never felt forced or strained, in fact it was probably the smoothest and more consistent voice in the book. Cal, Aoife’s best and only friend, started off as a very nice character, but he slowly turned into a kind of stereotype of the typical ‘50s male; chauvinistic and sexist, expecting Aoife to conform to societal standards. He stays this way pretty much throughout the entire novel, to the point where I honestly started wondering why he was even there. He was serving little to no purpose except as a tool of creating some conflict for Aoife while the rest of the plot waited to be introduced. While at least Kittredge shows that his opinions and views of women were unreasonable, it got to the point where I just rolled my eyes whenever he showed up on the page. However Kittredge completely turns this on its head near the end of the book in a way that honestly made me put down the book and laugh with joy. It’s honestly brilliant and is a major part of why I love this book.
I was afraid, at first, that the traveling trio of Dean, Aoife and Cal would turn out to be a love triangle. It swung dangerously close to that mark briefly, but then it reins itself back in and, honestly, there was never any doubt in my mind who Aoife preferred. Aoife never stopped to think “hey, maybe I do like Cal as more than a friend” and when presented with the idea by another character, she waves it off. No, Cal was always her best and only friend, her confidant, but I never got the impression she saw it going further than that, probably because of her necrovirus. The way this turned out was so pleasing, because I am sick of the love triangles in YA, especially love triangles where it’s obvious who the girl is going to be with in the end.
Speaking of romance, Dean and Aoife were rather sweet. Dean respects her and her agency, which is always a big plus in my book. While there were a few scenes that made me discontent, over all they’re a sweet couple that work in YA. However I do think that, if there are going to be three books in this series, Kittredge could have taken the time to develop their relationship a bit more. The entire book takes place a little over a week or so, and yet she and Dean are kissing by the middle of it. Perhaps there’s a reason for this that will be revealed later but for now, it doesn’t sit well with me.
There was one main complaint I had during the novel and that was, besides Aoife, there weren’t many female characters. And the women Aoife does meet during her journey--hell, even before she starts traveling--she doesn’t view very kindly. She’s seldom outright rude to them, but her opinion of them is always very low. If they’re rightfully scared of something unearthly, she thinks them hysterical and silly. If they’re showing even a bit of kindness or interest in Cal or Dean, she gets territorial and possessive. There’s even a scene in the book where, after Cal sees Dean and Aoife kiss and throws a snitfit, and Aoife has to go after him to make sure he doesn’t run off to the Proctors in revenge, Dean mentions a girl he got into a fight over, and Aoife just stops and asks, “Was she pretty?” Um, hello, this is not the time. You need to go stop your former best friend from turning you all in.
Then I started to wonder why this bothered me so much, since, after all, the era is an alternate 1950s. Women are still taught to be critical and unkind towards each other even today; surely it was the same back then, too, if not worse? And then I realized: Well, duh, it’s because almost every YA book out there holds the same attitude towards teenage girls and their relationships with each other. Only it’s worse because the young adult books I’ve read that represent and normalize this attitude are set in modern times, when we really should know better by now, and should be calling this stuff out as unreasonable and, worse, destructive. After that I was much more forgiving of Aoife’s attitude towards the few female characters in the novel, even if it still grated. There is a chance in the next book that Aoife will change her way, as another female character joins the main cast, and I hope that same character gets more screen time and development than she did in this book. I sincerely hope so.
All in all I truly loved The Iron Thorn, even with its flaws. The characters were strong and three dimensional, the worldbuilding was extremely well done, and the cliffhanger at the end--yes, there is a cliffhanger--will keep me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
wealhtheow's review
3.0
We first meet Aoife in a madhouse, where she's trying to comfort her mother. Her mother, who has been insane for most (all?) of Aoife's life, refuses to be comforted, and Aoife leaves the institution in despair, not only for her mother but for herself. Her mother was driven mad by the necrovirus, and Aoife was born with it as well; like the rest of her family, she knows she will become insane by her 16th birthday. Aoife has pushed back her strange, otherworldly nightmares and visions for as long as possible by studying the most rational subjects she can find. She fought to be trained as an Engineer, one of the many who toil to maintain their city's great Engine. But after receiving a chilling letter from her brother, Aoife leaves behind her steady life at the Academy. With her is her best friend, prissy, romantic-minded Cal and their guide, the mysterious Dean. Aoife searches for her brother, but instead she finds that the bedrock of her life is on shaky ground.
This book was a distinct surprise to me. It is far more thoughtful and imaginative than I expected, especially given the title and cover. The worldbuilding is fascinating here: decades ago the necrovirus swept through the world, leaving madness and monsters in its wake, and now humans huddle on the ruins of our world (the city of Lovecraft, for instance, is built on top of the remains of Massachusetts). In this alternate version of the 1960s, areas have become isolated from each other, and travel is closely watched by the fascist Proctors and their clockwork ravens. Both Aoife and Cal accept the Proctors' strictures
tbc
This book was a distinct surprise to me. It is far more thoughtful and imaginative than I expected, especially given the title and cover. The worldbuilding is fascinating here: decades ago the necrovirus swept through the world, leaving madness and monsters in its wake, and now humans huddle on the ruins of our world (the city of Lovecraft, for instance, is built on top of the remains of Massachusetts). In this alternate version of the 1960s, areas have become isolated from each other, and travel is closely watched by the fascist Proctors and their clockwork ravens. Both Aoife and Cal accept the Proctors' strictures
tbc