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A review by bookwormemi
The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling
2.0
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley so I feel obligated to post a review even though I don't usually do so, so forgive me if it turns out poorly.
Mild Spoilers Below.
Essentially the synopsis of the story is beautiful. Remy the cool trapeze girl in a French circus in steampunk London is also a jewel thief on the side. Supposedly the best jewel thief in Europe but there isn't really any evidence to support that claim. She also has a penchant for nearly dying. It's what identifies her besides being part of the circus and having some vague backstory. Her personality is slim but it's also largest in the book.
Enter the romantic interest. Thaddeus, a cop with two mismatched eyes and a couple of lousy parents the reader hears about in passing. His personality is that of a ticking clock. You know he's there to serve a purpose but the sound of him is pretty annoying. The romance between Thaddeus and Remy was fairly weak and very forced. There was no chemistry, although Thaddeus did get in a few somewhat swoonful lines, overall it didn't work.
There were other characters that honestly don't matter and are even less fleshed out than the two main protagonists.
Overall, the characters were in desperate need of some fleshing out. That was the true hamartia of this novel.
The writing itself was a bit juvenile, but I suppose that's unfair of me to say. I was under the impression the book was made out for the older YA crowd, but it is easily attainable to those much younger. I think that is where the book will meet its target audience. Honestly it wasn't a bad book, if I were much younger, probably 10-13.
The story is great if one is looking for a fast paced adventure and the author throws in a lot of fun historical tidbits to enjoy. It was fun and light and the setting was intriguing, and honestly who doesn't love the circus? I wish there was more of the circus. For the right age group this book is fantastic, so if you're looking for a book to give as a present to someone of a certain age, or if you are a person of a certain age, this novel is perfect.
(This is not to demean a certain age. It truly is a good book that to me seems more suitable to a younger audience)
Also, this cover is pretty great, bravo to the cover artist if they keep THIS particular cover. The one I got from Netgalley was less creative and far more generic.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Mild Spoilers Below.
Essentially the synopsis of the story is beautiful. Remy the cool trapeze girl in a French circus in steampunk London is also a jewel thief on the side. Supposedly the best jewel thief in Europe but there isn't really any evidence to support that claim. She also has a penchant for nearly dying. It's what identifies her besides being part of the circus and having some vague backstory. Her personality is slim but it's also largest in the book.
Enter the romantic interest. Thaddeus, a cop with two mismatched eyes and a couple of lousy parents the reader hears about in passing. His personality is that of a ticking clock. You know he's there to serve a purpose but the sound of him is pretty annoying. The romance between Thaddeus and Remy was fairly weak and very forced. There was no chemistry, although Thaddeus did get in a few somewhat swoonful lines, overall it didn't work.
There were other characters that honestly don't matter and are even less fleshed out than the two main protagonists.
Overall, the characters were in desperate need of some fleshing out. That was the true hamartia of this novel.
The writing itself was a bit juvenile, but I suppose that's unfair of me to say. I was under the impression the book was made out for the older YA crowd, but it is easily attainable to those much younger. I think that is where the book will meet its target audience. Honestly it wasn't a bad book, if I were much younger, probably 10-13.
The story is great if one is looking for a fast paced adventure and the author throws in a lot of fun historical tidbits to enjoy. It was fun and light and the setting was intriguing, and honestly who doesn't love the circus? I wish there was more of the circus. For the right age group this book is fantastic, so if you're looking for a book to give as a present to someone of a certain age, or if you are a person of a certain age, this novel is perfect.
(This is not to demean a certain age. It truly is a good book that to me seems more suitable to a younger audience)
Also, this cover is pretty great, bravo to the cover artist if they keep THIS particular cover. The one I got from Netgalley was less creative and far more generic.
And that's all I have to say about that.