Rebel Mechanics (Rebel Mechanics, #1) by Shanna Swendson
Genres: Fantasy (YA), Historical Fiction
Pages: 310
Goodreads
A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.
It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.
“I suppose if you have to be trapped someplace when a revolution breaks out, a bookstore isn’t a bad place to be.”
The plot was interesting, but it didn’t quite reach it’s potential. I had a hard time following the motivations of the Rebel Mechanics and Verity.
The book outlined basic information such as the upper class possessing magic and the lower class doesn’t. What I didn’t understand was why the lower class was revolting at all. I left with so many questions. For example, I know the upper class has magic, but the Rebel Mechanics are fighting against the British rule. So who are they fighting? Magisters or British? Aren’t there non-British Magisters? (Magisters are those with magic). How does the magic system in this world work? Also, it seemed like the Rebel Mechanics were a small group of people who used manipulation to get what they want – they essentially tricked non-members to revolt by View Spoiler »
I think the issue the book had was the choice of the main character. Verity is a governess in a Magister’s household. The Mechanics use her as a spy, but she’s never in on their plans enough to really know what’s going on. She just hands out information all willy-nilly because some boy is handsome (I mean, she even smells his handkerchief). Basically, the story felt like an outside look of a revolution, not being in the revolution.
I had a love-hate relationship with the characters. The main character, Verity, seems like she is feisty and intelligent but throughout the story she became very naïve. She, for lack of a better phrase, basically becomes the typical chick. She falls for a guy, at first sight, then blindly follows him and does anything he asks her to do. This has to do with my thoughts on the revolution as well (mentioned above) because I feel like she instantly started supporting something she didn’t really understand. Also, for someone so worried about her job, she doesn’t act like it.
The Rebel Mechanics (as a group) I strongly disliked. They were manipulative and whiny. They came across as a bunch of kids upset that they couldn’t build stupid machines, then used anyone they wanted to get their way. They weren’t a group I could stand behind and cheer for.
The characters within the Mechanics were lackluster. Verity’s friends in the Rebel Mechanics had very little character development, yet I had the feeling you were supposed to root for certain ones. On the other hand, there was the Lyndon family. While there wasn’t much background on these characters, the children were adorable and Henry was a very interesting and mysterious man.
I say ‘man’ because, for once, this YA novel has a range of character ages. There are children who are very prominent in the story, the protagonist is the typical 17 while Henry is in his 20’s. I enjoyed that because there were different levels of maturity going on throughout the book – and, if I’m being honest, I get kind of sick of every YA being about some 16-year-old nobody saving the planet.
The writing was a joy to read. It was YA but with a touch of that classic feel (think Pride and Prejudice) – don’t worry, it wasn’t overdone, it was just the tone the author set. It made the story feel much more authentic, considering it takes place in 1888. The pacing was a tad slow. It seems nothing really happens until the end. Yes, there are some suspenseful moments or action scenes throughout, but the actual plot takes so long to develop. It essentially just preps you for a sequel.
Overall, it was an interesting read. From the first page, it sets up exactly how the book will end (at least, I predicted it from the beginning). I don’t think that ruined the story, rather just kept me going to find out how everything was revealed. However, I expected a bit more. There was a revolution going on! Yet, I was left feeling like I was never a part of it. With that said, if there is a sequel (which I’m pretty sure there is) I’ll be reading it, especially because of how this one ended!
“…I think she became sick of Society during her debut season. Better to lock herself in her room with her books than to spend her life paying calls and going to balls…She gets a lot of headaches, apparently…Especially around people she doesn’t like.”
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| Overall: | 3.5 / 5 |
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