Mechanica

by Betsy Cornwell

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

5 Things I Loved About Mechanica

1. The cover. Back in December, Amazon had a sale on young adult literature. I went on a one-click binge, probably the ONLY one I ever been one, and I picked up this gem because the cover is so beautiful. Just enjoy it for a moment.

Look at the details. What’s not in color vs. what is in color. See the subtle hint at the steampunk elements? How about the butterfly? Beautiful.

2. Nicolette’s mother and her drive to educate her daughter. Nearly from the beginning we learn that Nicolette’s mother is unique. She has the skill to animate machines and bring joy to people’s lives. Her creations are magical. Nicolette’s mother strives to pass that love on to her daughter even though working with machines isn’t necessarily women’s work.

3. Nicolette. She doesn’t sit back and wait for her prince to rescue her. Once her initial discovery is made and she begins to work the skills her mother had been teaching her, she goes about concocting and carrying out her own rescue plan.

4. The steampunk and fae elements. There’s some backstory here and Cornwell shares a bit of it through Nicolette’s history lessons and bedtime stories, but I have a feeling it’s a deeper story. I felt hints of it as Nicolette worked on her own mechanical creations and in some of the conversations the characters have. I want to know more. I want to see more!

5. The fae idea of what makes a family. I latched onto this idea so strongly due to my own life experiences. A core belief of the fae is that friends can make a family. I’m not sure I’ve encountered this message so strongly in any other book I’ve read. I’m happy this message plays key role in the story’s ending.

Is Mechanica perfect? No, it’s not. Many of the secondary characters fit the mold of the known Cinderella story and unlike Nicolette, they don’t strive to break the mold, but sit comfortably inside it. And the ending felt a bit rushed. But for me, the magic of Mechanica resides in point number 5. That is the message that sticks with me and the top reason I will treasure this story.

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews