Waistcoats & Weaponry – October 6, 2015 PDF

Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School) Paperback – October 6, 2015
Author: Visit ‘s Gail Carriger Page ID: 031619025X

From School Library Journal

Gr 6 UpSophronia Temminick and her friends once again face adventure and mystery in Carriger’s Victorian steampunk, fantasy mash-up. Sophronia is going home for a ball in honor of her brother’s wedding. Her biggest concern should be practicing her etiquette and the use of her fan as a weapon. Instead, she’s worried about her friend Sidheagh, whose family of werewolves are facing exile or perhaps worse. Sidheagh is determined to return home to help her family and Sophronia is just as determined to help her. Soon she and her friends, including Dimity, Soap, and Lord Felix Mersey, are on their way via hot air balloon and train. Along the way they discover a Pickleman plot and the protagonist finds herself torn between friendship and possible love. Carriger’s trademark wit and humor are ever-present, and this outing in the “Finishing School” series (Little, Brown) finishes on a more emotional note as the heroine discovers where her heart lies.Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

–This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Praise for Waistcoats & Weaponry:

A 2015 Locus Award Nominee
A 2015 Steampunk Chronicle Best Young Adult Steampunk Fiction

“Sophronia Temminick and her friends once again face adventure and mystery…. Carriger’s trademark wit and humor are ever-present, and this outing in the Finishing School series finishes on a more emotional note as the heroine discovers where her heart lies.”
School Library Journal

“Thrilling…. the well-wrought steampunk/supernatural setting provides a vibrant backdrop to Sophronia’s fast-paced adventures and witty banter, and her difficult dilemmas…add emotional depth.”The Horn Book

Praise for Curtsies & Conspiracies:

* “Carriger’s second steampunk adventure exceeds the first… the fun, again, is in watching ever-practical Sophronia sneak and scheme her way into sometimes dangerous, sometimes riotously funny, situations…. We repeat: This witty, light-hearted series is not to be missed.”

Booklist, starred review

* “Teenage and adult fans alike will rejoice that Carriger retains her flair for musical prose, over-the-top names, clever wit, and strange yet helpful mechanical devices of all kinds. Carriger’s blend of comically exaggerated characters and madcap action will easily win over readers once again.”

Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “[A] world of manners, steampunk, and the supernatural. [Carriger] again manages to blend the rules of etiquette with inventions and creatures effortlessly, creating a diverse world of wonder.”

VOYA, starred review

“The language is every bit as delightful as in Sophronia’s first adventure… even in this weightier tale.”

Kirkus Reviews

“[Carriger] jumps right into the thick of the action, developing a fast-paced plot that is sure to keep readers’ attention…this is a must-have purchase.”

School Library Journal

“The strength, wit, charisma, and sheer likeability of Sophronia is a refreshing and welcome change from the typical protagonist of today’s young adult novels…Teenage girls will laugh, cheer, and empathize as the girls at the academy experience all of the same emotions they do, but in a Victorian steampunk fashion.”

Library Media Connection

Praise for Etiquette & Espionage:

An ALSC Notable Book for Children

A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
A YALSA Popular Paperbacks Pick

A Horn Book Summer Reading List Selection

* “Carriger’s YA debut brings…cleverly Victorian methods of espionage, witty banter, lighthearted silliness, and a ship full of intriguingly quirky people.”Booklist, starred review

* “Carriger deploys laugh-out-loud bon mots on nearly every page…Amid all the fun, the author works in commentary on race and class in a sparkling start to the Finishing School series.”

Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “[A] delightfully madcap espionage adventure.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “Carriger’s leading lady is a strong, independent role model for female readers… Ladies and gentlemen of propriety are combined with dirigibles, robots, werewolves, and vampires, making this story a steampunkmystery and an adventure mash-up that is sure to intrigue readers…”

School Library Journal, starred review

“If spunky Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey happened onto a steampunk set, she might look a lot like Sophronia Angelina Temminnick.”

Shelf Awareness

See all Editorial Reviews

Age Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upSeries: Finishing School (Book 3)Paperback: 320 pagesPublisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reissue edition (October 6, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 031619025XISBN-13: 978-0316190251 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #36,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #21 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Steampunk #24 in Books > Teens > Mysteries & Thrillers > Historical #57 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Mystery & Thriller
I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. This is the third book in the Finishing School series by Carriger. There will be one more book in this series titled, Manners and Mutiny, which is supposed to release in November of 2015. This was another wonderful book in this series full of adventure and steampunk elements.

Sophronia is in her second year at the finishing/espionage school for girls. One of Sophronia’s close friends, Sidheag, gets awful news about the werewolf pack she is part of on Scotland. Sophronia and her friends (Dimitry, Lord Felix Mersey, and the Sootie Soap) hijack a train to get Sidheag home. However they never expected the train they hijaked to be carrying goods that could throw all of London into chaos.

This is a highly entertaining and action packed YA steampunk read. I really love the characters, the steampunk devices and action throughout. There is a lot of humor in here too, which makes it a very fun read!

Sophronia is still getting into loads of trouble, although she is learning that having friends to help her out is a good thing. She also spends quite a bit of time contemplating what to do with her future. She has an offer to work for Lord Akeldama after graduation, the Queen would also like to have Sophronia in service, then of course there is the handsome Lord Felix whose company she enjoys. I continue to really enjoy Sophronia, she is plucky, energetic, and fun to read about.

There is a lot more drama and romance in this book than in previous books. Sophronia spends a lot of time with both Felix and Soap; both are trying to woo her and she is in a tough spot having to spend time with them both.

There is also a ton of action.
As much as I loved the two previous books in this series, I was admittedly let down by Waistcoats and Weaponry. The plot was pretty much as follows: "Oh Soap!" "Oh Felix!" "Oh Soap!" "Oh, a train." "Oh Soap!" "Oh Felix." Yes, it was nearly all love triangle and Sophronia worrying over her attraction to Soap until Felix came into the picture and then it was distraction by how handsome Felix is and all.

Story: Sidheag’s absence has Sophronia worried greatly. Something is going on with the werewolves. Meanwhile, visits to Soap are creating conflicts in Sophronia – she realizes she is attracted to him and it is clear that he is attracted to her, too. But then, Felix shows his handsome face and she becomes even more confused. Cue a ball at her house in which both Felix and Soap will appear. She’ll use the night to figure out her own feelings – and stumble upon a conspiracy accidentally while trying to escape the ball.

I honestly kept waiting for the main mystery of the device to come back into the plot – which it doesn’t until nearly the end of the book. And not through Sophronia’s intelligence, either. She stumbles upon a part of the conspiracy accidentally (and unrealistically). The flights of fancy in this volume were great and honestly starting to veer too far into the ‘coincidence too many’ side of things.

I looked forward to Sophronia figuring things out and getting things done; none of which really happened here. She was pretty much a love sick moon calf and nothing else really mattered. Sadly, the romance is really Carriger’s weakness and it shows yet again in this series.

There is a very unsurprising twist at the end; really, the only way to resolve the love triangle satisfactorily.

Gail Carriger s Blog Waistcoats amp Weaponry Waistcoats Weaponry releases tomorrow October 6th in trade paperback format in the US due out November 2015 Editions of Waistcoats amp Weaponry by Gail Carriger Editions for Waistcoats Weaponry 0316190276 Hardcover published in 2014 Kindle Edition published in 2014 1907411615 Paperback published in 2014 Amazon com Etiquette Espionage Finishing School Etiquette Espionage Finishing School Waistcoats Weaponry Finishing School Waistcoats Weaponry Finishing School Paperback

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