Review : Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Mechanica
Author : Betsy Cornwell
Publication Date :  August 25th 2015
Publisher : Clarion Books
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

Personal Thoughts

The alluring cover of Mechanica and the promise of a Cinderella retelling are what drew me into the book. Mechanica was different from what I was expecting, and in a good way. First things first, for those of you worried that this is a replica of Marissa Meyer's Cinder, believe me when I say that it's completely different from Cinder.

Mechanica was more than a plot-driven book, a character driven story. There were times in the book where it felt slow and if you're more of an action-driven reader, you might want to change your expectations. It read a lot like the original Cinderella story, in that it was more slow natured and told the story of a young girl rising up to her true potential. Nick was a character who was easy to love. She was an independent, resilient and brave girl, who refused to let the circumstances that her evil step family presented to her, dampen who she was. She was very much a feminist role model who never needed to be saved, but instead took the necessary steps to save herself. It was hard not to like her character since she possessed all these great qualities. One of my favorite parts about Mechanica was the friendships that Nick developed throughout the book. She cared for her friends and their relationships were deep and so positive. I loved that Betsy Cornwell wrote this lovely friendship as a glimmer of hope for Nick.

Romance readers will be slightly disappointed to find that Mechanica is lacking in that department. As a reader who craves romance , I initially thought I would struggle with Mechanica for that reason, but I actually really appreciated how much this book focused on a young woman's self and the friends that she developed instead of her romantic relationships. Another part of the book I thoroughly enjoyed was watching Nick use her mother's books and knowledge in order to build these different gadgets. You could tell how passionate Nick was about her mechanical skills and her love for the work was contagious. There was a sweet mechanical horse named Jules who I instantly became fond of and became sort of an ally to Nick. In addition, Mechanica was set in a fascinating world with intriguing politics. There were faeries, dark magic, living steampunk animals. It made for an interesting read for sure. I do, however, believe that Mechanica could have been a much stronger novel had there been more of a tighter plot line. Despite that though, this book worked for me because it had so many valuable lessons to impart on readers.

Mechanica was a thoughtful and powerful story that not only is very readable but also has an important message that women from every age group can benefit from. It might not be the book for everyone, but it is one that is worth giving a shot.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5

**Overall Rating : 3.5/5**

Thank you to HMH Kids for the ARC of Mechanica.