Brooke Johnson

This is a good first novel, but it could have been so much better. It reads like a second draft, not a polished manuscript.

Petra is an engaging, relatable character most of the time. I cannot say the same for Emmerich; I really didn't like him at all. He keeps waffling on the important things, changing his mind about what he wants. Petra deserves someone better, someone who can give her all of his heart.

Many turns of phrase in the novel are awkward and/or overly simplistic, 'telling' rather than 'showing.' I don't think there's one complex sentence in the whole thing. This does make it an 'easy read' for those who don't really read or for whom English is a second language, but I found it frustrating. I like my reading material to have a mixture of complex and simple sentences, to break up the text and give it some interest.

It feels like the author sometimes manipulates the plot to make the characters do some things that don't really fit the picture she's created previously. Petra forgives Emmerich way too easily for the stupid things he does, and another character changes sides without enough motivation.

At one point, a character is burning to death, and she carries on a calm conversation with another character, ignoring the pain of the fire in her flesh. This is completely impossible, as this pain is probably worse than anything she could have ever felt or imagined before; there is no way she'd be able to speak clearly and intelligently.

There are some wonderful descriptions of the city and university, and Emmerich's 'copper eyes' are referred to numerous times, but I have no idea what Petra looked like. I tend to do this in my own writing as well, so I notice it as I'm working on it myself: there are too few descriptions of characters. We should 'see' the story, not just be told what's going on.

I enjoyed finding out what happened to Petra, and I think the plot was very good. I'm looking forward to Ms. Johnson's next novel; I'm sure her skills will be sharpened and her writing will be improved with each successive piece she creates.… (més)

I wasn't aware this was a YA novel when I read it, and I had no problems reading it as an adult. It's full of details and the author does well getting into the thoughts and feelings of Petra Wade, humble shop girl who yearns to be an Engineer. She lives in Chroniker City, a place of clockwork and steam which has a gigantic undercity beneath it to store the machinery that runs it all.

This was a pretty quick read that kept me turning the pages. Toward the end, I found Petra to be a little too passive, so that when she suddenly springs into action, it seemed a bit sudden and out of character.

I'm looking forward to the sequel and hope to see Petra standing up for herself more, further travels through the city (and undercity), and more clockwork creatures!… (més)

Book Giveaway & Review: When Brooke Johnson approached me about reviewing her YA steampunk novel, The Clockwork Giant, I was immediately drawn to the concept. I’m a sucker for steampunk and strong female protagonists, and I couldn’t help asking myself why someone would build a giant. At the time, I was solidly booked with reviews, but Brooke is very patient and I’m glad because this novel was well worth the wait. Not only do I get to share it with you but she’s provided a copy that you can enter to win! Read the rest of my review & enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=3344.… (més)