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Lumiere by Jacqueline Garlick
One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything.
After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum. Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own. Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all. |
Book Review
Yay, first off let me say how super excited i was to receive this book. I did the blitz a few weeks ago and every since then, i really wanted to read the book. I was able to find book 1 and book 2 on Netgalley, so that was awesome.
I started off with slightly high expectations for this book and it didn't disappoint. Let me start by saying that this is my first ever steampunk type book....i don't read a lot of historical either...so some parts of the descriptions left me slightly confused...i guess maybe my imagination is also probably lacking because i had problems visualizing some of the steampunk scenes. This isnt really the book or author fault, im just new to the genre. Despite that though, i did really enjoy the story.
The opening scene with the mechanical elephant was my favorite scene in the whole book. That first scene really set the mood for the steampunk theme. The sights and sounds were described well and it really came alive. This is also when we first see The Illuminator. By the end of the prologue, we know something horrible and possibly irreversible has happened. The prologue in general was a very good hook for the rest of the story. The first chapter and the rest of the book was set in the the future and in a very much different world. In the last 9-10 years since the prologue, the world has drastically changed, pretty much for the worse for the lives of the citizens of this world.
I really enjoyed this book and the writing. I found the characters to be well written and interesting. One thing i noticed was how the characters arent perfect. In most books, the love interest is considered perfect. You know, the protag females is thinking about his perfect skin and muscles and whatever else she finds attractive. This book is the opposite. Neither the protag or love interest are perfect, but the love story still works. Its a slow forming love story and that makes it feel authentic.
The whole book took me a while to read, like more than a week. Im not sure if i was distracted or if the story events were slow, but i found the middle slightly slow moving. The semester just started, so i suspect i was just preoccupied. Overall, i give the book 4 stars for being a great story, with great writing and characters. I look forward to reading the next book.
I started off with slightly high expectations for this book and it didn't disappoint. Let me start by saying that this is my first ever steampunk type book....i don't read a lot of historical either...so some parts of the descriptions left me slightly confused...i guess maybe my imagination is also probably lacking because i had problems visualizing some of the steampunk scenes. This isnt really the book or author fault, im just new to the genre. Despite that though, i did really enjoy the story.
The opening scene with the mechanical elephant was my favorite scene in the whole book. That first scene really set the mood for the steampunk theme. The sights and sounds were described well and it really came alive. This is also when we first see The Illuminator. By the end of the prologue, we know something horrible and possibly irreversible has happened. The prologue in general was a very good hook for the rest of the story. The first chapter and the rest of the book was set in the the future and in a very much different world. In the last 9-10 years since the prologue, the world has drastically changed, pretty much for the worse for the lives of the citizens of this world.
I really enjoyed this book and the writing. I found the characters to be well written and interesting. One thing i noticed was how the characters arent perfect. In most books, the love interest is considered perfect. You know, the protag females is thinking about his perfect skin and muscles and whatever else she finds attractive. This book is the opposite. Neither the protag or love interest are perfect, but the love story still works. Its a slow forming love story and that makes it feel authentic.
The whole book took me a while to read, like more than a week. Im not sure if i was distracted or if the story events were slow, but i found the middle slightly slow moving. The semester just started, so i suspect i was just preoccupied. Overall, i give the book 4 stars for being a great story, with great writing and characters. I look forward to reading the next book.
Jacqueline Garlick
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I'm Jacqueline Garlick, author of young adult and new adult fiction. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. (Don't you?)
I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper). I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology and would rather hang out with a dog, than a cat. I prefer creating things to cleaning things, and believe laughter is a one-stop-shop solution to all that ails you. You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (currently in my writing room), and there may or may not be a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won't find a hidden passageway, but a girl can dream, can't she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea. My writing style has been described as edgy and rule-breaking, and by some--a touch Tim Burton-esque. Because of this, I am often referred to as the Quentin Tarantino of YA among writing friends. In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don't ask), but more recently I've been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin's Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship. |
