Publisher: Atom
Source: Purchased
Pages: 329
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Series: Finishing School #1
Genres: 19th Century, Historical, Paranormal, Steampunk, Young Adult
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.
Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners-and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's young ladies learn to finish . . . everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage - in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.
Steampunk Gallagher Girls
Gallagher Girls was one of my favourite books when I was in high school, and when I first heard of this, the whole finishing school for spies thing, I immediately thought about Gallagher Girls. Lucky for me, what I expected is what I got! The spy lessons don’t take the forefront of the plot, but they’re mentioned a lot and always in the most hilarious ways.
More MG/ young YA in tone
Sophonia and friends are, at the eldest, 14. Some of the side characters might be 16 or so, but the focus of the story is definitely younger and that is reflected in the story’s tone. Personally I would have preferred older characters and more complex elements and writing that comes with it, but ETIQUETTE AND ESPIONAGE was still a heap of fun to read and the younger, whimsical tone contributed to that.
Would have loved more espionage
Sophonia does a lot of sneaking around the school and learning bits and pieces, but it wasn’t enough for me! I wanted more secrets, more suspenseful and daring escapades. There wasn’t much risk or surprise involved. This might come in future books as the characters age (I hope).
I love the humour & supernatural elements
I can have a pretty ridiculous sense of humour at times. I will seriously laugh at the silliest things. ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE had a lot of sarcastic, tongue in cheek one liners that had me cackling. I’m not sure how many other people share this strange sense of humour but I LOVE IT.
I’m looking forward to watching these girls grow up
I didn’t completely connect to all the girls in ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE but I did like many of them. I’m looking forward to following them as they grow up into fine ladies and marvellous spies and assassins. Hopefully with age comes some more complicated, risky plots and heists.
If I had to summarise ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE in a single sentence, it is basically a historical steampunk Gallagher Girls with paranormal elements. It was a good little read, but I wish it had the complexity and depth that comes with older audiences/ characters. I’m really looking forward to following Sophronia and her friends grow up and finish (a.k.a. graduate) as spies and assassins.
Buy ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE: Book Depository | Booktopia | BookWorld
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|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
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| Overall: | 3.3 |
Emily @ theBookishLounge
This sounds like such a fun and unique book! Sometimes I have a bit of trouble getting into books with a younger tone but “historical steampunk Gallagher Girls” is definitely a sell for me. Great review Bec :D
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Bec
It was a tonne of fun! Yeah I can struggle with the younger tone a lot, but if I find it funny and fun then I can usually get into it okay :D
Joy // Joyousreads
I don’t do well in this genre but I have her adult series from which this YA was based. I haven’t read those either. Maybe I’ll be inspired to read these books after I read those? :)
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Bec
I’ve read the first book of her adult series and it was also a tonne of fun! From what I hear some of the characters in the adult series appear in this series as kids (though I haven’t met them in the adult series yet haha)
Beware Of The Reader
Awesome review! And I love sarcasm in books too :-)
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Bec
Thanks! Sarcasm is the best type of humour XD
ShootingStarsMag
Sounds like a fun read. Sorry the characters were a bit younger than you would have liked. I thought they were too, though I haven’t read this one yet.
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Bec
It would just have been that extra bit more interesting if they were older! Hopefully that comes in the sequels.
Joy @ Thoughts By J
I’ve been in such a mood lately to read all the regency fantasy novels, thanks to Alison Goodman’s Lady Helen series. If you’re looking for something a little older, I highly recommend that!
This book sounds totally fun, but just a little young for me. I think I would have loved it if I was still in high school though :D
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Bec
I LOVE the Lady Helen books! I wanted this to be a bit more like those haha.
Kyra
I’m glad you enjoyed this! I was so excited to read this but when I did eventually pick it up I struggled through it and nearly DNFed! It didn’t have enough espionage and action, I felt. >.<
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Bec
It definitely could have used a lot more espionage and plot action! I’m hoping there will be a bit more in the next few books.
Tasya
I didn’t really enjoyed Heist Society, which is why I never tried out Gallagher girls, but this one sounds fun! I’m in a historical fiction kick right now, so I’m definitely adding this to my tbr!
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Bec
I hope you do enjoy it if you do decide to pick it up :D
Kelly @ Here's to Happy Endings
I’ve had this book on my Kindle for ages, but haven’t gotten around to reading it. I love how it’s kind of on the fence for both MG and YA – that helps it appeal to multiple age groups (and MG can be such fun to read). It’s a bummer about the actual espionage though – I was definitely hoping for more of that, too! Great review!
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Bec
There are a lot of books nowadays branching genres.
With any luck there will be more espionage in the next book.
Thanks :D
Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity
Oh, wow. I had no idea that the characters were so young in this one! I always find it harder to connect to them when they’re so much younger than me (I mean, almost ten years in this case). I really hope that the series follows them as they grow up because it sounds like it could be even more amazing than this one. I really do want to read this book because of the steampunk elements, so thanks for the heads up about the age! At least I won’t be shocked when I read it, haha.
I hope you like the rest of the series, Bec!
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Bec
I thought they were going to be 15/16, but apparently not. It’s been a while since we were that young haha. From the looks of things it follows them over the next year or so (they’ll be about 16 when the last book happens I think).
The steampunk stuff was so cool!
The Book Filled Day
Steampunk Gallagher Girls sounds awesome! Unfortunately, I read it and felt like it was more MG than YA and really wanted it to be YA. I still liked it though I haven’t read any of the others.
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Bec
This was my main struggle! Hopefully if you do read the others they’ll be older and a bit more enjoyable.
Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews
I own a copy of this but haven’t read it yet – a lot of my most trusted blogger friends adore it though but it seems like it’s a series that grows on you the more you read it. I’m glad you’re going to keep going with the series and I can’t wait to see how you make out :)
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Bec
I’m glad to hear it’s grown on your friends! That was exactly what I was hoping for :D
Julie Wright
I have just finished the Parasol Protectorate books and loved them, I am hoping that these are just as fun :)
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Bec
Hopefully! You’ve reminded me I need to finish the Parasol Protectorate series. I’ve only read the first book