February 13, 2012

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk

Worldcat Summary: 
In an alternate 1914 Europe, Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from forces who are attempting to take over the globe with machinery, forms an alliance with Deryn, who is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

Bookskoetter Rating: 4/5


Bookskoetter Review: 
For those, like myself, that are new to the steampunk genre (Huh? What is steampunk?), Leviathan is a great place to start!  It is also wholly unlike Scott Westerfeld's other well-known series, Uglies (which I loved!).  I found myself captivated by this alternate World War I story, and intrigued by the awesome steampunk art peppered throughout the book.  I am often annoyed by artwork in novels, because I like to be able to imagine scenes from the book in my own way. However, the artwork in this novel really helps steampunk newbies like myself picture the machinery and genetically altered creatures found in the story.  The one thing that annoyed me about the novel was that the ending comes to absolutely no conclusion.  It's almost as if they decided the book was "long enough" and that they should stop at the end of a random chapter, and continue the story with the sequel, Goliath (which sadly, I will have to wait to read this summer).  I think that this novel has appeal for fans of many genres, including adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction.  I've noticed that the cover seems to be mainly drawing the attention of guys.  However, I think that girls who read this novel will find a lot to appreciate as well, including strong, independent, and intelligent female characters.

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