Etiquette and Espionage  By Gail Carriger

The idea behind this book has a lot of potential. It is the story of a spy school that is designed as a finishing school and as such, it would seem to have all kinds of fun and exciting angles to explore.  It is also a “steam punk” novel. I had never heard of this style of writing until I read this book, in fact, I had to look up the term to find out what it was. As it turns out, steampunk is a type of science fiction that usually features steam-powered machinery and takes place during the 19th century.

Sophronia is the main character in this novel. She is fourteen years old and the youngest daughter of a middle class Victorian family. Because she is always exploring and into mischief, her mother sends her to a finishing school to help her become more “ladylike”. Unbeknownst to her family, the finishing school she is sent to is also a school of espionage.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I like Sophronia as the main character, but most of the characters seemed just a little flat. The story line was also lacking as well, it just never got me super involved. Part of the problem may have been the “steam  punk” theme. You may want to give it a try and see if you agree or disagree.