My Pre Reading
Title: Boneshaker
Author: Cherie Priest
Year Published: 2009
Synopsis: Boneshaker derives its title from the Bone-Shaking Drill Engine, a device designed to give Russian prospectors a leg up in the race for Klondike gold. Unfortunately, there was one hitch: On its trial run, the Boneshaker went haywire and, long story short, turned much of Seattle into a city of the dead. Now, 16 years later, a teenage boy decides to find out what is behind that mysterious wall. Can his mother save him in time? Zombie lit of the first order.
Review: I was told this book was one of those not-quite-YA books. That is very true. It is not your typical YA that has a strong female protagonist finding her way in a strange world. The YA part of it isn't even female. The story has two different perspectives. One is that of a teenage boy and the other is that of his mother. I guess people consider it YA because one of the perspectives is that of a young adult.
I like that there are two perspectives. Both leads meet some of the same characters on their journeys. It's interesting to see how they interact differently and to know things that the protagonists do not.
I felt that this was a slow paced novel. This may be because the whole novel takes place over only a few days. Time passing always make a novel feel faster. I also felt that it took some time to get to know the main characters, but by the end I not only knew the main characters but really liked a lot of the side characters. Some of my favorites were Swakhammer, Miss Angeline, and Dr. Minnericht.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The steampunk and the zombies just didn't really connect with me, though. It was well written, but not YA. If you are looking for a steampunk and zombies book that is more of your typical YA, you should pick up Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard. I give Boneshaker a 4/5.
-PAUL
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