Review: Not Bad, Not Great
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 15, 2014
This was a tolerable story about a girl who is chosen to become an alchemist and becomes embroiled in city politics. It's a simple read with a straightforward plot. Although the characters are teens, I'd say this is more of a middle grade book, because it focuses on adventure rather than feelings and romance.My biggest problem with the book was the setting. I think it's supposed to be a historical novel, except the locations are fictional. Based on the scientific advancements and social structures mentioned in the book, I'd guess it's set in fourteenth century Europe somewhere. Normally I love historical fiction, but this book avoids diving into anything historical. I had a hard time picturing what the characters are wearing, what the houses look like, even their everyday behavior. It feels much more like a fantasy setting to me, with generic multi-room stone houses, cobbled streets, open-air markets, and dense mysterious forests.The characters are somewhat flat. Their motivations are often unclear, especially when they change their behavior. I was rather confused when Jenny's friend Emily decides she likes Tom, the injured soldier, instead of John, the alchemist's son. In fact, the women in the book behaved in a very unladylike manner for the time period, running around unescorted and spending extended periods of time with men. The women are superficial and flighty, and the reader never gets a glimpse into why they behave that way.The writing had amateur moments, mostly in regards to clarity and point of view. I noticed a lot of head hopping, with the reader seeing and feeling everything for a character, and then in the next paragraph jumping to someone else with no warning. Some of the phrasing was awkward, such as "Jenny heard the voice and a gentle poke on her shoulder." (Chapter 3) I noticed some grammatical and spelling issues, although not an overwhelming number of them.I don't think I would recommend this book. I found it to be slow and unfocused. It isn't terrible, but I don't feel it was worth my time to read.