Audiobook Review – Ticker by Lisa Mantchev (3/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Length: 8 hours and 2 minutes (270 pages)
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Release Date: December 1, 2014
ASIN: B00P6T2P5S
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars
I have had this book to read for quite a while. This was a decent YA steampunk novel. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, although there are some story plot points I just didn’t get.
Penny Farthing has a clockwork heart. She acquired this heart when she nearly died and the family friend and famous surgeon (Calvin Warwick) gave her this clockwork heart. It has been discovered that Warwick has murdered a number of people in his quest to augment them with mechanical bits. Now on the eve of Warwick’s trial Penny finds her home ransacked and her parents kidnapped. Penny ends up having to work with the ostentatious and handsome Marcus Kingsley to try to solve this case and save her parents.
This was an okay story. I had a bit of trouble engaging with the characters; they were just all such stereotypical steampunk characters. I enjoyed Penny some but she was just so careless and selfish that she was hard to root for as a heroine.
There was one plot point I really really struggled with. Throughout the book Penny’s heart is giving out and Warwick is the only one who can fix it…yet Penny spends the majority of the book trying to stay away and flee from Warwick. It makes no sense, she has no back-up plan. Why did she fight so hard to stay away from the person who could fix her ticker for her? I mean seriously. The worst this mad surgeon could do is kill her trying to save her and she is going to die any second anyway.
I enjoyed the steampunk devices throughout and Penny’s plucky attitude. This was a quick and fun read that was action packed and fast-paced.
Overall this was an okay steampunk YA read with some flaws in the plot and characters that were a bit too stereotypical. I did enjoy the steampunk devices throughout and Penny’s plucky attitude. While I enjoy Gail Carriger’s books quite a bit more, this was still a fun steampunk YA read. I would tentatively recommend this if you are looking for a fun steampunk read, however if you haven’t read Gail Carriger’s books check those out first because they are much better.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
– 2015 Audiobook Challenge
