The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer

The Inventor's Secret 
By Andrea Cremer
Published: April 22, 2014
Publisher: Philomel
Pages: 368
1.5 stars

New from Andrea Cremer, the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade novels, comes an action-packed alternate-history steampunk adventure.

In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape  or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, ScottWesterfeld's Leviathan and Phillip Reeve's Mortal Instruments.

Opening Thoughts
When I picked up this book, I thought it would be really good.  Gosh, I was so wrong.  I also thought it would be a stand alone.  I think that it would be a lot better as a stand alone, rather than a series.  I had very high expectations for this books and it started off good, but it went downhill fast.

Characters
The characters were okay.  Charlotte was a good character.  She wasn't fantastic, but she was good.  Being shown off and strong but still showing some softness makes a good combination.  I really liked the fact that she strongly disliked a woman's place in society during that time period, because that is how I would have been had I been alive then. Now with Jack I personally had a hard time characterizing him because I have a friend named Jack and I kept reading and picturing him as my friend. So I really never got to know him. Grave really did not have that much characterization about him. I really thought not having any memory really ruled out his personality. Ash was a big brother type but what is he like as a friend? All I really got from him was protective and bossy and that never settled with me as a good character. These characters did not stick with me at all. 

Plot

This is one of the major problem zones. I felt like they just jumped into the story line. I personally don't like when authors do this. I fell like they should give us some character information before they charge into the pot line. Then I went to fast for me from there on. I found the scenes very lose and short. It would have been better with more elaboration in some parts. Then the ending was the worst part. It ended with no resolution. I felt like nothing was accomplished. You don't do a cliff hanger like that. You first solve the problem and then you add the twist or the problem. You can not end without anything being solved. Yes, it does leave your readers on edge but you stop in the middle of the story and it seems lazy! I liked the idea. The idea itself is really fascinating and if she did a better job on the characters and plot it would have turned out ten times better. The plot was my least favorite part out of all of the book.

I have not found out anything about the second book. I do want to read it just to see what would happen though. I took me a while to read this book just because I had all these problems with it. Sorry this review is so late, I forget about it and just realized I had to finish.

Hope you keep reading 
Grace