The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross 5*

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Author: Kady Cross

Genre: YA Steampunk

Rating: * * * * *

Publishers Date: May 31, 2011

Hardback: 480 pages

ISBN: 0373210337

FTC Disclosure: Net Galley

“In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one, except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch..
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.
Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help - and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on - even if it seems no one believes her.”

Absolutely, the best YA Steampunk I’ve read to date. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in the late 1890’s it contained everything I love about that London era, throw in the steampunk gadgets and it is a solid winner. It has super power action figures (well kinda of), a bit of romance, mystery, drama, and a cast of characters that were all wonderful in their own right. Finley Jayne (don’t you just love that name) has a bit of a Jekyll/Hyde type of personality and when her rich employer’s son tries to push himself on her, that personality takes over. While escaping from him she is injured in a velocycle accident and Griff’s menagerie of strays takes her in. She quickly discovers that this group of people have many other powers and secrets.

Griff’s group is working with the Queen of England to flush out the Machinist, an individual they suspect of turning the machines/androids against the humans. Though the book was told from several POV’s, I was never lost and this book moved at a very fast pace. At nearly 500 pages, it ended way to quickly for me. I’m glad that this is to be a series as I can’t wait to see where their adventures and hopefully romance take them next. Though a young adult book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to readers of Cassandra Clare’s books. It was simply awesome! As I read it as an e-book, I didn’t get to drool over the cover too much (it is gorgeous), but I’ve got a copy on order as I know this is one I’ll want to reread and share with others.