book reviews forevermore

Fun, in a lacy, girly sort of way. Certainly not anything I'd want to spend too long wearing, but enjoyable enough for a couple of hours. The characters are growing on me, or perhaps gaining depth, and a few of the new ones were fun to meet, especially Mdme. Lefoux. Even Ivy's consistently hideous hats and dramatic malapropisms were worth a chuckle. However, she did get to be a bit over-the-top; I wonder if Carriger is going for the tone of the Victorian spoof(calling Bertie)? Except dear Bertie never focused so much on "bedroom escapades" with the ladies. Thank goodness for "Papa's books" which provide so much extra education for our protagonist. The plot is serviceable, less contrived and silly than the last book, with a mild mystery for our protagonist to solve. Overall, it centers too much on poor communication, especially with her husband. If only they talked to each other--but then, where would the plot be? As we can tell from the (unnecessary) cliffhanger ending, I'm sure it's a device that is going to continue. What brings me back, since I'm no fan of the Victorian romance (excepting the escapades of poor Bertie)? Alexia's curious ability, overall character growth, curiosity and a well-done steampunk setting.