While not a bad book, because it was certainly entertaining, Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson was utterly predictable. I knew how it was going to end probably before the author did. So let's talk about what made it tick - and what didn't. 
 Verity Newton as the main character was boring. Seriously, Swendson couldn't have chosen a more tedious character to narrate this novel, despite being a half-breed that can potentially cause conflict down the road. And while she wasn't unlikeable per se, she lacked that badass quality that every main character should have. She was, for the most part, meek and unsure of herself, almost until the very end. 
 Lord Henry was delightful and enigmatic, with his bespectacled eyes and his nose shoved in books. But his secret is given up early on in the novel and I would have liked to have seen it drawn out more for the reader. He is much more than an entomologist, and I wanted to know even more about him than we got. 
 Alec, one of the Mechanics, I never found trustworthy or worth Verity's schoolgirl crush. He came off as conceited and as if he disregarded all of Verity's feelings about their situation and how she might have been used by the rebels. 
 Likewise, Lizzie struck me as a little two-faced, despite knowing she did have benevolent intentions. She simply justified her actions a little too much for me to like her. 
 I actually liked Flora and the children, despite Flora's vanity. Shallow waters run deep, and all that. I'm looking forward to seeing where her character goes in the second book, and if she is also involved unbeknownst to the rest of the rebels, Henry and Verity. The kids were genuine and inquisitive. 
 I sense a love triangle brewing. Although I usually don't feel one way or another regarding them, they still need to be organic. I have a feeling there will be romantic conflict in the second book and I'm not really looking forward to that. I hate when an author creates one where it's obvious that the main character should be with one character and not the other. 
 The plot was interesting: this is an alternate reality where the American colonists did not successfully overthrow the British control, and Red Coats still patrol NYC while the colony is under the thumb of the monarchy. It begins quickly, with a robbery on Verity's train by masked bandits, which leads her straight into the hands of conflict, but she handles herself well. I'm kind of excited to see where Swendson takes it next. 
 Overall, not a terrible book, but it could be made better with improved characterization and less obvious plotlines.This book may have been provided in exchange for an honest review, and therefore will be noted on the original post.