This is not my usual selection, I must admit. The steampunk genre is not one I commonly read (the technical descriptions, I've found, sometimes take away from the story), but I picked this book up on a whim after hearing the author speak at a convention. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters were engaging and quirky, and the locations were relatively diverse and well-described. I thought that the alternate history aspect was very interesting, and it is obvious the author knew a lot about the time period (the alternate timeline in the back of the book was very thorough). 
 One complain I have is in regards to the romance, which I felt took over the plot to a greater extent. The interactions in the beginning between Charlotte and Jack were very fun, but as the story progressed, it felt a little forced. Also, I see the beginnings of a love triangle. Why these have been deemed a necessity in YA fiction is completely beyond me. 
 The tone of the writing was a little juvenile, but not to the point where it felt condescending. Perhaps I'm a bit older than the intended audience. Despite this, I did enjoy the book, and will likely try to read further into the series eventually.