This was a very intriguing book. I'll admit it took me a bit to really get into it. I think my main problem was that Carriger's world was a little crazy to enter. There was a lot going on with steampunk and supernatural. The steampunk side of things (which I'll admit I'm a little hesitant about anyway) wasn't really fully developed. I didn't know why it was necessary to the world. I believed the supernatural side of things. Those dynamics were spelled out well. The steampunk not so much. Additionally some of the history felt wonky with the Renaissance and Enlightenment seemingly meant to describe the same period for different races. I don't know if the supernatural creatures have a different name for era's, but since the Enlightenment is a widely accepted historical era I was slightly confused. 
 Another thing that confused me was the author's concept of "soulessness." I was very intrigued by this when I read the book cover. However, I don't think the concept was developed all the way. The concept of a soul carries a lot of weight in many cultures. However, this girl without out soul didn't seem much different: you know other than being blunt and not having a fashion sense. This was slightly problematic because here we have what is, for all intents and purposes, a very strong female protagonist. Then we say she does not have a soul. This does not seem to be a handicap or something she fights against rather than a way to excuse her forthrightness. It gives a slight negative connotation to a protagonist who should a decent example for girls in a world of Bellas. 
 All this aside, I did enjoy reading the book, and will probably read the sequel to see how things play out. Honestly, the romantic side of things helped me with that. However, the above things should not be forgivable simply for that. I feel like the world and characters could have been known slightly better all around.