This was a goodie and re-reading it to refresh my memory before I start Book 2. ( )

I definitely liked this more than I was expecting too.

The only downfall was pieces of the world-building, especially how the magic worked towards the end of the story. I felt there were holes in the logic of how it worked that made it very confusing. So, the world building gets a 3.5.

( )

A magical mashup of steampunk/fantasy/Hunger Games dystopia/zombie apocalypse and it works and is an amazing story. ( )

The MC, Lark, was not someone I could relate to and continually made choices and said things that frustrated me.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars ( )

4.5/5
Skylark is a very enjoyable book to read. My only complaint is that it's way too short. You just get comfortable with the characters, get to know them and the plot thickens... when bam! it's all finished. I had the same problem with Sister Assassin. TOO SHORT. Is it because it's YA? Do the publishers think that teens suffer from short attention spun? Can any teen tell me if they are alright with short books or if they get bored with something longer than 200 pages? I just want to know.

Lark is a nice young girl who has a great sense of justice. She is determined to set things right even if it means that she will suffer and feel humiliated. That takes great courage. She also doesn't turn the blind eye towards certain truths and doesn't stay in denial like many YA heroines I know.

In short, she is an asset, not a liability, and I greatly admire that.

I loved how Skylark was about friendships not silly love triangles or even a love interest. There is Oren - a wonderful, lonely, wild boy who helps Lark on her journey to the Iron City and there is a tiny pixie Nix, who has a consciousness of its own and who swiftly captures readers hearts.

Although there is an attempt to market Skylark as a steampunk, it's only vaguely steampunk-ish the way City of Ember might have been. It is a clear mix of genres - fantasy and dystopia with bits of clockwork mechanisms thrown in.

The world itself is very vague, but as it's a simple linear plot, it doesn't take from the enjoyment of the book. Overall, a great read! Don't hesitate to buy it for your son or daughter or read it yourself. ( )