Part steampunky, part post-apocalyptic tale, part mystery, part teen hijinks--honestly STEEL LILY wears many hats depending on what you like/focus on. Admittedly I almost gave up on the book--wait wait hear me out. Almost from the start Avery is given the worst luck in the history of ever. Her classmate pulls a cruel trick, several folks in the Polatzi (special police force) take advantage of her 'gift', her parents are missing, her gift makes her ill--and that's not even getting into some of the other stuff.

I'm not terribly fond of heroines (or heroes) who are so heavily tread upon from the get go. Sometimes, if handled well I'll ignore it and move on. But we all have those moments of impatience right?

Once the plot starts rolling...well actually Avery acquires almost chronically bad luck (mostly for those around her), but her proactive spirit to survive and help those around her (even the mean classmate) make her likeable. Also I'm a sucker for sarcasm.

Jaxon (or Jax) is an odd duck to be sure. He talks a lot, but most of what he says talks circles around itself and half of what he says is to get a reaction. He's quite full of himself, or projects as much at least, and I found myself quite smitten with his kind of reckless behavior (though if I was in Avery's position I may not have). His interactions with Avery tend to be him flirting, her smacking him down, him trying harder, her smacking him down harder and so forth.

I appreciated that Curd didn't have Avery just tumble into lust with Jaxon, but not question everything he said. Until some reveals about his past come about, Jax's actions aren't what you'd call in Avery's best interests. Secreting her out her first night to do something highly prohibited, talking about escape pretty quickly after knowing her--he seems reckless, problematic and disruptive to the new life Avery wanted to build. His softer side is shown slowly and covered up by a lot of bluster when caught out.

There's a couple twists in the book that come as a one-two punch at the end, and the supporting characters are certainly worth reading about (Sari is kinda hilarious and Alice wavered for me, she felt less defined then the others, Griggs is oily and swarmy while Xander is...difficult to get a handle on). I'm eager for the next book (Winter 2013 release, hopefully) and certainly hope that Avery finds some measure of peace eventually. ( )

I absolutely loved this book! I've added it to our school library and every student who has tried it-flew through it! I haven't gotten the chance to read the rest of the series but am dying to. The characters and story line were so original and once again-a gorgeous clean story! Major props to this author. I'm short on time or I would go on and on about this. Please trust me and read this book ASAP! ( )

I started reading STEEL LILY, mainly because I got an ARC for IRON PENDULUM. The blurb seemed interesting so I thought, why not give it a shot? Big mistake. I wasted my Saturday afternoon reading this book. I didn’t enjoy it at all. The beginning was okay and the ending was…interesting. I didn’t like anything else. I got bored of the characters–not one was interesting, they were dull. Also, it felt like Hunger Games and Divergent combined.

Why The Hunger Games? The Domes in STEEL LILY = Districts
Why Divergent? The Resistance/Alliance in STEEL LILY = Insurgents

It’s not that I don’t like Divergent or The Hunger Games because I love them. The thing is that the story reminded me of these series a lot and didn’t have anything of it’s own, aside from controlling steam.

I grew tired of the story. I forced myself to finish the book since I need to make a review for IRON PENDULUM for a blog tour.

I didn’t like this. Plain and simple. We’ll see if IRON PENDULUM is better. ( )

NOTE: I received the eARC from the author.

Fan of dystopia I am not. Mostly because of the depression and hopelessness that follows everyone everywhere. Sure, I know that everyone gets saved in the end, because you know, there has to be something positive in all the devastation, but still... I usually steer clear of that lot.

But I just had to make an exception for author Megan Curd. I'd heard good things about her books, so I thought I'd give her a chance. To tell you the truth, I'm not sorry at all. It was a fluent read, well balanced in pacing, plot and character development. The story wasn't completely unique, but then there's yet for me to stumble upon a truly unique distopian novel. After all, they do talk about a destroyed world, where a tiny number of survivors are trying to hang on to dear life.

Yet, there was originality that I really came to like. Since the world as we know it ended in a nuclear war, there was radiation everywhere. This radiation is the reason why some people have developed certain abilities - mostly they have to do with controlling the elements. The more powerful the elementalist, the more sought after. In the beginning, right after the war, seven domes were erected to save the population of the U.S. Of all seven, only one remains, or so everyone's been told. Why? Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? And I'm not telling. If you're curious, you better go read the book for yourself.

Let's move on to the characters.

Avery is the POV of this story. She's the strongest elementalist in Dome 4(I hope I'm not wrong), who could create the life sustaining steam which everything in the dome operates on. Think electricity, food production, clean water supplies, uncontaminated air, protection from the outside world... you name it, it runs on steam. And there's only three people supplying steam, one of whom is Avery. Despite the value of her ability though, there are only a couple of people who actually care about her - her best friend Alice, and a boy everyone calls Legs. Avery is supposed to be protected by the Dome's government, but all she gets is blackmail, ridicule, hatred and the like. Which is why she's so eager to escape the place, hoping there's salvation somewhere outside.

I don't exactly know how it happens that the villain always knows when the protagonist is at his/her weakest and attacks, but that's how it happens here as well. Except, the villain here isn't acting like one and we, along with the protagonist are led to believe the villain is actually the savior. I'm not really surprised, since that's how it is in real life too.

The other lead character was Jaxon. Son of the heartless villain, who is a sweetheart behind the wall of sarcasm. I can't say I liked Jaxon right away. I'm not into the cocky bad boy type, so that's no surprise. When his armor or rudeness and sarcasm started slipping away though... I couldn't not like him. He had a bleeding heart that wouldn't really take on mending. His wounds go way down and I can't even begin to tell you how sad and sick it made me to read about the things done to him. That he's still standing firm and fighting is a miracle of its own.

Alice was the cheerful friend, the ever optimist, the person who never saw the gray and black. I thought she was a bit foolish to see only pink in a destroyed world. But then again, I believe in a group of people there must be one to keep the spirits up at all times.

Xander was difficult to decipher. He was suspicious in a very subtle way, but still kept me guessing his intentions until the very end.

In conclusion, I'd like to say that Steel Lily is a quick read with an interesting plot. If you're into dystopian novels, you'd probably like it. ( )

Steel Lily is FANTASTIC!!!! It's definitely one of my top 3 YA reads of the year! It's a unique mix of steampunk and dystopian and totally captivating! It's one of those books you wish you could unread, just so you can reread it for the first time again! The writing, plot, romance, characters.. everything really was perfect. There isn't one thing I would change about this book!

So, I am totally in LOVE with Jaxon. He is your atypical yet swoonworthy boy. He has dreadlocks and is overly full of himself. Here's one of my favorite scenes from him:

Are you finished checking me out? If you're not, that's okay; I allow every new woman I meet a free five-minute gawking period. After that, it'll cost you."

Blood rushed to my face. I tore my eyes from his magnetic gaze and watched as he pulled back his dredlocks, deep brown streaked with blonde, into a strap. His devilish grin pulled his eyes tight at the corners. He was trouble incarnate.

Trouble that I may very well want to get into, given the right circumstances.

"You're at five minutes and thirty seconds now," he said in a purr as he moved toward me. He leaned in, and I felt his breath against my cheek. My heart raced. "I'm going to start taking payment, and I choose how that payment is issued."

Megan Curd is a fabulous writer, I was awed at the ease in which she introduces us to her dystopian world. The element of steampunk and the fantasy of the elemental powers was intriguing. She's witty and can write a darn good steamy kiss. This book.. mark my word.. will be popular. There's no way it couldn't be, it's wonderful. After reading Steel Lily I know I will read anything and everything Megan Curd!

Summary
I totally don't want to give too much away about the plot because I want you to be surprised. So here's the essentials..

Since her parents disappearance, Avery has been used to provide fuel for the Dome she's been living in. That is, until a mysterious person offers her answers to the questions she's had since they left. Avery and her Alice are pondering his invitation for answers, when danger comes knocking on their door. They are saved by the very handsome and cocky Jaxon, the son of the mysterious man. They are swept away to safety, but safety may just be an illusion. Lies, deceit, and love.. Avery finds that not all answers are worth learning. ( )