The Boneshaker

Full review at SFF Book Review.

I'm surprised that with a title like this (and following Cherie Priest's succes with her “Boneshaker”) this book doesn't get more attention. It is a wonderfully fun story about the little Missouri town of Arcane where Natalie is trying very hard to learn how to ride the Chesterlane bicycle her father built for her.

When a medicine show arrives in town, she starts noticing strange things - not just about the mysterious, red-haired Dr. Limberleg, but about the inhabitants of her very own home town. Soon she discovers that things are more than they seem and that only she can prevent a terrible, terrible thing from happening.

Kate Milford does a fantastic job of grabbing your interest and holding it until the very end. This book is so full of atmosphere and stories-within-stories, filled with magic and mystery, that I think is perfect for children and young adults. As an adult, I enjoyed myself immensely, despite being able to guess some of the twists and revelations. But with such great pacing and those beautiful illustrations, I believe this is one of the better children's books out there at the moment. Recommended!

7,5/10