Review: The Iron Thorn by by Caitlin Kittredge

Title: The Iron Thorn
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Date: February 22nd 2011
Pages: 492
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Steampunk, Urban Fantasy
Series: The Iron Codex #1
Source: Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

Review:

Iron Thorn is a dystopian with a steampunk edge. The year is never really mentioned, however it seems that it is the future where sickness and madness has taken over the world. The world in which this story takes places is amazing. The author did a wonderful job on creating a world that is intriguing, mysterious, and dangerous. It was very hard to tell in the beginning if the mad creatures were zombie, vampires, witches, or something different altogether. Then I found out hey, this book has it all.

Even though the story was a little slow in the beginning for me, it still held my interest. The story held more of a building of characters for me then the actual story. It was hard to see where the author was taking me in the journey and I have to admit, the story took a completely different turn than expected. It seemed that the book shifted halfway through. The shift actually helped the story in my mind. I did enjoy the book, but I am hoping this book was just a build up for the characters and the next installment has more of the actual story.

The characters all held their own in this book. I enjoyed them all. The main character, Aoife, is strong, stubborn, and yes a little crazy. She is determined to find her brother alive and proof that she is not going mad like many others in her family. Dean is just amazing. He has the bad boy with attitude with the desire to protect. My favorite kind of male character! He made the story for me. His sarcasm and harsh ways made me love him even more and put Aoife on edge. Cal was the only character that I am not sold on at first. For a boy growing up in such a dangerous, cold, and ugly world, he is a real winey wimp. In the end though, well my opinion of Cal changed drastically.

If you like dark and mysterious journeys with strong character building, this is the book for you. I do look forward to reading the next installment and see where the journey leads to next. 

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