Mini Review: A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron

#2 in the Dark Unwinding series
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic 
Pages: 352
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Mini Review
(no spoilers)

You know how it's harder to write a positive review than a negative review? Yes? No? Well, it is for me. I don't know why, but whenever I dislike a book I have a clear list of reasons why the book did not work for me.

But when I love a book, gah, my brain goes all mushy and all I can come up with is, "I really loved it!" which isn't particularly helpful or reviewy.

That pretty much describes my reaction to A Spark Unseen. I really loved it.

Protagonist Katharine remains one of my absolute favorite book best friends ever. She's pragmatic. I know readers usually exclaim over characters who are bold or tough or strong or funny, (and Katharine is ALL of those things) but my favorite thing about Katharine is that she's pragmatic.

I have all sorts of visions of us sitting on our sleeping bags calmly making lists and organizational charts together, and I am in heaven.

It just so happens that the subject of all of Katharine's meticulous plans is a desperate quest to Paris with the dual purpose of:

1. Absconding with her autistic uncle before the authorities can snatch him away and use his super genius to make weapons, AND 
2. Seek out her spy-lover who has gone missing and is presumed dead by all but the ever-devoted Katharine (warning: I teared up, a few times)

Does that sound like a lot? I know, it is. But it's also only scratching the surface of what goes on (more spies, intrigues, double crosses, murders, inventions, society ladies, gossip, swoon!).

Of course that means the book is fast-paced (yay!), but Katharine's practical, orderly nature helps keep things from feeling like a runaway horse ride.

Though, given the twisty nature of the way Katharine finds out stuff (due to the lying and spying and so forth), I highly recommend reading without distractions (or you may have to re-read some sections for them to make sense, like I had to do).

For those who want a ton of historical details, sorry, you're not going to get them. Of course the setting is all properly historical, but there aren't a TON of tiny details about Napoleon III, current events, common fabrics used and food eaten, etc. (though Sharon Cameron definitely knows her stuff).

Which is totally fine, because the historical setting is clearly defined without taking away any focus from the plot. And, yes, I say this as a complete and unabashed history nerd.

And, one final word on the romance: this is how I want it done. Katharine's interactions with the man she loves make me love her even more. I get why they love each other, I appreciate the pacing (slow but determined) and how it motivates Katherine without monopolizing the plot or making her seem silly. And the final declaration scene, aaahh LOVE IT.

Bottom line

As a sequel, it really is important that you pick up The Dark Unwinding first (aside from being lost whenever events reference those previous happenings, you'll totally miss the significance of the hilarious scenes with a certain society gossip). Like the first book, A Spark Unseen ends well and could be seen as complete, but the door is also left open for more.  

Katharine is such a unique voice in YA fiction, and I hope to be able to read more of her adventures. Sharon Cameron strikes a brilliant balance of plot, character, mystery, and history. I am eagerly awaiting her next book, whatever it may be.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about A Spark Unseen that I haven't addressed?
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this?

You might like:

 Click on the pictures to go to my reviews.

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A Spark Unseen Blog Hop, Day 10: Napoleon III Fun Facts

Please Welcome Sharon Cameron!

I am so excited to host Sharon Cameron here on Small Review! Last year I was surprised by how much I loved the first book in her Gothic/steampunk series The Dark Unwinding. Even more surprising was how much I loved the follow up A Spark Unseen even more!

I'll be reviewing A Spark Unseen soon, but until then Sharon has some nifty facts about Napoleon III to share with you today. Napoleon III (and his notorious behavior) play a key role in A Spark Unseen, and being both a lover of history and this series, I am super excited to be able to host this stop on the tour.

Check out Sharon's website for more information about the blog tour!

Stop by J reads YA! for the previous tour stop or head over to Book Brats for the next stop!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Napoleon III Fun Facts

Charles Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, or Emperor Napoleon III, Fun Facts (and this time they really are facts!):

*Charles Louis-Napoléon’s mother, Hortense, was the step-daughter and a great favorite of Napoleon Bonaparte I, who was then Emperor of France. At Napoleon I’s request, Hortense was married to Louis, his brother. The marriage was an unhappy one, and the gossips of the time said that the resulting children of this marriage, including Charles Louis, were not the sons of the Emperor’s brother, but of Napoleon I himself. When asked about his parentage, Charles Louis’s only recorded response was, “I have done my math.” The identity of Napoleon III’s father is still debated among historians.

*Napoleon III was a noted “ladies’ man.” He was rumored to have fathered several illegitimate children during his lifetime, one when he spent a number of months in London with a local actress. There were at least two other children that he quietly supported (without the knowledge of the Empress), along with several mistresses. In 2011 a Napoleon DNA project was begun, attempting to find and identify all the children of the male Bonapartes.

Dashing, huh?

*Before proposing to the Empress Eugenie, Napoleon III asked for the hand of sixteen year old Princess Adelheid, the niece of Queen Victoria. Victoria strongly disapproved, and the princess’s parents therefore refused their consent.

*There were at least two assassination attempts against Napoleon III during his reign as Emperor. One in 1855, and the most infamous attempt in 1858, when an Italian radical threw bombs of his own design at the royal carriage while the Emperor was on his way to the opera. 8 people were killed and 142 wounded, though the Emperor and Empress were unhurt. There was also a “plan of assassination” recorded to have been “broken up” in September of 1854, though the details of this remain shrouded in mystery.

*Perhaps because of the constant threat to his life, Napoleon III was extremely superstitious. He kept a spiritualist in the Tuileries Palace, and regularly held séances there. He believed that his life was being guided by the supernatural spirit of Napoleon I.

*Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon III, died in exile in 1874 after having been ousted from the throne of France by his own people. His son with Eugenie, Prince Louis, born in 1855, died childless just six years later. And though Napoleon III had been both the first elected president and last monarch of France, the rule of the Bonapartes was forever ended.


About A Spark Unseen:

The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron’s blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust–if anyone–to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

Author bio:

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Sharon!

Have you read A Spark Unseen or the first book The Dark Unwinding?

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Book Review Repost: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 318
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

Review

I never would have read this book

I don't like steampunk. I feel like it's cool to like steampunk and I should pretend that I do, but I really don't like the genre. So I had zero interest in reading The Dark Unwinding and I never would have picked it up if it hadn't been sent to me for review.

But, oh my gosh, I am SO glad Scholastic decided to send me this book because I loved it!

First off, The Dark Unwinding is so not a steampunk book. Or, at least not how *I* think of the genre. There are gadgets and inventions one of the characters creates, but they're not particularly anachronistic and they aren't presented in the "WOW Gadgets!" way that I tend to associate with steampunk. Also, no one wears goggles.

I'd put The Dark Unwinding more firmly into the historical fiction/Gothic fiction categories, which are two genres I DO like very much.

Katharine gets a sleepover party invite!

I feel like it's been forever since I've handed out one of those! From page one I knew I liked Katharine and she only grew on me as the story progressed.

Katharine is living out a pretty terrible life serving as the Cinderella for her money-grubbing aunt (MGA) and her useless cousin. MGA catches wind that Katharine's eccentric uncle (MGA's dead husband's brother, follow me?) is squandering his millions on wacky endeavors.

Of course, this cannot happen because that money is rightfully MGA's dullard son's inheritance! So MGA sends Katharine to Eccentric Uncle's house to check out his activities and get him declared insane so he can be locked up in an insitution and all his money will go to her son. Cue cackling evil laughter!

See, totally Gothic fiction (aka historical soap operas).

So Katherine goes (a month away from MGA? Yes please!) and fully intends to do what she's told because she knows where her bread is buttered (even if it's the equivalent to a barely-there margarine smear). Crazy things ensue and Katharine takes it all in stride. She's brave, steadfast, and refreshingly practical.

I always love a practical main character because otherwise I spend half the book yelling at them for doing stupid things. I never once had to yell at Katharine. Even when I feel in love with the other characters and really wanted to save them from MGA's evil plans, I had to grudgingly admit that Katharine's reasoning was sound. This helped make the situation seem especially dire and I couldn't flip the pages fast enough to find out how Katharine could possibly make things right.

She's not all seriousness though. I loved the little glimpses I got into Katharine's heart. After years of being on the receiving end of MGA's evil step-mother schtick, Katharine has learned to keep her thoughts to herself and just do what needed to be done. But she DOES have thoughts and feelings, and I loved seeing them peek out and explore her new, nicer environment. There were definitely some Warm Happy Family moments that made my heart break into a million awwws.

This is the book I wanted Amber House to be

Not only is Katharine made of awesome, but so is pretty much everyone else. The good guys are charming and heartwarming and even if some of them are a little prickly and hard to like at first, their motivationsa are totally understandable and I think I loved them even more for it in the end.

Also, the hot guy is pretty darn hot. He definitely has his moods, but, hey, I can understand him being a little standoffish to the girl who he thinks is trying to destroy his home. I liked that he didn't fall all head over heels in love with her right away because, I mean, yeah, the girl was trying to destory his home. For once, a guy had priorities ahead of the girl! That was a fantastically refreshing surprise.

But of course he does fall for her, and she falls for him and watching their awkward but geniuine romance unfold was worth about a million aws.

And of course not all the characters are nice. This IS a Gothic book, afterall, and so there must be Gothic villains. I've already mentioned the evil Money Grubbing Aunt (and, oh my gosh, she's like Miss Minchin level evil awesomeness!), but there's another villain and they're awesomely evil, too (but stealth-evil, and so I'm not going to spoil things by revealing their identity). I had so much fun hating these characters!

There's also an autistic character, but unlike Amber House this character is actually realistically autistic (though never overtly identified as such). Normally I don't like "special characters" for the sake of specialness. I wasn't expecting this character's presence at all and I was fully prepared to start my eye-rolling, but instead I was sucked into a full on literary hugfest because I loved them and their role in the story. This character was written in such a way that the autism wasn't at all gimmicky or overdone. The character was just another character. The autism wasn't A THING.

Oh and things also happen

In true Gothic fashion, the plot is twisty with a lot of soap-opera-y surprises. I definitely got a chance to gasp theatrically as each new development was revealed.

Admittedly, though, a lot of the book was kind of slower. It wasn't all shock and awe and a lot of time is spent on Katharine getting to know the various characters and peek out of her shell. Usually I'd get impatient about this, but I was totally absorbed. I loved Katharine and these characters and I loved living in their world.

Bottom line

I am so adding Sharon Cameron to my Authors To Watch list! Sadly this is her first book and so I have no backlog I can dive into while I wait for her next book to come out. I am for sure ordering a copy for my library (once it's rebuilt! *sob*) and handing it to all my Gothic and historical fic-loving teens.

I'm not sure if a sequel is planned or not, but I would definitely read it if Sharon Cameron wrote one. The ending is totally complete and satisfying (in an achingly romantic way), but a small part is left open for more adventures. I want to follow that character as they do what they've set out to do, especially considering the BEYOND AWESOME nature of their mission.

Vague? I know, I'm sorry (I can't spoil the ending of all things!). Suffice it to say, I'm already busy imagining what that character might be up to and crossing my fingers that I get the chance to read all about it.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about The Dark Unwinding that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

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