The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

Today's post is on 'The Girl in the Clockwork Collar' by Katy Cross. It is the second in her Steampunk Chronicles. It is published by Harlequin Teen an imprint of Harlequin and was published in 2012. The cover has a very pretty Chinese girl in a purple dress with a huge collar on her neck and a candle in her hand. The intended reader is Young Adult and really that is the best. It is the told from third person close with changing POV of the may different characters in the story. There is nothing sexual in this book but some of the violence may concern some parents so read it before your child to make sure that it okay for them.

From the dust the jacket- In New York City, 1897 life has never been more thrilling- or dangerous.
Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade- the dangerous device Jasper stole from him... for the life of the girl Jasper loves.
One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens.
And tightens.From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll for friendship.
More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley... and it will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily- whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.
Now, to help those she;s come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much...

Review- I wish that I could say that I liked this one as much as the first but I cannot. This book was not easy to read, I do not know if that I just was not in the mood to read it or if it was sophomore slump but I just really did not get into the book. The plot was not bad but I just wanted more. I wanted more talking about Finley's two sides, like in the first book. It was talking about but only in passing, not in really part of the plot and I do not know why. It was still important when the first book ended and this one picks up about three days after the first one, so I do not get why is not talked about. The characters do grow some but it feels forces like Cross knew that they should grow but did not know how to make it more natural. The villains are better in this one than the first book because you do not really see one of them coming so I give credit for that. But really this one is just not as a good as the first one and I am hoping it is sophomore slump. It is not great but it is not bad either so I am just ambivalent about it.

I give Three out of Five, not great but not bad. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.