Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: YA Steampunk
Buy it on Amazon: Hardcover or Kindle
Book Description:
Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?
Sophronia’s first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy–won’t Mumsy be surprised? Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.
Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot–one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.
In this sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail’s distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.
What I Think:
Oh how I loved this book! This is one of those books that I would want my teenager to read because I feel like it teaches you to be independent, innovative and smart. It teaches you to think outside of the box and it really gives girls a role model that can stand on her own instead of one who solely relies on another main character (usually male). In addition, I continue to love the setting and politics of the world that Carriger has set up here – very entertaining and very interesting. At the end of Etiquette and Espionage (first book in the Finishing School series), I liked the introduction to the boys school, Bunson’s. So when Carriger weaved these characters into the setting of the girl’s school, it added a much needed different element and it’s what earned this book even higher marks from me. This is one I would definitely put on a must read list!
