Book Review: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Release Date: September 1, 2012
Author: Sharon Cameron
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Length: 352 pages
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher!

"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:

Characters: When this book first starts off Katherine Tulman is instructed by her aunt and guardian to confirm her uncle's insanity. After a long journey to her uncle's estate, she demands to see her uncle and treats his housekeepers terribly. However, after discovering that her uncle is a genius inventor and that he takes care of almost one thousand people on his estate, her self-entitled elitist attitude begins to change. By far the best character in this book is Katherine's uncle. He seems to have autism, though with it being the 1850s they wouldn't be able to properly diagnose him. He provides a welcome comic relief to this spooky and spine tingling drama.

Romance: There is a romance in this novel, however it's not as defined as most romances I've seen before. This is a very slow burning romance full of denial by both sides. There is also a slight love triangle thrown into the mix. I was surprised that the romance wasn't boldly defined, given the summary. Though I do have to admit that this was probably one of the best written romances I've read recently, it was slow, sweet, and unpredictable at times.

Predictability: This was probably the only downfall of this book. The book just kind of flowed at a steady pace and never really had any predictable or unpredictable moments for the first 75% of the book, after that however things began to heat up, but not enough for me to really feel too shocked or awed by what happened. I do have to admit that there is one moment that shocked me, though it only shocked me a while after it happened because I couldn't believe it.

Ending: The ending was somber, it wasn't really sad or depressing, but it had that air of sadness. Though it don't have a shocking ending, it did have a nice sweet finishing sentence that left room for hope in the installments to come. I hope that in these future installments there'd be more suspense, especially towards the end because I wanted more of a reason to re-visit this world in the future.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a great story that may chill you to the bone but needs more suspense to scare the socks off of you.

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Up Next: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater