Good Concept, Meh Results

Like Katie, I looked forward to the story featuring a meeting of Mina Holmes and Evelyn Stoker. Initially I thought it would be a fun read. The overview certainly makes it sound fun, that's for sure.

Overall, I was disappointed with the book. Mina and Evelyn just seemed to have a constant desire to talk down to one another. Their condenscending attitudes just drove me up the wall and I really wanted to shake them.

Like Katie, I felt Time Traveling Dylan was just not right for the book. It seems like it overcomplicated things. Plus, we are left with a dude who just ends up stuck in Past London. I'm guessing whenever, if ever, he does go back to his time, it won't be the same as when he left it.

 The author spent a lot of time, and pages, going into each of the girls strengths. When Evelyn arm wrestled Pix, I got bored and skipped to the end of it b/c I felt the author was taking too long to show us how strong Evelyn is. Personally, I think it should have been done at the beginning of the book  the way Mina's was. By the time it happened in the story we already know Evelyn is supposed to be Buffy-like. And perhaps that was also my problem with Evelyn. Using the chosen one attitue I feel like Gleason was watching Buffy when she worked on this.

Overall, I doubt I'll read another book in this series.

Final Post on The Clockwork Scarab

So while I love the concept of mixing two characters from other literary works, I was disappointed in this book. I felt that at times the main characters acted unrealistically.  For instance, after Mina and Pix escape the fire at Witcherell, Mina doesn't even think about Evaline. Evaline has been stabbed and Mina doesn't even think to get her medical attention. I know they are not close friends and Mina is not emotional but I think any decent person would have at least seen that Evaline was okay.

I also thought the time travel aspect was out of place. It seems Dylan has been transported back to an alternate past where electricity is outlawed.  I've seen the alternate past/timeline in other TV shows/movies but given the story revolves around Holmes/Stoker I feel the time travel aspect is a little weird. Maybe if I knew what the author was planning for the overall series it would make more sense to me. 

I was also disappointed with the overall mystery and that we don't know who the Ankh is. I'm guessing that Ankh is not dead and will show up again.

I would have really liked to see this story played out with Mina and Evaline a little bit older, maybe in their twenties. I found the story juvenile at times mainly when the girls interact with male characters. It seems every time they meet a guy they would get all flustered and their hearts would skip a beat. I just found it redundant that every guy they met was attractive and how they both reacted the same when interacting with a guy. 

While I like the concept of having characters related to other literary works, this story fell flat to me and I wish there had been more character development. This is the first YA novel by the author. I wonder if I would enjoy her adult novels more.