THE PECULIARS

by

MAUREEN DOYLE MCQUERRY

about the book:

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears

MY REVIEW

This was an odd book.  Very different.  I've recently discovered the steampunk genre.  Some books are great and some are terrible.  This is one of the better books.  I loved the characters.  Lena was a fascinating enigma.  We are immediately shown how different she is.  Called a 'goblin' by her grandmother, and called a 'peculiar' by others.  She is an immediately likeable young woman.  She sets her mind to something and follows through.  

The main male protagonist is Jimson Quiggley.  A young man Lena meets on a train and later works with.  He is a true gentleman.  A great character to complement Lena.  Mr. Beasley is the steampunk king of the book. Creating all sorts of inventions. He is also a physician.  We are initially unsure if he is good or bad. I laughed out loud at the two missionary women.  

I enjoyed reading this book.  I liked the writing style of the author.  She did a great job of keeping the story suspenseful and interesting.  I felt the writing flowed very well.  

I hope the author writes more books like this one.  I loved the goblin/peculiar element to the characters.