Etiquette and Espionage Review


Title: Etiquette and Espionage
Author: Gaol Carriger
Series: Finishing School #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 5 February 2013
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Pages: 307
Rating: 3 stars
Reading Timeline: 22 December 2016- 24 December 2016












Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school. 

Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners - and the family can only hope that company never sees he atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to be come a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine’s young ladies learn to finish… everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage-  in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year’s education.

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I was pretty excited to get into this book. I had heard so much about this book and I just couldn’t wait to get into this. I mean who doesn’t want to learn about a world where young girls are taught to be assassins?

Writing Thoughts:

It took my forever to get into this book and when I did, I couldn’t stay for too long. As much as wanted to love this book, I couldn’t get past the tedious sentences and unnecessary elevated language. There were, however, some points where I did enjoy the writing. They were unfortunately few and far between.

Plot Thoughts:

The story progressed really slowly. Everything was stretched out way too much. This book could’ve been less than 300 pages. However that being said, the world and the plot are intriguing and this is definitely what made the story worth continuing. It was absolutely intriguing, I enjoyed the world in which women were seen more superior in the sense that they held a higher standing in terms of society. I loved going through the little sessions that Sophronia had at the school. They were both absurd and interesting. At times I wondered if I coulda attend these lessons.

Character Thoughts:

I wasn’t quite attached to these characters as I thought I would be. I think it was mainly because the characters are of a younger range and often sounded winy and spoilt. I do believe that because of this point of view, I won’t be adding a comment here mainly I believe that it won’t help anyone

Final Thoughts:

In the end, this book wasn’t that bad. really wish that I could have enjoyed it more. I might continue with the series at a later stage but at this point I am not too keen.


Yours in Reading,


Melleny

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