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  • The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore by Kate Maddison
  • Alaine Martaus
Maddison, Kate . The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore. Holiday House, 2013. [288p]. ISBN 978-0-8234-2737-6 $17.95 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6-10.

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Sycamore enjoys a privileged upbringing, living in Buckingham Palace with her father, the personal surgeon to Queen Victoria. What Charlotte really wants, though, is adventure, so she sneaks out at night to practice sword-fighting with her servant-class friends, including a handsome young man just returned from sea. When Charlotte and her friends are attacked by seemingly rabid dogs, one friend is severely injured and she herself is bitten, and Charlotte discovers that the dogs are in fact poison-delivering mechanical creatures. Desperate to save her friends and herself, Charlotte works to uncover the mystery behind the dogs and their poison and discovers a threat to her queen and country. A thoroughly engrossing read, this alternative history adventure is an enjoyable mixture of scariness and sweetness. The underlying mystery and Charlotte's rebellious antics will have readers swiftly turning pages to see what happens next, while the plentiful period detail and light-touch romance give them a reason to linger. Despite her girl-power tendencies, Charlotte retains a sense of historical authenticity as she struggles with the limits of gender and class. Steampunk elements are delightfully realized, intriguing but not overwhelming, making the novel an excellent entry point for those who are new to the genre. Likewise fans of Reeve's Larklight series (Larklight, BCCB 2/07) or Carriger's recent Etiquette and Espionage (BCCB 2/13) will find another worthy heroine to root for and—hopefully—more sequels to enjoy.

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