August 12, 2013

Reviewing... [37] Diamond Thief

Reviewing... [37]


Source: I'm part of Team Fox so I received this for review.
Author: Sharon Gosling
Recommended for: People who do like crime but... not "gritty" crime. F
rom gem stealing to pick pockets of London, this is crime novel, old-fashioned flair & all. Historical, "dated" crimes but still a thriller, just for those who like variety... Talking about variety, this is appropriate for such a range of ages!

Of course, crime, when the world it takes place in is all gadgets, has been explored before. But not so much... steampunk. Technology hasn't advanced yet. Entertainment is found in circus'... One in particular has travelled to London; yet all is not as it seems. The circus didn't come just to entertain wealthy Victorians. Not all are wealthy, there is a gap in the development of London. We explore much of London, rich and poor. Advancements and declines.
But first: we want to know what is happening in the circus. Transported to the circus', we realize that Rémy is totally awesome. She deals with the downfalls mentioned and comes across the advancements- both in the mystery and the development of technology. Both these elements I loved.
Discovering the inventions of a certain Professor is a delight, night-glasses and electronic means of communication... It's all very different and part of the Industrial Revolution. I've never seen this specifically explored, especially not in this way. I wasn't just in awe of  Rémy, I was in awe of the way technology was thought about, experimented with & would come to be a real invention.

Oh, BOOM. I know what that is! (:
Simply, it was fairly realistic in most parts. You know what? It's a weird thought: this could’ve been contemporary a few hundred years ago (maybe if we took some of Desai's powers away it would be completely!?).. Am I saying it’s a historical or a classic? Hehe! It’s too much of a ‘mysterious Steampunk’ to properly count (incase you're wondering what I'm jabbering on about go here*) for the SRSChallenge but I can almost imagine it being penned hundreds of years ago as an account of a young, amazing circus girl finding herself and her place in this world... Will Rémy think of France as her home still?
I can see why she had to be distanced from the Circus and am glad that emphasis was put on why she was determined and why she had to, and why Thaddeus had to, get the gem. They both have good intentions & I always felt they were genuine and realistic. Sure, they may not have been totally like what they had seemed but Rémy is clearly fiesty, with a circus upbringing which makes her so unique from other characters.
I even understood those tiny moments when the 'little policeman' would be rash & Rémy's annoyance with him amused me... probably more than it should've. I just loved the characters and how even though they were unpredictable it all slotted together & made for an amazing journey... I can't believe the standard of this debut. Or many debut's. But what specifically stands out is this: Diamond Thief was published this year, traditionally. I have heard how this year in YA is a bit like marmite. The books are either loved or hated...
Gosling's Diamond Thief? Most definitely not hated. Surprisingly, although Gosling has written more about Rémy and the sequel is set to be published by Curious Fox later on, this ends with no cliffhanger. However, this is so promising I can almost guarantee her second adventure shall be met with a great response.
The imagination and captivation has lead to, well, this (I think it says it all really... there is slight improvement for the sequel- dare I say I expect it to be mind-blowing & more risky- I don't want any characters suddenly appearing as plot devices *cough* Desai *cough*?):

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm) rated The Diamond Thief

*I don't think I'm being mad with this... I mean, I said the book didn't feel like it was the best book ever, just a really lovely book. I can't put my finger on why... But anyway, in contemporaries often characters seem so realistic & the same for this- characterization was such a strength. Diamond Thief was, and characters with one exception especially were, realistic. They just took us back more than a century...
(Also, unrelated a bit, thanks Charli & CatHannah for letting me off one genre, I still am reading a lot of genres for this challenge... Oh, and this has been done for the 1st Challenge of SRS: Read a book you’ve been meaning to read for ages and review on your blog).

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm also a member of Team Fox but didn't choose this one! May give it a go in the future as you rated it quite highly! :)

Trish @ Between My Lines said...

Interesting, I like the steampunk/mystery vibe that you describe. I'm not them fox but I think they have a great mix of books.

Trish @ Between My Lines said...

Team not them!
Must learn to edit!

AwesomeAmy said...

@Sophie: I see a lot didn't choose it, but I'm like a hipster. I did get some books I didn't request, some publicists must love me! Not all though- I'm still waiting for one book & I requested it several weeks ago. They accepted so I'm wondering when it will turn up. You haven't ever had book post lost, have you? Team Fox unite, anyway! Do give this a go, or the sequel ARC. You don't need to have read this one to read the second- judging by Diamond Thief & the sampler at any rate. (:
@Trish: I was just fishing around in descriptions really ;) It definitely is a very unique book in many aspects. I really like/love lots of the Curious Fox books, devoured two more & hopefully more will be enjoyed soon! Give them a go I say! :D

Looking for something?...

#TBR

#TBR
My favourite hashtag.