I wasnt sure what exactly I was expecting when I started Steel, but I dont think it was this. Let me start by saying the cover is stunning breathtaking and while everyone knows not the judge a book by its cover, we all do it. Including me.
Steel is a very appropriate summer read. It has the Bahamas, pirates, adventure at sea, and a decent female lead. I was fascinated by how much I learned about piracy and sword fighting/fencing while reading. Carrie Vaughn doesnt glamorize pirate life: its smelly, sweaty, and a lot of hard work for a few days of action. I have to commend her for not trying to make this tale a sweeping romance with a lot of flowery scenery, which it could have easily been. She has clearly done her homework on fencing, using the terminology frequently, but not so much as to confuse the reader. I appreciate that.
Unfortunately, the book had its drawbacks. Several times Vaughn used a single sentence to sum up what she should have described over several pages. Instead of explaining the ways the sails were hoisted or how the dynamics of the ship worked when the crew was setting sail, she would sum it up with one sentence. This happened several times. It was almost like being told a story from an actual person: When telling a story, a person wont go into the heavy details, but I want these details when Im reading a book. Another 50 pages of fleshing out these scenes would have gone a long way, in my opinion.
I also felt like Jill was a weak heroine. She tried to be strong, but I just could not connect with her. I couldnt find that spark that would make me adore her. She was pretty, but bland.
Please dont get me wrong: Steel is a fun book that I did enjoy. I just feel like it is more appropriate for the younger YA readers. The romance hinted about in the tagline is really more of a middle school crush that barely lasts past two pages. Blink and you miss it. If youre reading this book hoping for a romance on the high seas, youll be disappointed. If youre looking for a carefree adventure you can read on the beach on sunny afternoon, this is your book.
Steel is a very appropriate summer read. It has the Bahamas, pirates, adventure at sea, and a decent female lead. I was fascinated by how much I learned about piracy and sword fighting/fencing while reading. Carrie Vaughn doesnt glamorize pirate life: its smelly, sweaty, and a lot of hard work for a few days of action. I have to commend her for not trying to make this tale a sweeping romance with a lot of flowery scenery, which it could have easily been. She has clearly done her homework on fencing, using the terminology frequently, but not so much as to confuse the reader. I appreciate that.
Unfortunately, the book had its drawbacks. Several times Vaughn used a single sentence to sum up what she should have described over several pages. Instead of explaining the ways the sails were hoisted or how the dynamics of the ship worked when the crew was setting sail, she would sum it up with one sentence. This happened several times. It was almost like being told a story from an actual person: When telling a story, a person wont go into the heavy details, but I want these details when Im reading a book. Another 50 pages of fleshing out these scenes would have gone a long way, in my opinion.
I also felt like Jill was a weak heroine. She tried to be strong, but I just could not connect with her. I couldnt find that spark that would make me adore her. She was pretty, but bland.
Please dont get me wrong: Steel is a fun book that I did enjoy. I just feel like it is more appropriate for the younger YA readers. The romance hinted about in the tagline is really more of a middle school crush that barely lasts past two pages. Blink and you miss it. If youre reading this book hoping for a romance on the high seas, youll be disappointed. If youre looking for a carefree adventure you can read on the beach on sunny afternoon, this is your book.
I have enjoyed a lot of Carrie Vaugh's books and have had this book on my shelf to read for a while. There honestly wasn't a lot to this story; it was very simple and straight-forward and completely predictable.
Jill is a champion fencer and is depressed after losing an important match. Her family decides to go on vacation to Nassau in an effort to cheer everyone up. While wandering the beach alone Jill finds the tip of an old rapier. Then while on a touristy pirate cruise with her family a freak storm pops up and Jill ends up going overboard. When she wakes up she is in the past, on a genuine pirate ship. Jill ends up joining the crew (she doesn't have a lot of options) and finds out that the magic that brought her here is dark indeed. Jill struggles to find a way home while doing her best to survive both day to day pirate life and chilling battles.
This was a very simple story. The whole thing was incredibly predictable and could have been told in a paragraph. There really aren't any plot twists or unexpected turns in the story. It was a quick read as well.
I liked that there is a lot of history about pirates in here. Jill is also a very good fencer so there is a lot about fencing. At times though the story took a backseat to all historical descriptions.
The writing was also very simple and written at a pretty simple reading level. Not a lot of complex sentences or description; just very cut and dry.
I liked Jill fine and thought some of the details in Nassau were interesting. However, mostly the story was forgettable.
Overall a quick read and okay. I just don't have much to say about it. The story is very simple and predictable. I wouldn't necessarily recommend unless you are interested in learning a little bit about the history of Nassau (not much history but some).
Jill is a champion fencer and is depressed after losing an important match. Her family decides to go on vacation to Nassau in an effort to cheer everyone up. While wandering the beach alone Jill finds the tip of an old rapier. Then while on a touristy pirate cruise with her family a freak storm pops up and Jill ends up going overboard. When she wakes up she is in the past, on a genuine pirate ship. Jill ends up joining the crew (she doesn't have a lot of options) and finds out that the magic that brought her here is dark indeed. Jill struggles to find a way home while doing her best to survive both day to day pirate life and chilling battles.
This was a very simple story. The whole thing was incredibly predictable and could have been told in a paragraph. There really aren't any plot twists or unexpected turns in the story. It was a quick read as well.
I liked that there is a lot of history about pirates in here. Jill is also a very good fencer so there is a lot about fencing. At times though the story took a backseat to all historical descriptions.
The writing was also very simple and written at a pretty simple reading level. Not a lot of complex sentences or description; just very cut and dry.
I liked Jill fine and thought some of the details in Nassau were interesting. However, mostly the story was forgettable.
Overall a quick read and okay. I just don't have much to say about it. The story is very simple and predictable. I wouldn't necessarily recommend unless you are interested in learning a little bit about the history of Nassau (not much history but some).
A nicely paced book. Historical without over doing it. The language was mainly modern and easily understood. Expertly done. This is a very safe book for teens. There is some underage drinking, but she is on a pirate ship, what else would you expect. Ms. Vaughn also explains the consequences of drinking too. Bad hangover! I enjoyed the story very much and I look forward to reading more by her. I also make a point to support Denver area authors.
Jill Archer is competing in a fencing competition but comes in second place - again. Her interest in all swords and pirates fueled her entrance to learning fencing. And, when she finds a rusted, broken piece of metal she is convinced that it is part of a sword, tucks it into her pocket to keep. As the story unfolds, Jill later falls out of a boat and blacks out. When she awakes she finds herself on a pirate ship captained by a female pirate. Needless to say young Jill has an interesting adventure with a crew of pirates before she finds a way home.
This story would no doubt appeal to most younger readers interested in pirates, swords and fencing. There is action and some history as well as information about fencing. Indeed, the chapter titles derive from fencing terms.
The cover is delightful. The writing is clear, concise and the tale flows quite nicely. It's a quick easy read.
This story would no doubt appeal to most younger readers interested in pirates, swords and fencing. There is action and some history as well as information about fencing. Indeed, the chapter titles derive from fencing terms.
The cover is delightful. The writing is clear, concise and the tale flows quite nicely. It's a quick easy read.
