I just couldn't get into this. I picked it up and put it down dozens of times, but it never stuck. ( )

Just couldn't get into this one. Will try again later perhaps.

Great book! ( )

There are not many YA novels that are genuinely creepy/scary--this one definitely is. Fun read that asks some very profound questions. Highly recommended. ( )

Natalie is the thirteen year old daughter of the bicycle repairman at the turn of the century Arcane, Missouri. She has inherited her father's love for mechanical things and is even building her own automaton. She has grown up listening to her mother tell mysterious tales about Arcane and the ghost town nearby, but even Natalie is caught off guard when Dr. Jake Limberleg's Nostrum Fair and Technological Medicine Show comes to town. She is drawn to all of the clockwork machines that Dr. Limberleg brings with him, but soon she begins to suspect that these snake oil salesmen are not what they seem. I loved reading this book. Kate Milford is a great storyteller who draws a reader into her historical fantasy world. There is the battle between good and evil, magic, and the devil himself. Natalie is a wonderful heroine who overcomes her fears and learns to look evil in the eye. I would definitely recommend this book. ( )