Short Story Review - The Strange Case of Finely Jayne by Kady Cross (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 251 KB
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 1, 2011
ASIN: B004WEKR1W

Stand Alone or Series: Prequel to the Steampunk Chronicles
Source: Free for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars

This short story is a prelude to The Girl in the Steel Corset, the first in Kady Cross's Steampunk Chronicles.  I have already read The Girl in the Steel Corset and really enjoyed it.  This story is good filler as to how Finely gets to where she is in the beginning of The Girl in the Steel Corset.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a good sample of the author's writing style because there isn't a lot of back story in this short story.

Finley Jayne is different.  Normally she is a good girl, but sometimes her dark violent side comes out.  This is causing her trouble and she is having trouble holding down a job because sometimes she looses her temper.  When she is hired as a companion for a young woman, she wonders why they girl's mother hired her given Finley's history.  Soon Finley finds out that the girl's mother wants her to unravel a mystery that may have a vast impact on her daughter's impending marriage.

First of all let me say this isn't a very good sampling of Cross's writing.  There isn't enough back story here to make the world in Cross's Steampunk Chronicles truly come alive.  This is more an introduction to the character Finley, than an actual introduction to this world.  I personally would recommend reading The Girl in the Steel Corset when it releases and then if you enjoy that come back and read this back story on how Finley got where she was at the beginning of that book.

Since I had already read The Girl in the Steel Corset and was familiar with this world, I did enjoy this story.  It was nice to have some additional back story on Finley and get to meet her family in more detail.  I think fans of the Steampunk Chronicles will enjoy this addition to the storyline.

Overall a good addition to The Girl in the Steel Corset.  I don't think it stands very well on its own though and I also don't think it is a very good introduction to Cross's writing...it introduces Finley but doesn't do a good job introducing the world.  I wouldn't use this story to determine whether or not you will read the book; I would read the book and then come back and read this additional story if you enjoy the book.  Young adult fans of steampunk should enjoy this universe; Finley is a fun and plucky young woman.

This story goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- E-book Reading Challenge
- Show Me the Free Challenge