Review: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (The Steampunk Chronicles #0.5) by Kady Cross

Title: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne

Series: Steampunk Chronicles #0.5

Author: Kady Cross

Genre: YA, steampunk, historical

Publication date: May 2011

Published by: Harlequin Teen

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I was really looking forward to starting this series. In fact, it's been on my TBR list for years! I think I’ve had an ARC of book 3 for almost 10 years 😅 Yeah, it's bad, I know. Lol. Anyway, I really enjoyed this introduction to the series!

One of the things I liked about this short story is the main character, Finley. Right from the start, she's introduced as a badass and nonsense type of girl who takes shit from no one in this oppressive society. After punching a governess who was an asshole to the little boy she was supposed to be caring for, Finley gets fired. But soon after she is hired as a companion to Phoebe Morton. But this job entails more than Finley expected when she realizes that Phoebe's suitor, Lord Vincent, might be into some nefarious things, putting Phoebe's life in danger. And let me tell you, that made for a good, action-packed story! Especially when we find out what Phoebe’s fiancé was planning to do 😨 It was fucked up!

Another thing I liked was Finley’s relationship with the Mortons, the family who took her in and hired her. Finley has always worked as “the help,” and she was so surprised that this family actually treated her well and it made me so sad 😩 And the fact that Lady Morton completely trusts her with her daughter, even after having witnessed Finley’s... talents, was really sweet.

Speaking of talents, Finley’s got quite a few of them and it was very cool discovering what they were. She also has a darker side that likes to take over, and I feel like an idiot for not putting it together with the title of the short story... it’s in reference to Jekyll and Hyde! Lol. Anyway, I thought that was cool.

But overall, I enjoyed this! I liked the story and the characters. I also really liked the world with its steam-powered technology and metal horses and whatnot. It makes me even more excited to read the rest of the series.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! 😊