A whimsical and yet bittersweet fairy tale for adults. More than anything, it reads like a novella about self-discovery and growing up.

The Good:

- Even translated, the prose still came across beautifully. I loved the originality of the story and its steam/gothic-punk feel.

- The character of Jack was a tad self-centered at times, but than most teenagers are. The minor characters - for the most part - were well written.

- It read a bit like a French fairy tale, that I had forgotten about. Yet, it still felt like a really unique and original story.

- Really beautiful imagery that sparkles off the pages.

The Bad:

- I didn't feel terribly close to anyone (except for Jack and Dr. Madeleine and even Melies), but than there wasn't much time for solid character development.

- At different parts the story felt too rushed. Which was odd, because it is only a 172 page story. But, I still felt like things would rush and than slow down to a crawl and than rush again. Very odd pacing at some spots.


The Random:

- This is probably more a 3.5 than a 3 star novel.