Status
Available
Call number
Description
Cora, Nellie, and Michiko, teenaged assistants to three powerful men in Edwardian London, meet by chance at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered man, leading the three to work together to solve this and related crimes without drawing undue attention to themselves.
Pages
440
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |
Language
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member BookAddictDiary
Set in Edwardian London, newcomer Adrienne Kress weaves a fun and refreshing tale of action, wit and mystery in her new novel The Friday Society. Following the intertwined stories of three different and rather unconventional young women: Cora, a lab assistant; Michiko, a Japanese fighting
I was in love with this book from the first page. Kress' writing is just so fun, easy and filled with great wit and vivid description. I felt like virtually every element on Friday Society was new and refreshing in the steampunk genre, powered by vibrant characters who leapt off the page (yes, all three of them). I was especially in love with the strong female protagonists here -they were a joy to read, easy to relate to and honest characters.
On top of great storytelling and well-crafted characters, Friday Society has great action that propels the story forward on every page. Kress has a strong style that captures the action elements almost perfectly, which helps craft the overall product into a fun, witty and downright enjoyable adventure.
If you're looking for something a little different, Friday Society is the perfect read.
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assistant; and Nellie, a magician's assistant, whose lives become linked after discovering a murdered man. It's up to these three women, all unique in their own right, to solve the crime. Set in a vivid steampunk work, The Friday Society offers a fun femme-powered whodunit with an unexpected twist.I was in love with this book from the first page. Kress' writing is just so fun, easy and filled with great wit and vivid description. I felt like virtually every element on Friday Society was new and refreshing in the steampunk genre, powered by vibrant characters who leapt off the page (yes, all three of them). I was especially in love with the strong female protagonists here -they were a joy to read, easy to relate to and honest characters.
On top of great storytelling and well-crafted characters, Friday Society has great action that propels the story forward on every page. Kress has a strong style that captures the action elements almost perfectly, which helps craft the overall product into a fun, witty and downright enjoyable adventure.
If you're looking for something a little different, Friday Society is the perfect read.
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LibraryThing member ahandfulofconfetti
The Friday Society was a book that had been on my to-read list for ages, so when I saw it available for request on NetGalley I immediately jumped at the chance to read it, and was so excited when my request was granted. Anything that boasts a summary featuring not one but three fabulous female
This book was interesting because, while it's pretty easy to place the setting and the time period, there are embellishments made here and there (via the steampunk elements and some of the verbage the characters use, which is decidedly anachronistic) that took me a bit of getting used to. The girls are definitely from 1900-London- their gowns, professions, the way that women in general are viewed - is very much appropriate to that time period. But the story is told with such a modern flair that it was kind of easy to forget at times that the book does indeed take place in the past. However, I am glad that The Friday Society was my first real exposure to steampunk; those elements were so interesting and entertaining (particularly when Cora would talk of her experiments) that my interest in the genre is definitely piqued.
The real strength of this book, however, is the girls themselves. All three of them have their own identity and voice, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them and their adventures. The mystery that drives the book was strong enough to keep the story moving forward at a good pace, and I especially liked how the girls met and wound up coming together. I personally loved Nellie the most - she's definitely feminine as all get out with a fabulous personality and wit, and I found her absolutely charming. I love how the author took the time to develop their backgrounds and made them all so completely unique; you would have known which was which simply by their voices, which is not always the easiest thing to do when writing a book with multiple narrators. While Nellie was my favorite, I also really enjoyed Cora's smarts and intelligence and Michiko's quiet strength and personal journey. I also love how the book was left open-ended; I don't know if this is the author's plan, but I wouldn't mind reading more of these ladies adventures!
Full of wit and charm, and not a small amount of fun, The Friday Society was a thoroughly engaging read. There were some things that I figured out plot-wise in advance, but it was definitely not to the detriment of my enjoyment. If you love your female characters more on the kick-ass side, with a ton of intelligence while still being decidedly feminine, then I think you'll enjoy this book. I know that I certainly did!
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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characters was a book I was all over, and I'm happy to say that, for me at least, The Friday Society lived up to my expectations and desires.This book was interesting because, while it's pretty easy to place the setting and the time period, there are embellishments made here and there (via the steampunk elements and some of the verbage the characters use, which is decidedly anachronistic) that took me a bit of getting used to. The girls are definitely from 1900-London- their gowns, professions, the way that women in general are viewed - is very much appropriate to that time period. But the story is told with such a modern flair that it was kind of easy to forget at times that the book does indeed take place in the past. However, I am glad that The Friday Society was my first real exposure to steampunk; those elements were so interesting and entertaining (particularly when Cora would talk of her experiments) that my interest in the genre is definitely piqued.
The real strength of this book, however, is the girls themselves. All three of them have their own identity and voice, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them and their adventures. The mystery that drives the book was strong enough to keep the story moving forward at a good pace, and I especially liked how the girls met and wound up coming together. I personally loved Nellie the most - she's definitely feminine as all get out with a fabulous personality and wit, and I found her absolutely charming. I love how the author took the time to develop their backgrounds and made them all so completely unique; you would have known which was which simply by their voices, which is not always the easiest thing to do when writing a book with multiple narrators. While Nellie was my favorite, I also really enjoyed Cora's smarts and intelligence and Michiko's quiet strength and personal journey. I also love how the book was left open-ended; I don't know if this is the author's plan, but I wouldn't mind reading more of these ladies adventures!
Full of wit and charm, and not a small amount of fun, The Friday Society was a thoroughly engaging read. There were some things that I figured out plot-wise in advance, but it was definitely not to the detriment of my enjoyment. If you love your female characters more on the kick-ass side, with a ton of intelligence while still being decidedly feminine, then I think you'll enjoy this book. I know that I certainly did!
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member DeweyEver
While not historically accurate in anyway, this steampunk romp is quick, fun and generally a good time all around. A team of teenaged girls in an alternate Victorian London band together to get to the bottom of some serious issues. Good for fans of Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series, but much
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lighter. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryGirl11
A rather rough conglomeration of modern mannerisms and Victorian atmosphere, with a Japanese import thrown in for a little Asian flair. An odd story about three girls in Victorian London who solve crimes in a very 21st century fashion. Historical accuracy is clearly not Kress' goal. Fun and a quick
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read, but not the best steampunk. Plot twists are contrived and everything ties up way too neatly at the end. Dialogue can be stilted. Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I really enjoyed this Young Adult novel even though I am certainly not a young adult. It is obviously the beginning of a series and I confess to being curious about how it will play out.
Three young women, a lab assistant, a magician's assistant and a martial arts instructor's assistant, team up
Three young women, a lab assistant, a magician's assistant and a martial arts instructor's assistant, team up
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when murders occur in their near vicinity. Previously unkown to each other, Cora, Nellie and Michiko each bring talents to their team. This is London as it has never been seen but it's quite fun. I would certainly encourage readers of all ages to check out this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeweyEver
James Bond for teen girls. Each of the three main charaters is a strong female (well almost) being somehow controlled or managed by a male boss. They decide to take matters into their own hands by joining forces to protect Steampunk London. I liked the voices of the characters and how they each
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tell their portions of the story with a unique perspective. I didn't like the cheesy dialog. It reminded me too much of those clever James Bond lines that someone under extreme pressue manages to say. In real life I doubt we would be so quick witted. Show Less
LibraryThing member matamgirl
I read several reviews that said that the language bothered them but it really didn't bother me even though it was undoubtedly inappropriate for the time period. The thing is though that since it is steampunk I view it as an alternative reality where language could have evolved differently. I
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thought all three heroines were strong and independent and since there was no love triangle all was good. Show Less
LibraryThing member mbklibrary
The story was okay - there were parts I liked and others that kind of made me shake my head. Overall meh!
LibraryThing member eyes.2c
...arson and old lace, or rather, explosive steampunk deeds!
Three young women, all assistants for men of modernity in the Victorian era. All different--the yin to each other's yan.
My interest was certainly piqued from opening scene with Cora Bell who likes explosions!
Then fetching her boss Lord
A footman forces his attentions on Nellie, Cora comes to her assistance and then enroute via a steam engine they come across an unconscious Michikol, and a decapitated body.
And this is only the opening scenes. The encore is so much more in this steampunk, action adventure. Enjoyable!
A NetGalley ARC
Three young women, all assistants for men of modernity in the Victorian era. All different--the yin to each other's yan.
My interest was certainly piqued from opening scene with Cora Bell who likes explosions!
Then fetching her boss Lord
Show More
White from an opium den was an interesting Sherlock Holmes type touch. Nellie is an assistant to an illusionist. Michiko ia a samurai trained assistant to a overbearing weapons expert, trying to steer the warrior's path.A footman forces his attentions on Nellie, Cora comes to her assistance and then enroute via a steam engine they come across an unconscious Michikol, and a decapitated body.
And this is only the opening scenes. The encore is so much more in this steampunk, action adventure. Enjoyable!
A NetGalley ARC
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LibraryThing member MVTheBookBabe
Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost. 3.5 stars.
If I'm honest with you, I'll tell you that I love books with girl power. There is not one girl in this world who "needs" a guy to save her, and I love it when that crosses over into YA lit. It sends a great message, because there are so
Before I go on, let me just tell you that I love Charlie's Angels. It's just such a fun movie, and, like I said - GIRL POWER! So I was bound to at least like this one. And I did, but not as much as I had originally hoped. I think the thing that killed it for me was the ending - you know how I have problems with those.
I'm not going to reveal spoilers, but let's just say that I wasn't too surprised in the end.... to say the least. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming, but the ending... it just takes the cake for predictable, unfortunately. But here I go, starting the review at the end again! Let's talk about something more interesting, like say... I don't know, maybe the characters?
Like I said before, there is a seriously awesome amount of girl power in this book. Like, a lot! And I love love loved that! I enjoyed all of our main characters, and it was fun to read from each of their different points of view. I never got confused about who was speaking (and there were no name titles), but I think, hands down, that Cora was my favorite.
She was super smart - like, inventor smart (funny, that... she is an inventor) and she's so awesome! I loved her spunk, and the way that she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Or to help someone who was in need. She was funny, and she liked to kind of blend into the background - which was a nice change.
That doesn't mean that I didn't like Michiko and Nellie, though! I just liked them for different reasons. I liked Michiko's drive and discipline, and Nellie's flair for girliness. Cora was definitely my favorite, though!
In other news, I think this book has the most realistic "relationship" ever described - it was hilarious when it happened, but... in the end, I think it's nice to see a relationship that doesn't work out in the end. Also a good message.
All in all, I'd say that The Friday Society was a fun steampunk adventure, with plenty of action and interesting characters - but I feel like the ending could have been better.
If I'm honest with you, I'll tell you that I love books with girl power. There is not one girl in this world who "needs" a guy to save her, and I love it when that crosses over into YA lit. It sends a great message, because there are so
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many girls out there that think they "need" a guy to be something. And this is one of the best examples of a girl power kind of book - it's a totally badass steampunk version of Charlie's Angels, but without a "Charlie".Before I go on, let me just tell you that I love Charlie's Angels. It's just such a fun movie, and, like I said - GIRL POWER! So I was bound to at least like this one. And I did, but not as much as I had originally hoped. I think the thing that killed it for me was the ending - you know how I have problems with those.
I'm not going to reveal spoilers, but let's just say that I wasn't too surprised in the end.... to say the least. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming, but the ending... it just takes the cake for predictable, unfortunately. But here I go, starting the review at the end again! Let's talk about something more interesting, like say... I don't know, maybe the characters?
Like I said before, there is a seriously awesome amount of girl power in this book. Like, a lot! And I love love loved that! I enjoyed all of our main characters, and it was fun to read from each of their different points of view. I never got confused about who was speaking (and there were no name titles), but I think, hands down, that Cora was my favorite.
She was super smart - like, inventor smart (funny, that... she is an inventor) and she's so awesome! I loved her spunk, and the way that she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Or to help someone who was in need. She was funny, and she liked to kind of blend into the background - which was a nice change.
That doesn't mean that I didn't like Michiko and Nellie, though! I just liked them for different reasons. I liked Michiko's drive and discipline, and Nellie's flair for girliness. Cora was definitely my favorite, though!
In other news, I think this book has the most realistic "relationship" ever described - it was hilarious when it happened, but... in the end, I think it's nice to see a relationship that doesn't work out in the end. Also a good message.
All in all, I'd say that The Friday Society was a fun steampunk adventure, with plenty of action and interesting characters - but I feel like the ending could have been better.
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LibraryThing member theindigoshelf
The Friday Society should be one of every teen girl's favorite books. It takes place in a fictional world: Our late 19th/early 20th century, but with steam-punk and follows the stories of three bad-ass teen girls.
It starts off with a bang... literally! Cora is the first of the three girls we meet.
The overall story is interwoven between the three girls. Each chapter is exciting and telling. The jumping back and forth between story lines is pleasant because we get to learn about each girl's past and see how their future is evolving in front of their very eyes.
As we are introduced to the people in each of their lives, the girls discover a headless body. The seemingly toughest character, Miko, faints and ends up being taken care of by Cora and Nellie. What transpires after this point are the girls' plans to solve the case and figure out whom they really trust. It's funny, admirable, and exciting all the way through. It was an incredibly fun read.
Unfortunately, there isn't much steam-punk, so if that's what you're looking for you'll find bits of steam-punk accessories and weapons scattered throughout, but it doesn't focus on that element.
It starts off with a bang... literally! Cora is the first of the three girls we meet.
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She is in her lab where she shadows a secret inventor politician. She loves science. Nellie is the next girl we meet. She is blonde, beautiful, and a magician's assistant. Miko is the third and final girl we meet. She is a samurai, trained in Japan, but under appreciated, so she escapes to America where unfortunately she finds a rotten wannabe American "samurai expert" to take her in.The overall story is interwoven between the three girls. Each chapter is exciting and telling. The jumping back and forth between story lines is pleasant because we get to learn about each girl's past and see how their future is evolving in front of their very eyes.
As we are introduced to the people in each of their lives, the girls discover a headless body. The seemingly toughest character, Miko, faints and ends up being taken care of by Cora and Nellie. What transpires after this point are the girls' plans to solve the case and figure out whom they really trust. It's funny, admirable, and exciting all the way through. It was an incredibly fun read.
Unfortunately, there isn't much steam-punk, so if that's what you're looking for you'll find bits of steam-punk accessories and weapons scattered throughout, but it doesn't focus on that element.
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LibraryThing member lkmuir
An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns-and the heroines who use them all
Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight
It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder-and the crimes they believe may be connected to it-without calling too much attention to themselves.
Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike-well, relatively ladylike-heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.
Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight
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assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder-and the crimes they believe may be connected to it-without calling too much attention to themselves.
Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike-well, relatively ladylike-heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I have had this book on my TBR pile for awhile; I was excited to finally get around to reading it. This was an okay YA steampunk. It's a pretty light steampunk read; the three girls the story follows are all pretty upbeat and spunky. I enjoyed them as characters but also found them to be a bit one
The same was true for the plot and story; everything worked out neatly but was fairly predictable and felt a bit contrived. The whole thing is written in a very cutesy manner; lots of modern slang interspersed in this Victorian steampunk world. The ending was really rushed; pretty much all the mystery is solved in the last couple chapters.
The world also felt a bit unfinished. This seems to be an alternate version of London where there are lots of steampunk artifacts. However, aside from that there isn't a lot of explanation or history.
Overall it was just okay. This is a quick read that is kind of fun and cute. However it doesn't leave a lasting impression; it reminded me a bit of cotton candy...sweet and easy to eat, but in the end it's empty calories and you can't eat too much without feeling a bit off. Everything felt a bit one dimensional: the character, the plot, and the world. There are much better YA steampunk novels out there. I would highly recommend The Baskerville Affair by Emma Jane Holloway or any of Gail Carriger’s YA books.
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dimensional.The same was true for the plot and story; everything worked out neatly but was fairly predictable and felt a bit contrived. The whole thing is written in a very cutesy manner; lots of modern slang interspersed in this Victorian steampunk world. The ending was really rushed; pretty much all the mystery is solved in the last couple chapters.
The world also felt a bit unfinished. This seems to be an alternate version of London where there are lots of steampunk artifacts. However, aside from that there isn't a lot of explanation or history.
Overall it was just okay. This is a quick read that is kind of fun and cute. However it doesn't leave a lasting impression; it reminded me a bit of cotton candy...sweet and easy to eat, but in the end it's empty calories and you can't eat too much without feeling a bit off. Everything felt a bit one dimensional: the character, the plot, and the world. There are much better YA steampunk novels out there. I would highly recommend The Baskerville Affair by Emma Jane Holloway or any of Gail Carriger’s YA books.
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LibraryThing member bookbrig
This is a really fun read. The three main characters are so wonderful, they make the story incredibly satisfying. My only tiny gripe is that the language occasionally pulled me out of the story. There's some contemporary language that just felt out of place. One character speaks slightly in dialect
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and another speaks English as a second language which she's still learning, so with their speech feeling somewhat authentic it was just weird when overly contemporary phrasing popped up. Seriously a great quick adventure type read though, even with that. And! It features a very cute date, which I am partial to since I have been on a similar very cute date. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenniferElizabeth2
Steampunk romp. Fun, fluffy, and rather silly. Pacing was inconsistent; very slow moving at first, then slam-bam super-hero improbably ending. Tone was far too modern for the era.
Publication
Dial Books (2012), 448 pages
Original language
English
Physical description
440 p.; 8.75 inches
ISBN
0803737610 / 9780803737617