The Friday Society [Hardcover]

Adrienne Kress (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 6, 2012

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 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With odd inventions, beautifully described clothing, and skilled heroines, this alternate history offers much to enjoy." — Publishers Weekly

"...an overall sense of frothy fun prevails, bolstered by winks at genre convention (much is made of the always-foggy London crime scenes) and by three kick-ass females with complementary strengths and distinctive personalities." — The Horn Book

"The Friday Society is an explosively entertaining concoction–a mystery and an adventure folded around complex themes, draped in rich historical settings, spiced with Steampunk cool and laced with sharp contemporary wit. It's a firecracker of a read, packed with a trio of feisty, fiery, fiercely intelligent heroines worth rooting for. More please!" — Lesley Livingston, author of the internationally bestselling Wondrous Strange series

About the Author

Adrienne Kress studied at the University of Toronto, and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Her time in the UK served as inspiration for her middle-grade books, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman and Timothy and the Dragon's Gate. Adrienne has since returned to Toronto, where she acts, directs, produces, and writes.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Dial (December 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803737610
• ISBN-13: 978-0803737617
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.7 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute for what it is. December 21, 2012

By Nicole @ Paperback Princess

Format:Hardcover

I found that this story was really cute, but not a favorite. If you remember, we did a Waiting on Wednesday on this book back in October, and I was able to get a copy of it when I went to New York Comic Con. I was excited to check out a book about three kick ass ladies who solve crime.

The reason that I did not love this book was because a lot of the language and terms used were ones not from the early 1900s, and as a historian, well, I got irked. For starters, the Nellie and Cora kept referring to themselves as "so hot"which is not a term that was used that way in the early 1900's. The other offending term was "Wow. Deep." I felt that a lot of what they were saying were colloquialisms unique to our time.

I loved Michiko and felt that she was the only character that managed to grow within the book. She went from being this girl in a foreign land, who was bullied by her "master" into this strong samurai. I did feel that it was a little difficult to incorporate her because she had a language barrier. I loved learning a little bit more about the art of the samurai.

Cora started out as my favorite, she was strong and independent, but as the book went on, she just bothered me. Her whole dalliance with a gentleman in the book felt so rushed but not in an insta-love way, just a this feels weird way. Nellie was another one that I didn't like from the beginning just because she seemed so superficial and fake. I will admit that I love her use of glitter as self defense.

If I look past the characters and the other difficulties, I liked the plot line. At times it felt a little all over the place. I loved the titles of the chapters and how they all tied together. I also liked how the steampunk tied in with Cora's inventions. There were a lot of fun themes through this book, that make it worth checking out, I have friends that totally loved it, so maybe its the book for.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Characters: Good! Steampunkiness: Good! Mystery/Plot: Ehhhh December 9, 2012

By BookY

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was one of those books that I bought pretty much solely because of the book cover. I mean, just look at it! It screams girl-power, steampunk and fun. And in those 3 respects at least, it definitely delivers.

Cora, Nellie and Michiko are thrown together by chance one night, at the scene of a grisly murder. Fate has their paths crossing again and again, a friendship blossoms, and they find themselves working together to solve a series of mysteries that may or may not be all connected.

The beginning of this book is fantastic - I loved the way the 3 girls are introduced to the reader. I liked learning about each girl's past and getting to know her personality. Each has her own personal struggles to overcome, as well as interesting relationships with secondary characters.

The steampunk setting is also nicely done. There are gadgets galore, cool inventions and the clothing descriptions are awesome. The language/dialogue does feel a bit off with modern phrases popping up here and there, but I got used to it after awhile and didn't think it was overly distracting.

Things I didn't like:

Although it starts out strong, the story does lose steam about midway through. The writing is snappy and fun, but sometimes (and towards the end, many times) the "fun" goes a little over the top and spills into the realm of absurdity. Although I laughed several times throughout the book, I found myself rolling my eyes just a little bit more. In particular, the part where the villain is revealed and motivations are explained is downright ridiculous. Really, the mystery as a whole was pretty lame and one aspect of it was very predictable. The ending played out like a bad cartoon episode.

Although the plot is weak, the parts that focus on the characters and their relationships are good enough to mostly make up for it. Anyway, the book cover pretty much says it all, what you see is what you get: no dark, intricate plot or deep emotion ridden story here, but rather, a light, fun and an overall entertaining read (as long as you're willing to put up with some silliness).

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A scientist, a samurai, and a stage star sizzle in this steampunk story December 6, 2012

By Sue B.

Format:Hardcover

The Friday Society is the story of 3 very different young women who become friends, defy conventions, battle evil, and have a darn good time, as does the reader. I really enjoyed the characters; smart, funny, ambitious and opinionated girls making there way in a steampunk universe. Each has her own area of expertise, her own cultural background, and her own obstacles to overcome. The fact that they learn that together as a group they can support each other and pool their knowledge is a major strength of the novel. This occurs without any sort of preachy atmosphere developing, this book is dedicated to fun. The plot zings along, there is murder, mayhem, and some very creepy villains, (the eye collector is a good example), romance develops with blushes and missteps along the way, and a sense of comedic adventure is maintained throughout. The trio swears and drinks, develop crushes and kiss the boys, and fight with fists, swords, and the well-placed knee to the groin. But all of this badass behavior is pretty PG, they are nice girls dealing in a practical manner with the situations they face--their instincts and moral compass are sound. They also display a gentler side as well, for example Michiko's relationship with her young pupil, making them more developed and believable, not cardboard characters. The "voice" of the narration heightens the sense of comedy and ties the story neatly together not letting the pace drag for a moment. The mix of 21st century language and Victorian mores can be a little jarring at times, but once immersed in the story you're not likely to notice it. Recommended for anyone looking for light adventure and some fine female role models. I'm looking forward to the Society's next adventure. Thanks to the publisher for letting me read this galley.