Mechanica is another modern re-telling of Cinderella and despite being targeted at a YA-audience, I could't resist picking it up (look at that pretty cover!) My expectations were pretty low. If you follow me long enough, you know how often I am disappinted by bland and uncreative Ya-books. Mechanica whips up all the cliches you might expect. What fascinated me though was the concept of an independent, selfconscious female heroine. I loved the ending. I would've loved it even if it had followed the original tale but nonetheless, Cornwell managed to craft three nice and solid characters for a lighthearted tale. What bothered me were the endless repetitions in Nicolettes (love that name) monologues. The woldbuilding depends heavily on her giving us flashbacks and insights but she keeps repeating herself. Unfortunately it doesn't color the world any different, just annoys the reader. I liked the added supernatural and steampunk aspects of Faeries and glas-and clockwork animals. The lovestory is a triangle (duh) but doesn't drown in drama, for which I am eternaly grateful, otherwise it might have become a one-star only rating. All in all the story and characters are (as usual) lacking depth and that special something, that would make me recognize them in a pool of ya-cardboard characters. I won't pick up the sequel, since it's just another Ya-snore fest and not an imaginative re-telling. Pretty cover tho!