Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with Supernatural Devices (A Steampunk Scarlett Novel: Book 1) by Kailin Gow. Initially I thought it had great promise, but it fell far short of what it could have been. It felt like Gow was trying to capitalize on the latest trends in YA lit--vampires, fey, steampunk; I expect zombies and werewolves to show up in the sequel. Everything is shallow: the characters have no depth, the plot is not compelling, and the setting lacks description. It feels as though with minor changes, the story could take place in any time period--there's little that ties it to the richness of the Victorian era and it's only real claim to steampunk is the series title. Taken for what it is, a light paranormal romance, SD may draw in teen girls looking for a quick escape. Gow spells out everything for the reader--she does far more "telling" than "showing." Despite the heroine Scarlett's strong, independent young woman persona, she is almost constantly surrounded by gorgeous, admiring men (who garner the only rich descriptions in the book) who frequently have to save her. If you're looking for good, solid, engaging stories from the same era, try Kenneth Oppel's Airborn and Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty.