Although I enjoyed the action, it took too long for anyone to tell Alex anything, so we were all flailing around not understanding anything. I started skimming after a while. It's a good read and it probably won't annoy other people as much as it annoyed me. I think it'll do well.

This was an interesting book and i thought the premise was interesting but i didn't love the writing and the main character in places as i found him a bit grating. This was not for me in the end but i liked what it tried to do.

This was a fun read, it was fast paced and had some really interesting ideas. The only problem I found was that it was a little bit unwieldy in places, things didn't flow properly. Other than that I really enjoyed it, especially the nods to everything from Indiana Jones to King Kong, and the whole thing felt well researched. I look forward to a second title from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Oneworld Publications/Rock the Boat for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Monstrous Devices is a non-stop steampunk adventure story with action at every turn. This story is gripping and will encapsulate a younger reader easily. Unlike an adult book, the action started on the first few pages and didn't stop until the end. 

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book as it kept up with the urgency of the character's mission. I also loved the villains - they were evil, violent and not dulled down just because the book is for children. You also weren't 100% sure who they are which gave a nice element of mystery to the story! The creepiness level was just right - not too scary but not too predictable - I found myself spooked at some points which was quite refreshing!

I found the Grandfather an irritating character who was preachy and know-it-all whilst making bad decisions. This was probably done as a mirror of many children's experiences with adults 'knowing better' and themselves 'being too young for ___', but it became increasingly annoying and distracted me from the plot. As we follow Alex through his adventures, we are only given the same information he is which can be understandably frustrating at some points. He acts like a 13 year old who is thrown into impossible circumstances and isn't forced to act or say anything a 13 year old wouldn't. He isn't a perfect character - he is flawed and has a varied range of emotions that aren't always positive, but this gives him realness in a world of strangeness. 

The book ends with quite a few questions unanswered, which leads me to believe there will be a sequel. I'd be interested to read it, but I think I'd want to know what is was about first! Maybe more Alex and Grandfather adventures and finding out more about Alex's family/Grandfather's past?

I think this book could have been incredible but some aspects didn't work for me. That being said, I think children will enjoy it and find it an exciting and fun read. For this reason, I gave it 3 stars. 

Monstrous Devices is out in the UK on 19th March.

Quite a creepy middle grade mystery book. An intriguing book about a boy and his grandfather.
Alex is twelve years old and loves robots. He receives a strange robot in the post from his grandfather who is in Czechoslovakia which seems to have a connection with Alex and he suddenly finds himself behaving strangely and then little aggressive robots keep appearing.
Alex goes on an unplanned trip to Paris and Prague with his grandfather. They spend a lot of time avoiding people who are chasing them to try and get the robot.
Alex’s grandfather is not very forthcoming with information but he appears to know why things are happening and what he needs to do.
Beautifully written and characters well defined. A fast paced adventure which should appeal to children who don’t frighten easily or like to read creepy books.
The story was resolved.
I received this book from Netgalley, the publishers Arcturus Publishing and the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, but the plot really intrigued me. The problem I had was that unfortunately the writing style did not mesh well with me, making the read a struggle to get through, however I can see why others may really like this book. Robot books are still one of my favourite genres and some aspects of the story were really smart and interesting, it's just as a whole the story was just not quite there for me.

There is plenty about this book to appeal to readers. The premise is intriguing, the action fast-paced, the villains nasty. I am glad I read the book and certainly have students in mind who may enjoy it in coming years. Unfortunately, for me the characters and their dialogue seemed a little contrived. The humour is widespread but it just doesn't feel particularly natural all the way through. In essence, this book has plenty of potential and will be enjoyed by many, but just missed the mark on a few two many areas for me to fall in love with it myself.

What an interesting book! I had heard a lot about this book before the lovely guys at Netgalley and Rock the Boat granted my request to read this and I wasn’t disappointed.

Alex receives a postcard and a parcel from his grandad who is away in Prague, in this parcel is a curious little metal robot. This robot looks a little different from the other Alex has collected and his grandfather’s postcard says it’s special.

Alex has a good look at the robot and it nicks his finger causing it to bleed, he wipes away the blood on the robot and thinks nothing more of it until strange things start happening.

Alex falls asleep before finishing his essay and when he wakes up it’s already done and printed off, a bully that torments Alex gives back the robot when Alex asks him to and has a vacant look on his face. Alex begins to wonder if this robot is indeed very special.

His grandad arrives back home and notices the curious behaviour around Alex and decides to take him away on a trip to Paris to find an old friend to show the robot to. Needless to say their journey is not a smooth one and they encounter some bad people that Alex’s grandad has crossed before. They are on a deadly mission to destroy the robot and what it contains while fighting off robots as small as dragonflies with deadly knives all the way up to robots that are the size of people.

It’s a break-neck adventure story that, once you get into it, leaves you breathless with the action and audibly gasping at things that happen in the story. Alex’s grandad is a beautifully eccentric character and is full of charm whereas Alex is your typical confused teenager, thrown into a situation he doesn’t know how to handle and must learn everything on the way.

It’s nothing like anything I have ready in a long time, it’s a brilliant debut from Damien and I cannot wait to read more of his work.

What a story! It’s a European road trip filled with robots, danger, deceit, salt, death, mystery and history. Absolutely wonderful!

An interesting book that although not something I may have purchased on synopsis alone I am very pleased I was given the opportunity on Netgalley, well crafted story and characters that are intriguing and well developed