Thank you NetGalley! The story takes place in Paris I’m guessing around 1895. This is the year on the map at the beginning of the story and is otherwise not stated. A girl of indeterminate age named Zelie Dutta had been sent to Paris from her home in Calcutta with her father to work as a maid. When on an errand, she comes across a boy who quickly becomes her friend and ally. Jules Dubois works in the sewers beneath the city and has found Zelle’s father’s locket that he never took off. Embossed on the back reads the word Snakestone. Mystery, murder ensue as realizations are made. . Although as a whole the story was good, for the age group it is designated for I feel the youngest readers of this age group would find it rather macabre in places and a bit slow paced with the intricacies of the plot being missed. Older readers may appreciate the horrors depicted and slow reveal of the storyline better.

3.5 stars

This was a fun middle-grade read. The story was pretty well fleshed out and I found the characters to be interesting. There were some things that didn't work for me as an older reader, but I would def recommend this for teens.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC