[Review: Of Metal And Wishes by Sarah Fine]

"Of Metal and Wishes"
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Of Metal and Wishes #1
Pages: 320
Genre: YA, Classic Retellings
Date Published: August 5th, 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Of Metal And Wishes,

Book, you slay me! I knew you were going to be great, but I didn't know how great and I have to say that you were pretty much the greatest! This note might be a little gushy and filled with too many greats, but who really cares. As a lover of all things Phantom of the Opera, I can say that you really outdid yourself as a retelling. Also, I'm a little sad that I have to wait a whole year to read the conclusion of your story. Way to leave a girl hanging. (see what I did there?)

 

-The White Unicorn

Of Metal and Wishes is one of those books that I just connected with. As a huge Sarah Fine fan I was excited when I learned that she would be tackling one of my favorite stories and twisting it into something new and different, this book became one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Let me tell you right now that it didn't disappoint me. This book is truly a work of art. Dark, creepy, fantastic art.

Many people know that phenomenon that is The Phantom of the Opera. It's taken many different forms over the years from movies and musicals and books, but Fine takes the main story and uses it as the inspiration for her own tale. She does it masterfully, leaving the overly romantic creepiness of the story intact, while adding so many different levels of her own creativity into the mix. It's a book that grabs you and drags you along for a ride that you won't be forgetting any time soon.

The world building in this book is top notch. Fine has created a world that feels both ancient and dystopian at the same time. She's created classes and factions of people that in turn help create this feeling of tension throughout the novel. The slaughterhouse setting is perfect for the vibe of the novel. The world building is compact. Even though it is small, it also seems incredibly large at the same time. So many creative details live in the halls of this slaughterhouse that you're never bored. Fine has a blast with all things Ghost and the fantastical world in the basements of the slaughterhouse shine.

Perhaps the best part of this novel is the characters themselves. Fine gives us a diverse character set with lots of interesting dynamics. Wen, is the dutiful daughter who holds a lot of angst within her bones, but it's not an angst that will turn you off, it's the kind that pushes her as a person and makes you root for her in every way possible. She's a bit of a badass and she can stitch up a human like nobodies business.

Malik was the perfect love interest! I was pleased that Fine decided to give him loads of backbone. In Phantom his role is always played as the gentleman. The soft one. But Fine didn't play that way in her retelling and instead gave us a male lead who was just as strong and ruthless as The Ghost. It makes the triangle and the love stories more interesting when it's harder to pick a clear winner, and I loved that.

That leads us to The Ghost himself. He's so different than any anti-hero that I've read and I adored him. Fine makes him someone that you can relate to, even if you don't agree with everything that he does. She gives him a back story that pulls at your heartstrings and gives him a charisma that makes you wonder why you like him so much.

The secondary characters are just as wonderful and they add so much to the story in their own rights. Fine takes the whole book in a really dark and sometimes disturbing direction, and it works. It works so very well. Honestly, I could go on and on about this book. For right I'll just say, if you have eyes and you like books then you need to read this as soon as it comes out.

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!