Metaltown by Kristen Simmons - NO

Simmons, Kristen Metaltown, 378 pages.  Tom Doherty, 2016.  $18.  Language: PG -13 (40+ swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (attempted rape); Violence: PG-13.

Ty has lived on the streets of Metaltown as long as she can remember.  Then she rescued Colin and helped him also find a way to survive.  When Colin’s family troubles force him to become involved with Metaltown’s union boss, Jed Schultz, Ty is hard pressed to keep him safe.  Enter Lena – the misguided daughter of Mr. Hampton – the richest man in the area, whose products, mostly weapons, are manufactured in Metaltown.  She wants to be more involved in her father’s work, but she is always passed over for her brother.  When she makes her way to Metaltown, she makes a rash decision which puts Ty’s survival in danger.

Strip away the fictional Metaltown and all you have is a fictionalized version of any historical fiction book about the Industrial Revolution, worker’s rights, child labor, and unionization fights.  There is not steampunk ingenuity in here and there is nothing else to make this different enough from our world to make this interesting or different.  Simmons should have either gone for historical fiction or steampunk.  And her resolution for the impending romantic triangle just made me mad. 

NOT RECOMMENDED.  Cindy, Library Teacher