Akustrei

3.5 stars. There were definitely a lot of issues, but the writing style and narration were pretty good, so nowhere near as horrific as Halo.

Issues I have:
• why didn't they just kill Finn/Giles...
• if everything is supposed to be Era, why does everyone act like they time-traveled from 21st century America?
• why are the characters really not that likeable? T_T Claudia is proud, haughty, and more or less both selfish and stupid. Finn/Giles is pretty dumb, a manipulating liar at the same time, and is just annoying. Attia seems to have made a really dumb move in befriending Finn, and everyone knows Keiro is really evil. Galdis (or whatever his name is) is crazy and obsessed, and appears to be abandoning his post. Not that he chose it. Jared is... I don't know, not willing to look past the facade. The earl, or prince or whatever is a total idiot and a (I probably shouldn't say it), and the Warden is too cold and impersonal. Even the servants don't have enough information to draw conclusions...
• Finn/Giles has a split personality. No really. He has MPD or something. The uber-sweet, innocent boy that Claudia remembers wouldn't lie at every single turn.
• Everyone knows Incarceron is a prison (seriously, they use the words "inmate" and "warden"), yet they still choose to believe that it's a perfect world/experiment...?
• the people have enough technology for "skinwands" and Plexiglass but can't spare any for nobles dying in childbirth? Wait, I forgot, this is steampunk. No, no it's not.
• there doesn't seem to be any laws. Or police. Or much of a government at all...
• my thoughts: seriously? we need a cliché evil stepmother who favors her own children and waits for the king to die? I mean, really?
• are we supposed to believe that Attia, a smart and clever girl who figured out how to survive hell, would give up her life and personal interest for a selfish, lying person who helped her once? Also, is she Incarceron-born too? I feel like the masses of prisoners can't possibly all be criminals.
• wait... is this a "Horton Hears a Who" rip-off? seems like it.
• so... the key is a round glass ball? I SO CONFUSED >__<

Good things:
• it's easy to read
• cool cover (yes, yes, I know)
• was more than I expected (my school library has a lot of books that should be burned)