{YA Review} Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger

{YA Review} Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger's YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Hardcover, 310 pages. Published November 5th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Source: library

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review} 

"Miss Temminnick." (line 1, page 1)

An excellent follow up to book one, Etiquette & Espionage. I still love the world, Sophronia and Carriger's writing style. Sophronia is more confident in her abilities and is putting her education to work.

Relationships were given a lot of time, both her friendships with Dimity, Vieve and the other girls - and avoiding defining an increasingly confusing relationship with Soap who shows a few more layers. There's also the addition of boys from Bunson's - including the sullen faced boy. Sullen face gets a name! I liked him. He is smart and haughty and entitled. I liked seeing how Sophronia is with him, especially when he flusters her.

I enjoyed the storyline, the big mystery kept me guessing along with Sophronia. Of course Carriger teases the next mysteries and has me desperate for the next book, Waistcoats & Weaponry.