About this item
Nicolette's awful stepsisters call her "Mechanica" to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother's knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have pushed her into a life of dreary servitude. When she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday - and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse - Nicolette starts to imagine a new life for herself. And the timing may be perfect: There's a technological exposition and a royal ball on the horizon. Determined to invent her own happily-ever-after, Mechanica seeks to wow the prince and eager entrepreneurs alike.
About the Author
Betsy Cornwell is a New York Times bestselling author living in west Ireland. She is the story editor and a contributing writer at Parabola, and her short-form writing includes fiction, nonfiction, and literary translation and has appeared in Fairy Tale Review, Zahir Tales, Luna Luna, and elsewhere. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. from Smith College.The Forest Queen is a lyrical retelling of Robin Hood forthcoming from Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on August 7, 2018. ? "With all the traditional players naturally recast as women, it becomes a fiercely female, feminist take on the traditional legend. It's a lush, lovely exploration of the bonds of a community as one girl learns about her own privilege, and, eventually, her strength." - Booklist, starred reviewVenturess (2017) "hits a sweet spot for fairy tale and steampunk lovers alike" (Booklist) . Praise for this fantasy adventure novel includes a Kirkus star and glowing reviews from VOYA and School Library Journal. Venturess is an Amazon Editors' Pick for the best young adult books of August 2017.Mechanica was published in 2015 and has featured on several best of the year lists, including Amazon.com's Best Young Adult Books and USA Today's Must-Read Romances. In a starred review, Kirkus called this retelling of Cinderella "a smart, refreshing alternative to stale genre tropes."Betsy's debut novel Tides was published in 2013 to critical acclaim including a place in the Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year and a Bisexual Book Awards nomination. ? "Cornwell's auspicious debut weaves historical fantasy together with sensual romance." - Publishers Weekly, starred reviewBetsy is currently working on The Circus Rose, a queer YA retelling of "Snow White and Rose Red" slated for release in fall 2019.
