School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--A scrappy orphan named Ever Barnes knows the city of Oskars is hiding something important--but what? He spends his days hiding in the Switchboard Operating Facility, a building made up of cogs and interconnected layers. Mr. Morgan, the facility's new owner, is proud of his acquisition. His daughter, Hannah, is eager to explore the building and perhaps befriend this orphan boy she keeps hearing about. Hannah often feels constrained by her mother's expectation to act like a lady and would much prefer to wear pants and get into scrapes. Ever overcomes his initial reluctance to let Hannah into his life when it becomes clear that the men who killed his father are now after him, too. Lisa, a plucky switchboard operator, is a fantastic side character who's hiding a few secrets of her own. Underground societies, family codes, and danger abound. While there's a lot of story to keep track of, it all comes together in the end. The primary mystery is revealed at the last moment and sets up the potential for future volumes. Ying's panels are fluid and inviting. Vibrant action scenes are mostly wordless and showcase the intricate and impressive design. Exploring the steampunk city is an adventure for Hannah and Ever and for readers. VERDICT An appealing steampunk graphic novel for fans of Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker.--Gretchen Hardin, Bee Cave P.L., TX
Publisher's Weekly Review
Four years before this graphic novel's start, Ever Barnes was orphaned, and he inherited the secret his father guarded before him: a safe that holds a dangerous weapon. Living alone in the six-leveled Grand Capital City of Oskars, Ever, now 12, spends most of his days hiding from the switchboard operators and using a complicated system of levers to manipulate the facility's moving features to protect its workers and guard the safe. When Hannah, privileged daughter of the building's owner, catches wind of Ever, her excitement at Ever's "freedom" lures her from the responsibilities of becoming a lady. The two begin a rollicking journey that develops into a close bond as they explore the tantalizing secrets underlying their fantasy steampunk world. Though overlarge speech balloons can detract, Ying's flowing illustrations feature billowy, thin lines and a strong sense of motion that energize the Hugo Cabret--tinged story. Alongside the characters' evolving motivations and found family tropes, moments of peril become increasingly visceral, accentuating emotional beats of loss and realization. Ages 8--12. Agent: Heather Flaherty, the Bent Agency. (July)
Kirkus Review
A mechanized city harbors a secret. In the capital city of Oskars, orphan Ever Barnes lives among the gears and levers in the Switchboard Operating Facility, an edifice that can rotate and shift. Instructed by his father (who was brutally murdered), Ever guards a mysterious safe housed within the movable building. Across the city, highborn Hannah, whose father owns the Switchboard, spends her days in comfort. When the two run into each other, she is instantly taken with Ever. They form a friendship and soon find themselves caught up in a vast political conspiracy and in very real danger. This middle-grade steampunk graphic novel features a delightfully constructed world with broad appeal, reading like a remix of Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock's Four Points series, with a dash of Laura Ruby's York series and a hint of Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2008). Ying has constructed a thrilling genre-bender that seamlessly blends hot air balloons, a secret society, an assassin's guild, a giant robot, and political intrigue without ever feeling overloaded. The city of Oskars becomes its own fully formed character as its secrets--like a mysterious map, concealed gears and mechanisms, and a hidden safe--slowly reveal themselves. Ying's full-color illustrations are cinematic in scope, spotlighting the nonstop action. While Ever and Hannah's adventures come to a satisfying resolution, more are promised in a later volume. Ever presents white, and Hannah has Asian features. Thrills and fun galore. (Graphic mystery/fantasy. 7-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ever Barnes isn't supposed to be living at the switchboard facility in the city of Oskars, but he's the only one who knows how to move all the parts of the clockwork building safely--and he's the only one who can access the secret vault at the building's heart. When tomboy Hannah spots Ever while visiting the switchboard with her father, she knows she's found a kindred spirit, and soon they're racing around the intricate inner-workings of the switchboard. But a guild of assassins is after Ever; clearly there's something larger at play, but how could two kids like Ever and Hannah be important enough to be targeted? In her manga-inspired artwork, Ying builds an impressive steampunk city that operates on twisting, shifting, and elevating components, and it's a thrilling setting for the fast-paced action and deep mysteries. Soft colors and brushy linework add to the historical atmosphere. Though many plot threads are neatly tied, some loose ends are tantalizingly left dangling. Hand to kids who loved Ben Hatke's Mighty Jack series.
