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Kate Milford
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The Boneshaker Paperback – Illustrated, May 23, 2011

by Kate Milford (Author), Andrea Offermann (Illustrator)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 107 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.

Set in 1914, The Boneshaker is a gripping, richly textured novel about family, community, courage, and looking evil directly in the face in order to conquer it.

Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    384 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    900L
  6. Dimensions
    5.13 x 0.91 x 7.63 inches
  7. Publication date
    May 23, 2011
  8. ISBN-10
    0547550049
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0547550046
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A 2011 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book


"Not to be confused with Cherie Priest's steampunk novel of the same name (though there is just the barest whiff of steampunk here), this historical fantasy uses the classic devil-at-the-crossroads motif as the foundation for an elaborate and intricate gearwork story set in the little town of Arcane, Missouri, in 1913...Both impressive and ambitious, Milford's first novel rarely overreaches as it lays out an eerie and atmospheric vision of early-twentieth-century Americana, electrified by supernatural traces and a generously complex look at good, evil, and the wide swath in between."—Booklist, starred review

"The tale is shrouded in mystery and explores themes of gaining confidence and recognizing evil, and Milford's detail-rich prose makes it all the more haunting ("In the gaslight and what morning sun that filtered through the heavy curtains, startling shapes began to resolve themselves into familiar objects. Seeing them clearly didn't make her like them any better")."—Publishers Weekly
 "This unusual story, with elements of folklore, tall tales and steampunk, has rich details of small-town America in the early 20th century as well as the impact of budding technology. Natalie is a well-drawn protagonist with sturdy supporting characters around her. The tension built into the solidly constructed plot is complemented by themes that explore the literal and metaphorical role of crossroads and that thin line between good and evil."—Kirkus Reviews —

About the Author

Kate Milford is the New York Times best-selling author of the Edgar Award–winning, National Book Award nominee Greenglass House, as well as Ghosts of Greenglass House, Bluecrowne, The Thief Knot, and many more. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. www.greenglasshousebooks.com and www.katemilfordwritesbooks.com,
Twitter: @KateMilford



Andrea Offermann attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and lives in Hamburg, Germany. Her illustrations for The Boneshaker marked her U.S. publishing debut. To find out more about Andrea and her work, please visit www.andreaoffermann.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; Reprint edition (May 23, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0547550049
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0547550046
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 900L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.91 x 7.63 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 107 ratings

About the author

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Kate Milford

Kate Milford

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Kate is the author of THE BONESHAKER, THE BROKEN LANDS, GREENGLASS HOUSE, and THE LEFT-HANDED FATE, as well as their companion novellas THE KAIROS MECHANISM and BLUECROWNE (available at www.clockworkfoundry.com). Forthcoming books include GHOSTS OF GREENGLASS HOUSE (2017) and THE RACONTEUR'S COMMONPLACE BOOK. She has also written several plays, a couple of screenplays, and an assortment of scholarly articles on subjects as diverse as self-aware ironmongery and how to make saltwater taffy in a haunted kitchen. She is a contributing writer for the Nagspeake Board of Tourism and Culture at www.nagspeake.com and a passionate shutterbug. Originally from Annapolis, she now splits her time between Brooklyn and the Magothy coast. She has a husband called Nathan, a kid called Griffin, and two dogs called Sprocket and Ed. She drinks way too much coffee.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
107 global ratings
Amazing amazing AMAZING!!
5 Stars
Amazing amazing AMAZING!!
I thought Greenglass House was great, but man. This blew me away! & this was her DEBUT novel!! I read the last 75% in one sitting-not a small book either! It gave my steampunk heart everything it needed to keep ticking..So beautifully written. Again, the authors research & time really came through in the story. For example:Patent medicines, & the crazy things people did & believed in the late 1800s-early 1900s..wowza. Also, Jamaica ginger-A 19th-century patent medicine, & a large number of users of Jamaica ginger were afflicted w/a paralysis of the hands & feet that quickly became known as Jamaica ginger paralysis or jake paralysis-slang name Jake. I won’t tell you which parts of the actual history, coincide w/the fiction, but when you read the book & look at the history facts-mind blown! How the author took parts of history & wove them into this piece of art! Wow! It’s 1913, & Natalie loves machines-especially clockwork. When a traveling Medicine show arrives in town full of mystery, weird things, strange characters, & a creepy man-she decides to investigate. My favorite character is Tom. I can hear him talking that smooth voice in my head saying “darling”, along w/hearing that beautiful guitar playing. There are sentences that are close to riddles, that are so beautiful you could cry. You believe a bike can have a personality, you believe in the Devil(I already did, so extra goosebumps for me!). It has perpetual motion machines, stories told like you heard when you were little always wondering if there were some truth to them..there’s family, friendship, bravery, community..& it all starts at a crossroads. The underlying message? Always look evil directly in the eye to conquer it. Highly recommend! Stunning cover by Andrea Offermann, along w/beautiful illustrations sprinkled throughout too.💜
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Top reviews from the United States

CeeBee
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read even for grownups
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2010
Verified Purchase
My 13 year old son and I both really enjoyed this novel. I bought it for him but he liked it so much that I wanted to read it too. It's a fun and exciting plot with interesting characters who have some real depth. One of the themes of the novel is that no one is all bad or all good (reminiscent of Hawthorne), and that plays out in satisfying, thoughtful ways. I'm not usually a fan of the supernatural, but it's an element here, not the main focus. Even with the supernatural, the novel has a nice skeptical bent that I appreciated, particularly with its suspicion of patent medicines, phrenology, and other early 20th century pseudo-scientific nonsense, which have their own troubling descendants today. In both youth and adult novels I appreciate thematic depth and resonance that is not too heavy-handed, and that is exactly the case here. It's also worth mentioning that though the main character is a young girl, this is not a "girl book" by any means - there is plenty of action, danger, and mystery for any teen boy, and, to echo The Princess Bride, there is "no kissing."

Overall, I think this is a terrific novel for kids and adults both. I look forward to seeing what the author does next.
7 people found this helpful
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Sheila Korol
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best book I've read in a while
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2015
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This is the best book I've read in a while! I've recommended it to my 10-year old and am excited for her to enjoy it, too. It was a refreshing take on heroism with the protagonist being a young girl who must face her fears and overcome obstacles in order to fulfill her fate. As many great tales of heroes are, this story is about love, but not any cliched romantic love - it's the hero's love for her family and community that give her strength. The fantastic/supernatural aspect was fascinating, and challenged and engaged me as a reader. There's also a wonderful tale of unexpected redemption that I greatly enjoyed and am still marvelling over. This reminded me of another childhood favourite - Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, which I've been inspired to go back and re-read thanks to Milford's novel. The Boneshaker is epic in scope and all about the human condition - loved it!
5 people found this helpful
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Nikki Hawkins
4.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2015
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I thought this was an excellent book. Great writing, interesting characters and storyline. Such a refreshing change from the cookie cutter YA that is out there these days.
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Nina Chambers
5.0 out of 5 stars The Boneshaker
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
This novel certainly held ones attention. I found myself holding my breath at times wondering if our young heroine will escape the clutches of such an evil being. All the while trying to learn to ride a bicycle that her father had gotten her, A very unique Bicycle I might say.
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Marla
5.0 out of 5 stars wow!
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book is genuinely suspenseful with incredible imagery. I am quickly becoming a Milford fan! After reading Greenglass House and now Boneshaker, I am convinced that she is emerging as one of the best authors of this genre.
One person found this helpful
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Anne L. Watson
1.0 out of 5 stars Horror
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love the Greenglass House books, so I was eager to read this story from the same author. Unfortunately, it devolves so far into horror that I couldn't finish it. There's enough gruesomeness in the real world -- I don't need to add any more to my mind.
One person found this helpful
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Rhondi
5.0 out of 5 stars Wondrous
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2012
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An amazing, wondrous book about crossroads, the devil and even growing up in the best tradition of both Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman. Read and enjoy!
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GreenG
3.0 out of 5 stars The Devil's in the Details
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2012
Please note that this review refers to the audio version of Kate Milford's The Boneshaker as read by Erin Moon; for the text version, it would receive a four-star rating.

Since many other reviewers gave wonderful plot summaries of this novel, I won't bore you with another complete iteration, but, in brief:
The Devil comes to Arcane in the form of shady showman Dr. Jake Limberleg, and Natalie Minks, machine enthusiast, inventor, budding psychic and much-bruised owner of a ferociously untameable but magnificent rebuilt vintage bicycle, is onto him. Milford's story is, like the automatons featured in Dr. Limberleg's show--and the one being built by Natalie and their father in their barn--surreal, well-crafted, unsettling, not quite fitting into a neat category.

One potential problem with the book is that, due to its complexity and dark undertones, it's often shelved with young adult materials, but thirteen-year-old Natalie, while highly intelligent, is innocent and rather young for her age by today's standards. The first few chapters of the book, mainly eccentric-kid-in-workshop,petulant girl-spat and tomboy-doesn't-fit-in kind of stuff, are tempests in a dull, sheltered teapot of small-town life, and it takes the sudden veer of the plot twist after their country doc leaves town to make it stop reading like an L.M. Montgomery tale. So, the best audience for this book might be a certain kind of reader, like a sophisticated tween or younger teen with a taste for dark magic and no appetite for romance or real "grown up" issues.

Now, to my central gripe about the audio version: patience is required when listening to a story with an involved plot, many distinct characters, intricate sentence structure, and it is incumbent upon the reader to draw us in with their oratory skill. While Erin Moon's voice is pleasant enough, her slow, deliberate pace, over-enunciation of each word and thoughtful too-long pause at the end of each sentence makes it drag on interminably, and, after a single disc in which the pivotal action had not yet occurred, I'd had enough. The delivery was similar to David Caruso's in that CSI spinoff show, leaving us hanging at each pause for breath...then nothing happens.
Moon's manner was too meandering, her tone a bit flat and unvaried then, at times, kind of little-girly. I got the impression she was trying to model the performance after readings of To Kill a Mockingbird, where a dreamy voice can work because the plot has all the force you need right from the get-go. This one needed more speed and urgency, is the best way I can explain it. If you have the time and wherewithal to stay with The Boneshaker,though, wonderful, because it is worth reading.
7 people found this helpful
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