Of Metal and Wishes ~ Review

Title: Of Metal and Wishes
Author: Sarah Fine

Publication Date: August 5, 2014

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

Have you ever just sighed in content while reading a book? That's what happened to me with this one. The language, the writing, ah, I got chills! It is beautiful. Truly gorgeous writing.

Plus it's a reimagined telling of The Phantom of the Opera. How does one simply resist?! While the Ghost isn't nearly as suave as my dear Phantom, he doesn't shy away from his "job." Especially when our MC practically double dog dares him to prove his existence.

I will admit that some of the scenes are grisly. Tastefully done, but still bloody. If Phantom had a warehouse full of meat hooks and dangerous machinery, I shudder to think of what would happen. Ghost was mild compared to the viscousness of Phantom. Even in the beginning, before we really know about Wen's Ghost, I felt that he was a lot more immature than Phantom, and I found the difference lacking. Don't get me wrong, I loved this story's Ghost! Once we learn more about him, he pulled at my heart strings. Just not as much as Phantom.

Now you cannot have a Phantom retelling without Raoul de Chagny. Wen's love triangle (if you can call it that. It's pretty much a given in this one.) involves a foreign red head called Melik. Red heads for the win! (Ayyy, talk about that pun. Go on, say it aloud. Get it? Knew you would, you're a smart cookie.)

Melik is not your typical love interest. For one, red hair. How often do we see a love interest that doesn't have brown or black hair?! My first crush had red hair, I loved my carrot top crush. If he were anything like Melik, I might have married him. Too bad we were in the 2nd grade…

Where was I? Oh yes. Melik. Not typical. Right.

Melik is also highly responsible, and is the unofficial leader of the Noors, the "barbaric" foreigners who come to work at the factory. Wen, the MC, falls for him gradually (thank goodness) and I love the development of their relationship. It's complex (different social classes), real (there are trust issues), and stunningly written. (Did I already mention the writing? I think I did.) The ending is what kills me though. --heart breaks--

Now I'm not saying that this is the kind of book that the relationship is the central thing and other elements like plot and all the other parts of people's lives fall by the wayside. Nooooo my friends, I will not steer you wrong. There are so many aspects to this book, and I think because we get to see so much of their lives outside of the romance, it made it all the sweeter for me.

It's not as often an occurrence that I get wrapped up in a book. So glad that I was able to get my hands on this one!!!!