I'm usually a bit on the fence about audiobooks. In some, the narrator is terrible, taking away from the experience. In others, the narrator is fine - adds nothing, but takes nothing away either. The audiobook edition of Etiquette and Espionage was the rarest of all audiobooks - its narrator actually made the story better.This is a middle-grade steampunk novel about Sophronia, a girl who has never quite managed proper due to her curiosity. Sophronia would much rather spy on her sisters than play the pianoforte; she enjoys taking apart household machinery to find out how it works; and she possesses a boldness considered improper for ladies of her day. These endearing character traits lead Sophronia's mother to send her away to a finishing school. What Mumsy does not know is that this particular boarding school doubles as a school for young spies - an endeavor quite suited to Sophronia's curiosities. The story is at times laugh-out-loud funny, full of beautiful messages about self-worth and how one should treat others, and never lacking in adventure. Much middle-grade fiction is a bit shallow for adults, but this one is guaranteed to provide a few hours of entertainment regardless of your age.I'd give this 4.5 stars if I could add a half star.
