Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

 

Blurb from Goodreads
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.

4.5 stars
So, so good! It was the perfect blend of plot, characterization and beautiful writing. Oh, and did I mention that it was based loosely on The Phantom of the Opera? Anything to do with Phantom is a must read in my book, and I am so glad that this one lived up to my expectations. I cannot wait to read the sequel to this one! I want to see more of this world. Sarah Fine did a great job of creating a world within a world with the Slaughterhouse. I want Wen to explore more of her world though. I want more history of the two races - why they hate one another so much, how the Noor were conquered and why.

I read some reviews that criticized the book for using the threat of rape. My only problem is that it seemed that all of the men (with the exception of Melik and Sinan) were just looking for any excuse to rape. This is not a fair representation of men. I would have liked to see some more men step up and say that Mugo's treatment of women was despicable. I understand why the workers could not, but at least have some characters object in a conversation. Even the women seem to accept that this is their lot.

I feel that Wen was a strong character. She had the courage to reach out to the Noor and accept them. I felt her remorse at what she feels was her fault was a great display of character, and her forgiveness showed strength.

I wish I had the second book because I would absolutely read it right now - publication date notwithstanding. This is a great read for fans of fantasy and classical story re-tellings.

There was no language.  There is the threat of rape, but no actual sex scenes.