Steeped in Science, Submersed in Story

I got this through First Reads.

I really enjoyed this read. The idea for the plot is lovely, and the very idea of a floating bookshop and a proprietor who proscribes books for what ails you is charming. It has a small adventure and charming characters undergoing transformation. The dialog, in particular, was natural and flowing. The little details in structure, such as the search for the anonymous author of a well-beloved book, were wonderful.

I felt the writing was uneven, though. Some sections have wonderful writing, but there are other sections that are so awkward that they jumped off the page and threw me out of the story. And I feel like the main character, a man, thought an awful lot like a woman. I don't really have a problem with that. It just felt a little unreal. And occasionally the plot was suddenly pushed forward with no explanation, giving the narrative a bit of a jerky feel. Basically, I felt this story was written by someone with very good ideas who hasn't worked out all the kinks in her writing yet. But hopefully that will get worked out over time, and it doesn't keep this from being an overall very charming novel. I'll grab her next novel when I see it.