The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Description from Goodreads.com
In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

5 Star Review
Sometimes I come across a book where I want to put up a review that expresses my enjoyment of having read it. But then when I sit down to write the only possible word that I want to repeat over and over is AWESOME. But as I am sure some people may come across the word of awesome and not descriptive enough for them to attempt to read it. So let me try my best to describe in which the way I picked up the audiobook, was mesmerized by its tale and did not want it to end. As it's going to be a series I get to enjoy more of this world at a later date, but who knows if I may be able to make it until the next book is released before losing my mind!
            Aoife (ee-fa) our main character is strong-willed, hard-headed, scared and compassionate. She witnesses her mother going more crazy by the day, her brother who tried to kill her has ran away and she has only her best friend Cal who sticks by her side in a school where girls are scarce. 
           I have to admit that when I first saw the cover, with all the fairy stories traveling the young adult shelves these days I was curious as to a fairy story steampunk novel. This book was so much more than any fairy story I have read. I read and loved the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, but compared to those books this story was dark, dirty and bloodier and when the fairy appears for a short period, he's dark, sinister and dangerous. It is really difficult to say this book is a fairy story because it's so much more, the mechanical creatures, magic and the city make it more than that.
          The engine that is below the city, the proctors who run the city, the strange dirty/gothic feel you get from the setting and Aoife's travels makes this story dark and haunted. Aoife travels to her fathers house with her best friend Cal and their guide Dean to try to find her brother who has sent a message that only reads "Help" at the house that looks abandoned they find a maid hiding in one of the rooms who tells them that Aoife's father and brother have been taken away, both by different types of creatures and she is alone. The house has magical powers of its own and soon Aoife is meeting strange creatures, communicating with the house and taken into strange lands enshrouded by mist.
          Overall this amazing story was evenly paced, well developed and leaves the imagination open to imagine several ways in which the author may take this story into the next books in this series. I for one hope that this Iron Codex Series lasts for as long as possible, there are so many twists, people, creatures and worlds yet to explore in this world and I hope that it takes the author several more books to get us through.
The Iron Thorn (The Iron Codex)
I have noticed that Tynga has a wonderful author interview with Caitlin Kittridge about this book and herself I think you should check out. http://tyngasreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/psb-interview-giveaway-with-caitlin.html