Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
When I picked up Something Strange and Deadly, I didn't really know what to expect. I had never read a zombie book before, but I figured a book about Victorian steampunk zombies might be a good place to start. The cover promised me that fans of Clockwork Angel would enjoy this book, and while I did see some similarities between the two books: Victorian setting, although one is in America and the other is set in London; a beloved brother who may or may not be tied to a shadowy organization; a girl trying to better her lot in life, a sarcastic love interest who is hiding a troubled past, characters of minorities not usually seen in YA fiction--I can safely say that Something Strange and Deadly is an original book all its own. I really identified with the character of Eleanor, but I loved all the characters equally. The take on zombies was unique as well--not too gory or hokey, and just believable enough to totally immerse me in the world. I saw a few of the plot twists coming, but the one at the very end regarding Eleanor's physical condition completely blindsided me and I'm looking forward to see how that is addressed in the sequel. All in all, Something Strange and Deadly was a fantastic "historical" zombie book, perfect for Halloween!
I feel like a jerk. Let's just come out and say that steampunk is really not my thing. I find it hard to orient myself in a skewed version of history. I find myself wondering "okay, so what's different from reality and what's the same?"
All the same, I was mostly enjoying this book up until the Kiss. I just thought that a genteel young woman of the nineteenth century, like Eleanor, wouldn't have been so...pushy, bold, brazen, whichever word you prefer. If you've read my other reviews, you've probably noticed that me having problems with the romantic elements is something of a trend. Romance seems to be where I get into trouble with most books. Anyway...
The plot:
Aside from my problems, I truly believe that this is a good book. I read it mostly while making dinner and it's a miracle I didn't burn anything. This book is fast paced, interesting, keeps you guessing, and leaves you hungry for the next. I liked Dennard's twist on zombies.
The characters:
Eleanor was a strong, funny, yet relatable and lovable heroine. I rooted for her and appreciated that she had her vulnerabilities. Her loyalty to her brother was deeply touching (and something I related to, with three of my own!). She's independent and has an endearing sense of humor. I'd certainly invite her to my slumber party!
I like to note the love interest, so let me talk about Daniel for a second. Daniel is often sarcastic to the point of rudeness and doesn't overly respect the expectations of society. He has a chip on his shoulder and a guilty conscience over past wrongs, but is doing his best to make up for them.
The other characters were well-fleshed-out and believable. There all had their faults, flaws, and perfections. From Eleanor's out-of-touch mother, to
Ms. Dennard is a talented storyteller and I do look forward to reading more of her work in the future. If you like sassy girls in corsets, zombies, steampunk, or all of the above, give this one a go!
All the same, I was mostly enjoying this book up until the Kiss. I just thought that a genteel young woman of the nineteenth century, like Eleanor, wouldn't have been so...pushy, bold, brazen, whichever word you prefer. If you've read my other reviews, you've probably noticed that me having problems with the romantic elements is something of a trend. Romance seems to be where I get into trouble with most books. Anyway...
The plot:
Aside from my problems, I truly believe that this is a good book. I read it mostly while making dinner and it's a miracle I didn't burn anything. This book is fast paced, interesting, keeps you guessing, and leaves you hungry for the next. I liked Dennard's twist on zombies.
The characters:
Eleanor was a strong, funny, yet relatable and lovable heroine. I rooted for her and appreciated that she had her vulnerabilities. Her loyalty to her brother was deeply touching (and something I related to, with three of my own!). She's independent and has an endearing sense of humor. I'd certainly invite her to my slumber party!
I like to note the love interest, so let me talk about Daniel for a second. Daniel is often sarcastic to the point of rudeness and doesn't overly respect the expectations of society. He has a chip on his shoulder and a guilty conscience over past wrongs, but is doing his best to make up for them.
The other characters were well-fleshed-out and believable. There all had their faults, flaws, and perfections. From Eleanor's out-of-touch mother, to
Ms. Dennard is a talented storyteller and I do look forward to reading more of her work in the future. If you like sassy girls in corsets, zombies, steampunk, or all of the above, give this one a go!
I chose to read this book because I wanted something to get me in the Halloween mood. It definitely did that and more! In fact, I loved this book!
This book takes place in a Victorian era Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, this is not the Victorian era you learned about in history class. In this alternate history Philadelphia, there are necromancers and Spirit Hunters and zombies, oh my! Despite these differences, there are still recognizable landmarks that were actual places in the past, some of which are still around today.
I found this out by googling a couple of the locations, such as the Continental Hotel. I found pictures and descriptions of the hotel and discovered that it was demolished in the 1920s. I really liked how the author incorporated real places into her book. It amazed me how much research she must have done! Not only for the locations, but also for the fashions, events, and technology in this time period.
The author also included the year and month in which this book took place, which was really cool, in my opinion. Not a lot of authors include this information when setting the scene and era. I really like when authors do this, especially when the book takes place in the past. It helps me ground myself in the era better, so I’m glad Ms. Dennard did this!
I think I’ve gushed enough about the setting, so let’s talk characters. Eleanor Fitt is the main character in this book. She was curious about everything and yet was cautious and sensible, for the most part. I thought the author did a great job of making Eleanor old-fashioned enough that she fit in the Victorian setting, but also giving her enough modern sensibilities that readers in this day and age can relate to her. For example, Eleanor worried about getting freckles from being in the sun too much, yet also enjoyed the freedom she had when she was unchaperoned. It must have been hard to make Eleanor old-fashioned, yet relatable to modern readers, so kudos to Ms. Dennard!
There is a bit of romance in this story between Daniel, one of the Spirit Hunters, and Eleanor. Theirs is a forbidden love since they’re from different societal classes. Therefore, there isn’t much more than a few kisses shared between them. I liked how minimal the romance was, though. It didn’t overpower the main storyline, as some romances do, and just added a bit of zest to the story.
I really enjoyed Something Strange and Deadly! It was filled with enough action (and zombies) and was fast-paced enough that I never felt even slightly bored. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!
QUOTES I LIKED:
“Miss Fitt, you know curiosity gets men killed.”
I grinned.
“Then I daresay it’s good I’m a woman."
– Pg. 80
“You have the curiosity of a cat and the common sense of a goldfish.”
– Pgs. 119-120
How could I dream when I knew I could act instead?
– Pg. 238
It’s one thing to fear death, but it’s another to fear the Dead.
– Pg. 348
Read this and other reviews on my blog, Pages Aflutter!
This book takes place in a Victorian era Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, this is not the Victorian era you learned about in history class. In this alternate history Philadelphia, there are necromancers and Spirit Hunters and zombies, oh my! Despite these differences, there are still recognizable landmarks that were actual places in the past, some of which are still around today.
I found this out by googling a couple of the locations, such as the Continental Hotel. I found pictures and descriptions of the hotel and discovered that it was demolished in the 1920s. I really liked how the author incorporated real places into her book. It amazed me how much research she must have done! Not only for the locations, but also for the fashions, events, and technology in this time period.
The author also included the year and month in which this book took place, which was really cool, in my opinion. Not a lot of authors include this information when setting the scene and era. I really like when authors do this, especially when the book takes place in the past. It helps me ground myself in the era better, so I’m glad Ms. Dennard did this!
I think I’ve gushed enough about the setting, so let’s talk characters. Eleanor Fitt is the main character in this book. She was curious about everything and yet was cautious and sensible, for the most part. I thought the author did a great job of making Eleanor old-fashioned enough that she fit in the Victorian setting, but also giving her enough modern sensibilities that readers in this day and age can relate to her. For example, Eleanor worried about getting freckles from being in the sun too much, yet also enjoyed the freedom she had when she was unchaperoned. It must have been hard to make Eleanor old-fashioned, yet relatable to modern readers, so kudos to Ms. Dennard!
There is a bit of romance in this story between Daniel, one of the Spirit Hunters, and Eleanor. Theirs is a forbidden love since they’re from different societal classes. Therefore, there isn’t much more than a few kisses shared between them. I liked how minimal the romance was, though. It didn’t overpower the main storyline, as some romances do, and just added a bit of zest to the story.
I really enjoyed Something Strange and Deadly! It was filled with enough action (and zombies) and was fast-paced enough that I never felt even slightly bored. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!
QUOTES I LIKED:
“Miss Fitt, you know curiosity gets men killed.”
I grinned.
“Then I daresay it’s good I’m a woman."
– Pg. 80
“You have the curiosity of a cat and the common sense of a goldfish.”
– Pgs. 119-120
How could I dream when I knew I could act instead?
– Pg. 238
It’s one thing to fear death, but it’s another to fear the Dead.
– Pg. 348
Read this and other reviews on my blog, Pages Aflutter!
I'm not usually a zombie fan but this was a great book! Scary, entertaining and filled with lots of action, not to mention superstition and fun historical details. It would make a good movie; I really liked Eleanor too. I have to say, I kept picturing Joseph like Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog haha. I'm looking forward to the sequel!
This was one of those books in which the execution didn't live up to the premise. I mean, what could be cooler than a zombie book set during Philadelphia's 1876 World's Fair? Nothing. "Nothing" is the answer.
Unfortunately, the protagonist annoyed me, the plot wasn't interesting, and the super-mysterious twist didn't surprise me. Sigh.
Protagonist: Eleanor, and you've met her before. She's the girl who claims not to understand the super snotty upper class that she's been unwillingly thrust into, but is still super judge-y. Also, her usefulness at the end "was inside her all along." Gross.
Plot: An evil necromancer wants to raise the dead in Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery. World domination? No, just some revenge for some schoolyard stupidity.
HOWEVER, I'm a Philadelphia nerd and the two stars come from the awesome descriptions of the Centennial Exhibition (World's Fair) and life at that time. Everything was incredible, from the use of the exhibits to the description of the hackneys and even the clothing. So, yeah. That rocked.
Unfortunately, the protagonist annoyed me, the plot wasn't interesting, and the super-mysterious twist didn't surprise me. Sigh.
Protagonist: Eleanor, and you've met her before. She's the girl who claims not to understand the super snotty upper class that she's been unwillingly thrust into, but is still super judge-y. Also, her usefulness at the end "was inside her all along." Gross.
Plot: An evil necromancer wants to raise the dead in Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery. World domination? No, just some revenge for some schoolyard stupidity.
HOWEVER, I'm a Philadelphia nerd and the two stars come from the awesome descriptions of the Centennial Exhibition (World's Fair) and life at that time. Everything was incredible, from the use of the exhibits to the description of the hackneys and even the clothing. So, yeah. That rocked.
I really liked this! my only issues are that the climax was too gory, and I can't stop picturing Daniel as Jane from Firefly (which is kind of a turnoff haha)
I think the thing that most people would get out of reading the Goodreads synopsis of this book is "zombies" but I latched onto 1876 Philadelphia, which in our history is the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. As a history nerd, this is something that made me very interested. But none of the reviews I had seen mentioned it. The other thing I anticipated when going in to this book was to be reminded of Dearly, Departed, which also incorporates historical manners and dress with zombies (and which I liked a lot).
Well the centennial does play a part as the Centennial Exhibition attracts national attention, prompting local politicians to try to downplay the zombie threat and hindering the chances of actually stopping the zombies. This is also where Eleanor meets the Spirit-Hunters, a trio charged with the responsibility of stopping the Dead with very limited resources. I would have liked more about the city during this exciting time though!
As for the story itself, I thought it was somewhat lackluster. There are two main mysteries: where is Eleanor's brother and how to stop the Necromancer menacing the city with the Dead. I fairly quickly solved them as the clues were unsubtly doled out. And I am not someone who is usually able to pinpoint the murderer or anything like that. There were just a limited number of characters introduced so it had to be *that* one and it was. I grew frustrated with Eleanor's slowness to put the pieces together because it seemed very obvious to me.
But I still gave this 4 stars, a pretty high rating. Why? Well, I did like Eleanor and her fighting against being forced into marriage to save her family from financial ruin while her mother continues to spend as if there are no worries in that arena. I identified with her worry over her brother and what he might be caught up in. And I liked her love interest, dreamy Daniel from the Spirit-Hunters (who is not one of the Dead, thankfully; I do not like zombie/human romances).
Overall: A promising debut that needs to kick it up a notch for the second book.
Cover: I like the details in her gloves, jewelry, and what I can see in her hair but it doesn't really pop for me.
Well the centennial does play a part as the Centennial Exhibition attracts national attention, prompting local politicians to try to downplay the zombie threat and hindering the chances of actually stopping the zombies. This is also where Eleanor meets the Spirit-Hunters, a trio charged with the responsibility of stopping the Dead with very limited resources. I would have liked more about the city during this exciting time though!
As for the story itself, I thought it was somewhat lackluster. There are two main mysteries: where is Eleanor's brother and how to stop the Necromancer menacing the city with the Dead. I fairly quickly solved them as the clues were unsubtly doled out. And I am not someone who is usually able to pinpoint the murderer or anything like that. There were just a limited number of characters introduced so it had to be *that* one and it was. I grew frustrated with Eleanor's slowness to put the pieces together because it seemed very obvious to me.
But I still gave this 4 stars, a pretty high rating. Why? Well, I did like Eleanor and her fighting against being forced into marriage to save her family from financial ruin while her mother continues to spend as if there are no worries in that arena. I identified with her worry over her brother and what he might be caught up in. And I liked her love interest, dreamy Daniel from the Spirit-Hunters (who is not one of the Dead, thankfully; I do not like zombie/human romances).
Overall: A promising debut that needs to kick it up a notch for the second book.
Cover: I like the details in her gloves, jewelry, and what I can see in her hair but it doesn't really pop for me.
Neither zombies or the 19th century ever intrigue me, but the mix of the two (and honestly the cover) pulled me in and made me love them! I thought there was some substance lacking from the book as a whole and it annoyed me that Eleanor, who is a great heroine, could not piece together the plot points that I so easily could when she was quick to figure things out in the beginning, but then again we probably wouldn't have had a story. I thoroughly enjoyed the action packed ending and the cliff hanger romance. Looking forward to reading the next installment. Trilogies rule!