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squirrelsohno's review against another edition
3.0
Check out more of my reviews on Book Brats!
When I saw DEARLY, DEPARTED by Lia Habel on NetGalley, it automatically became my first request. Science fiction-meets-steampunk-meets-zombies?! You had me at hello! My own hype for this book became an undeniable and overwhelming force in my head. When I dug into the book and started reading, I found myself growing disappointed. The writing is nice and the plot is very original and unique, but there was just something…missing, I guess you could say. Or maybe it just had way too much to deal with.
DEARLY, DEPARTED tells the stories of Nora Dearly (a young orphaned student living in a future Earth that has gone back to Victorian ways), Abraham Griswold (an army captain and zombie), Pamela Roe (Nora’s poor best friend), and Victor Dearly (Nora’s scientist father). I might have actually missed someone. Wolfe? I think he had a chapter, but let’s forget him. This novel had a lot of POVs – I’m thinking there were no less than five first person narrators constantly switching back and forth. Herein lies the first problem of the book – there is way too much head jumping going on, and this added weight also inflates the page count and drags down the pacing of the novel. At 470 pages, this is a thick book. Losing 150 pages or so and a POV or two wouldn’t have hurt it.
Another problem I suffered from was the setting. I have a hard time believing in the premise of the world Habel created. Why would the world revert back to a Victorian way of life? Why would South American governments allow all these Anglo-Saxons to take over their continent? I would have liked to know more about this because in this state it wasn’t entirely believable. I enjoyed her creativity and her attention to detail, such as the futuristic hints and bits and bobs. The book is described as steampunk, but I didn’t get nearly enough of the steam to make this work in that capacity. There were occasional hints of steampunk ideas, but it wasn’t entirely there.
But there was stuff I loved! Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a completely negative review because I actually liked this in the end. The characters were just great. Nora and Pam were both kick butt heroines, just the type of character that I love to show off on Book Brats. And Bram… For a zombie he is charming, sweet, and just to die for. I’m feeling punny today, so shoot me! There was just a tiny bit of instalove going on, but I was swept off my feet by the amazing Bram just like Nora was. I was rooting for them from the moment they met, and they romance was all too sweet and believable.
Writing action sequences is definitely one of Habel’s strong suits. Fighting zombies with weapons as varied as guns and parasols, she conveys a real sense of urgency and anxiety to the reader. Although she gets carried away by adverbs and other modifiers almost every sentence of the book, in these scenes of panic and hurry we are swept up in the story and can’t help but be pulled along. Zombies fighting zombies is especially fun, and for these scenes alone, I would recommend the book. Paired with an excellent romance and some smarmy characters that you will want to punch just like our heroes, and DEARLY, DEPARTED definitely has stuff going for it. It just also has issues I couldn’t look past.
VERDICT: At 3.5/5 stars rounded down, this book suffered from too many pages, too many POVs, and too many adverbs, but with a romance you’ll root for, a great original premise, and action scenes galore, it’s a book you should still pick up.
♥♥♥ - THREE HEARTS
When I saw DEARLY, DEPARTED by Lia Habel on NetGalley, it automatically became my first request. Science fiction-meets-steampunk-meets-zombies?! You had me at hello! My own hype for this book became an undeniable and overwhelming force in my head. When I dug into the book and started reading, I found myself growing disappointed. The writing is nice and the plot is very original and unique, but there was just something…missing, I guess you could say. Or maybe it just had way too much to deal with.
DEARLY, DEPARTED tells the stories of Nora Dearly (a young orphaned student living in a future Earth that has gone back to Victorian ways), Abraham Griswold (an army captain and zombie), Pamela Roe (Nora’s poor best friend), and Victor Dearly (Nora’s scientist father). I might have actually missed someone. Wolfe? I think he had a chapter, but let’s forget him. This novel had a lot of POVs – I’m thinking there were no less than five first person narrators constantly switching back and forth. Herein lies the first problem of the book – there is way too much head jumping going on, and this added weight also inflates the page count and drags down the pacing of the novel. At 470 pages, this is a thick book. Losing 150 pages or so and a POV or two wouldn’t have hurt it.
Another problem I suffered from was the setting. I have a hard time believing in the premise of the world Habel created. Why would the world revert back to a Victorian way of life? Why would South American governments allow all these Anglo-Saxons to take over their continent? I would have liked to know more about this because in this state it wasn’t entirely believable. I enjoyed her creativity and her attention to detail, such as the futuristic hints and bits and bobs. The book is described as steampunk, but I didn’t get nearly enough of the steam to make this work in that capacity. There were occasional hints of steampunk ideas, but it wasn’t entirely there.
But there was stuff I loved! Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a completely negative review because I actually liked this in the end. The characters were just great. Nora and Pam were both kick butt heroines, just the type of character that I love to show off on Book Brats. And Bram… For a zombie he is charming, sweet, and just to die for. I’m feeling punny today, so shoot me! There was just a tiny bit of instalove going on, but I was swept off my feet by the amazing Bram just like Nora was. I was rooting for them from the moment they met, and they romance was all too sweet and believable.
Writing action sequences is definitely one of Habel’s strong suits. Fighting zombies with weapons as varied as guns and parasols, she conveys a real sense of urgency and anxiety to the reader. Although she gets carried away by adverbs and other modifiers almost every sentence of the book, in these scenes of panic and hurry we are swept up in the story and can’t help but be pulled along. Zombies fighting zombies is especially fun, and for these scenes alone, I would recommend the book. Paired with an excellent romance and some smarmy characters that you will want to punch just like our heroes, and DEARLY, DEPARTED definitely has stuff going for it. It just also has issues I couldn’t look past.
VERDICT: At 3.5/5 stars rounded down, this book suffered from too many pages, too many POVs, and too many adverbs, but with a romance you’ll root for, a great original premise, and action scenes galore, it’s a book you should still pick up.
♥♥♥ - THREE HEARTS
jadeeby's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at my blog Chasing Empty Pavements
This book was a first for me in two ways. Steampunk and Zombies. I read a ton...I mean.. A TON... and yet I've managed to not come across either of those things. Well after reading Dearly, Departed I am pretty sure I'm no longer going to ignore those genres, because this book was AWESOME
The Good: Firstly, the setting was pretty ingenious. I loved that this is taking place in 2195 and it's a throwback to the Victorian age. At times, this was kind of confusing because the views and language stayed pretty true to the Victorian culture but then all this technology talk would start and it brings you back to the future. I actually kind of liked this mixture. The novel is not only well-written but the wittiness of the writing is fabulous. I loved the way the author made me laugh. The characters are all so well done and thought out, but my heart fell for Bram. At first, I was kinda grossed out by the fact that I was swooning over a Zombie but after a while, kind of like Nora, he had grown on me. I love the crazy cast of characters in this novel and I like the way the Zombie's were introduced in this sort of believable way. I also like that the Zombie's aren't grouped together as one lump species. Some of them become "undead" with the same personality they died with and some become "undead" and go nutso. Kind of like real life eh? There were a few little sub plot things that I caught that made me enjoy this story... there is an element of revenge in the novel that I don't think many people realize how much deeper this makes the story. It totally adds another element on to the plot as well as a part where humanity shows through. There is a point, at the end, where I think Habel did an extremely good job showing just how amazing some people can be despite the odds. Lastly, I happen to adore this cover but I've seen some other ones floating around that are NOT this lovely. I think that this cover represents Nora and I think it does a great job.
The Bad: While I enjoyed Pamela's character, I felt like that whole side story was just... out of place. I didn't exactly know why Habel spent so much time on her survival story or the bitchy blonde girl who hates both Pam and Nora and even Mr. Allister who is a douche bag. Really would have liked to see further explanation for why they were such a focus for the book and why we didn't see more of them at the end.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book and it supplied such a good vibe for Zombies/Steampunk novels. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for other books like this one! I give this book an A-!!!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
This book was a first for me in two ways. Steampunk and Zombies. I read a ton...I mean.. A TON... and yet I've managed to not come across either of those things. Well after reading Dearly, Departed I am pretty sure I'm no longer going to ignore those genres, because this book was AWESOME
The Good: Firstly, the setting was pretty ingenious. I loved that this is taking place in 2195 and it's a throwback to the Victorian age. At times, this was kind of confusing because the views and language stayed pretty true to the Victorian culture but then all this technology talk would start and it brings you back to the future. I actually kind of liked this mixture. The novel is not only well-written but the wittiness of the writing is fabulous. I loved the way the author made me laugh. The characters are all so well done and thought out, but my heart fell for Bram. At first, I was kinda grossed out by the fact that I was swooning over a Zombie but after a while, kind of like Nora, he had grown on me. I love the crazy cast of characters in this novel and I like the way the Zombie's were introduced in this sort of believable way. I also like that the Zombie's aren't grouped together as one lump species. Some of them become "undead" with the same personality they died with and some become "undead" and go nutso. Kind of like real life eh? There were a few little sub plot things that I caught that made me enjoy this story... there is an element of revenge in the novel that I don't think many people realize how much deeper this makes the story. It totally adds another element on to the plot as well as a part where humanity shows through. There is a point, at the end, where I think Habel did an extremely good job showing just how amazing some people can be despite the odds. Lastly, I happen to adore this cover but I've seen some other ones floating around that are NOT this lovely. I think that this cover represents Nora and I think it does a great job.
The Bad: While I enjoyed Pamela's character, I felt like that whole side story was just... out of place. I didn't exactly know why Habel spent so much time on her survival story or the bitchy blonde girl who hates both Pam and Nora and even Mr. Allister who is a douche bag. Really would have liked to see further explanation for why they were such a focus for the book and why we didn't see more of them at the end.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book and it supplied such a good vibe for Zombies/Steampunk novels. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for other books like this one! I give this book an A-!!!
**I received this book free from the publisher through www.netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
cmwilso3's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give this book five, six or seven stars, I would. I loved it and have already pre-ordered the sequel.
nicholeb84's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but I feel I would have liked it more if the narrative had only been from Nora and Bram's POVs. I understand that Pam, Wolfe, and Victor's chapters were important to the overall story arc in this first novel, but - I was slightly bored by their chapters. Though, I think Pam's chapters could have been their own novel.
I do look forward to the second novel in the series, but I'm in no hurry to read it. 3.3 out of 5 stars.
I do look forward to the second novel in the series, but I'm in no hurry to read it. 3.3 out of 5 stars.
kraley's review against another edition
3.0
Steam punk meets zombies. This book was a little slow, but I really like Steampunk, so I pressed forward. I liked the romance and story, but it could have been much stronger. There were some ridiculous parts, but I'll pick up the sequel to see what happens.
rikerandom's review against another edition
5.0
„Dark Love“ ist eine faszinierende Mischung aus Dystopie, Steampunk und Zombie-Romanze, die so unglaublich gut gelungen ist, dass ich gar nicht glauben kann, dass ich so lange gewartet habe, um das Buch zu lesen, und ich kann nur jedem raten, sich nicht von Labels wie „Zombies“ oder „Dystopie“ abschrecken zu lassen, sondern dem Buch einfach mal eine Chance zu geben, denn „Dark Love“ hat seine ganz eigene Magie.
Die ganze Rezension: http://anima-libri.de/rezension/lia-habel-dark-love/
Die ganze Rezension: http://anima-libri.de/rezension/lia-habel-dark-love/
dreizehn's review against another edition
4.0
Dearly, Departed is an excellent display of genre-mashing. The very premise of the book is a paradox. It is a steampunk novel, but it is set in the future. The New Victorian society of parlor visits, poofy dresses, parasols and conservative morals co-exists with modern technologies like holograms, ID chips and mobile phones. The science fiction part of the novel rears its head with the unique take on zombies Habel adopts. Zombies are still created via the transmission of a disease through bodily fluids. However, while a bite will guarantee you a swift death, it will not seal your fate as a mindless, brain-hungering zombie. Some people do not lose touch with reality when they turn. They remain cognizant, retain their former values, and do not wish to partake in the instinctual hunt for human flesh. Many of these zombies, it seems, have been relegated to a unique military unit, which works to hide the existence of the living dead and to destroy the dangerous, feral variety, known as the Grays. Their bodies are maintained and kept in good physical shape by a dedicated team of scientists.
Nora Dearly gets thrown into the mix because of her father's role in this history. She is nearly kidnapped from her home by a group of the Grays, but instead ends up being taken by a group of zombies more concerned with her well-being. But everything is not as it seems. Nora and those around her must deal with the ramifications of politics, prejudices, and power plays as everything she once knew comes down around her.
I thought that Dearly, Departed was a very enjoyable book. It has a little bit of everything. It is steampunk, science fiction, Victorian, futuristic, full of adventure, laced with heart-pounding thrills, touched with horror, affected by betrayals, and marked with love and some teenage angst. It is a wonderful novel for fans of paranormal romance, science fiction, and zombies.
That said, however, there are a few things that kept Dearly, Departed from reaching its full potential pinnacle of excellence, as far as I am concerned. The biggest issue for me was the plethora of points of view. Each chapter alters the perspective to another character. At times, this flows very well. I found that it worked particularly well with Nora and Bram (her undead love interest). However, some points of view changes just seemed jarring, and didn't add much, if anything to the story. I think it would have been best for Habel to eliminate Wolfe's perspective entirely, as it didn't add anything to the story for me. It disrupted my immersion in the story to suddenly be in the head of someone that was not at all sympathetic to the good zombies. The other points of view did add things to the story, but left me with a feeling of disconnect. While I really enjoyed the novel, when I saw that the next point of view switched to someone that was totally separated from the current action, I often felt like putting the book down. I believe the novel would have felt much more solid if the number of narrators had been restricted.
I will say, however, that the characters were my favorite part of the book. I really enjoyed seeing Nora's reactions and responses as the biggest concern in her life changes from her unloving aunt trying to marry her off for money to dealing with the new world of living dead she gets thrown into. I loved Bram. His thoughts and actions as he realizes he is falling in love with a living girl, and as her struggles became his struggles were well-written and endeared me to him. He is such a caring individual that the reader sometimes forgets that he is a dead man, but his concerns, regret, and self-deprecating thoughts are a constant reminder of the fact. It makes him believable, and really shows that he is a great man. I enjoyed the other characters very much as well. Bram's friends are quirky, and each have their own personality. I particularly like Chas, who is so unladylike and improper. She certainly infused a bit of humor into the book, and provides a respite from the upstanding proper New Victorian mores. I also like Pamela, Nora's best friend. It was interesting to see the development of a potential zombie apocalypse from her eyes. I think these characters, and others I will not mention for fear of spoilers, really make the story what it is.
I'd recommend this novel to anyone that thinks it sounds like their cup of tea. I know I look forward to the next installment, Dearly, Beloved.
This book was obtained freely from the publisher, Del Ray/Spectra, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nora Dearly gets thrown into the mix because of her father's role in this history. She is nearly kidnapped from her home by a group of the Grays, but instead ends up being taken by a group of zombies more concerned with her well-being. But everything is not as it seems. Nora and those around her must deal with the ramifications of politics, prejudices, and power plays as everything she once knew comes down around her.
I thought that Dearly, Departed was a very enjoyable book. It has a little bit of everything. It is steampunk, science fiction, Victorian, futuristic, full of adventure, laced with heart-pounding thrills, touched with horror, affected by betrayals, and marked with love and some teenage angst. It is a wonderful novel for fans of paranormal romance, science fiction, and zombies.
That said, however, there are a few things that kept Dearly, Departed from reaching its full potential pinnacle of excellence, as far as I am concerned. The biggest issue for me was the plethora of points of view. Each chapter alters the perspective to another character. At times, this flows very well. I found that it worked particularly well with Nora and Bram (her undead love interest). However, some points of view changes just seemed jarring, and didn't add much, if anything to the story. I think it would have been best for Habel to eliminate Wolfe's perspective entirely, as it didn't add anything to the story for me. It disrupted my immersion in the story to suddenly be in the head of someone that was not at all sympathetic to the good zombies. The other points of view did add things to the story, but left me with a feeling of disconnect. While I really enjoyed the novel, when I saw that the next point of view switched to someone that was totally separated from the current action, I often felt like putting the book down. I believe the novel would have felt much more solid if the number of narrators had been restricted.
I will say, however, that the characters were my favorite part of the book. I really enjoyed seeing Nora's reactions and responses as the biggest concern in her life changes from her unloving aunt trying to marry her off for money to dealing with the new world of living dead she gets thrown into. I loved Bram. His thoughts and actions as he realizes he is falling in love with a living girl, and as her struggles became his struggles were well-written and endeared me to him. He is such a caring individual that the reader sometimes forgets that he is a dead man, but his concerns, regret, and self-deprecating thoughts are a constant reminder of the fact. It makes him believable, and really shows that he is a great man. I enjoyed the other characters very much as well. Bram's friends are quirky, and each have their own personality. I particularly like Chas, who is so unladylike and improper. She certainly infused a bit of humor into the book, and provides a respite from the upstanding proper New Victorian mores. I also like Pamela, Nora's best friend. It was interesting to see the development of a potential zombie apocalypse from her eyes. I think these characters, and others I will not mention for fear of spoilers, really make the story what it is.
I'd recommend this novel to anyone that thinks it sounds like their cup of tea. I know I look forward to the next installment, Dearly, Beloved.
This book was obtained freely from the publisher, Del Ray/Spectra, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
nuttkayc's review against another edition
3.0
Way too many POV. had potential. just didnt quite get there. some funny bits.
coffeedragon's review against another edition
4.0
**spoiler alert** This book was great! Had me from the beginning, all the way to the end, and I probably would have finished it sooner if I didn't have to sleep or work x)
Before I go on my rant, here's my summary of the book: Nora Dearly, daughter of Victor Dearly, is one day left orphaned after her father dies. After the morning period of one-year, her aunt takes no time in taking her out and trying to get her married off in order to secure their place in society.
Things don't go as planned, however, when Nora's life is endangered one night after an encounter with a strange man on the street leaves her paranoid. She learns of beings that are infected with a disease that reassembles proteins in the body, which reanimate the body and creates zombies at different levels. There are zombies who are able to function like a normal human and those who are crazed and only think of eating.
How does she fit in: her father was the one who discovered the illness and was trying to create a cure.
---Onward!
1. I really liked how this book felt more like an introduction to something bigger. I got to see who the characters were and even got to be a little bit of everyone: Bram, Nora, Pamela, Victor, Wolfe. It made the book more intimate and made me feel like I was part of the action/event.
2. The characters, especially the females, were just amazing! I really liked how Nora and Pamela were so independent (to a degree). Nora was very devoted to her parents, especially to her dad, and I liked that their relationship emerged in tact after everything had happened. At first, I thought that her reaction to all the secrets was a bit over the top but then I couldn't help but think: yeah, that was harsh. She had been mourning for a year because she believed her father had died and just a few hours after, her aunt had been pretty much ready to marry her off. It was horrible. And yet, I can't help but think that her father couldn't tell her even if he wanted to because of the circumstances. People would have reacted violently to the idea of zombies (and they did and are doing so, it seems).
Pamela was also amazing and I might even say I preferred her over Nora. Pamela was faced with quite a few obstacles because she wasn't from a rich family. Still, because she wanted to continue being with Nora, she applied to the same school and received a scholarship. Also, because of her status in society and her devotion to her family, her thoughts were conflicted in terms of what to do. She wanted her family to be proud of her but she also wanted to be herself. Might I add that she was amazing when she killed her first zombie: with a parasol! She also took charge when it was time for her family to head to the church, and amazingness!!
As for the males (since I'm already talking characters), my favorite was Bram! He was just perfect, too perfect. The way he was respectful and rather talkative. He didn't care about the consequences of disobeying his superior because he thought first about what the right thing to do was. When he first showed up I was slightly confused and couldn't help but think: Is he serious? It was kind of funny how he thought Nora would just go with him. For a dead guy he sure was rather healthy though, and sometimes, I couldn't help but forget. I did want to see a bit more of a darker side of him though. Maybe while out on the battlefield...
3. I loved and hated the people I probably shouldn't have? One of the characters that definitely annoyed me was Pamela's brother, Isambard. The way he acted towards her,thinking he could just talk down to her and tell her she was obligated to marry someone with status so that their family (and he) could live better! Preposterous! Sometimes I felt like I should just knock him out or something! He was such a brat! However, after he was bitten, things seemed to change. He had a new perspective on things and there was a bonding between siblings. Pamela, ever loyal to her family, vowed to protect him when the order to kill all zombies at 0600 was issued. She knew she would go down ( 1 vs. Army) but she still felt like she should protect him and I felt that this was one of the things that changed him. Now that he's changed, and dead, I really want to see who he is and get to know him. I feel like I'll like him better!
Then there was Michael, dun dun dun. Not much to say here other than that bastard! At first I didn't really think anything about him. He was just some rich kid who Nora's aunt wanted her to meet. Then he came to be around more frequent and Pamela was clearly interested. He seemed like a good kid and I thought: wow, two romances, wonder how this will go. And then, at the end of the book, Michael reveals his true colors and I can't even think. If I disliked Isambard, then I despised Michael. The way he outright said he was only using Pamela to get closer to Nora! Despicable! Hope I don't have to see him ever again (though I wouldn't be surprised if I see him again).
4. Lastly, what should have come first but I forgot: the setting! This is the first time a futuristic set book has actually caught my interest and kept it. The way New Victoria (year 2195) came to be was fascinating and I felt like things were planned out rather well: 2nd civil war, the land just going under, the split between people (punks/Victorians). Then there was the whole New Victoria (modeled after antique era) being high-tech, where even nature was artificial and where homes were created deeper into the earth was rather interesting. There were some things I didn't like though: the chips on the wrists, the hierarchy, the letting go of the arts.
The other side.
1. I wish there had been more fight scenes, maybe something like Pamela's first zombie kill. I wanted something bloody, and horrible. I figured there wouldn't be much since it was a romance type book. Still, I wished after the Pamela scene.
2. The last battle seemed a bit over too soon. When Nora finally came back and saved Pamela (and then headed for her father), things just went like I had pressed the fast-forward button. There wasn't even that much of a battle when the went to rescue Victor, which left me disappointed. All of the commotion about revenge and killing the doctor pretty much died after Hector had knocked the guy out. Poor Henry, who died.
3. While I thought Nora was great, I wanted to see her on the battlefield. She was training for a reason, no? After her first encounter with the zombies on her roof, I figured she would be back. I imagined her fighting when the time came to take back her hometown. Alas, she was kept away from danger and her training seemed like quite a waste. Maybe it's coming in the next book?
Rating
I gave it a 4/5 because I felt that the book was rather rushed at the end. I liked how we got a taste of the characters (lol) and the relationships they had with one another, but when it came to the actual fighting, it seemed to just collapse. It's the end of the world and there's a battle going on with crazy zombies, and yet the fight scenes were very minimal. I felt like Pamela was just the center of it for me and I even wished there had been more of her during the zombie invasion.
Before I go on my rant, here's my summary of the book: Nora Dearly, daughter of Victor Dearly, is one day left orphaned after her father dies. After the morning period of one-year, her aunt takes no time in taking her out and trying to get her married off in order to secure their place in society.
Things don't go as planned, however, when Nora's life is endangered one night after an encounter with a strange man on the street leaves her paranoid. She learns of beings that are infected with a disease that reassembles proteins in the body, which reanimate the body and creates zombies at different levels. There are zombies who are able to function like a normal human and those who are crazed and only think of eating.
How does she fit in: her father was the one who discovered the illness and was trying to create a cure.
---Onward!
1. I really liked how this book felt more like an introduction to something bigger. I got to see who the characters were and even got to be a little bit of everyone: Bram, Nora, Pamela, Victor, Wolfe. It made the book more intimate and made me feel like I was part of the action/event.
2. The characters, especially the females, were just amazing! I really liked how Nora and Pamela were so independent (to a degree). Nora was very devoted to her parents, especially to her dad, and I liked that their relationship emerged in tact after everything had happened. At first, I thought that her reaction to all the secrets was a bit over the top but then I couldn't help but think: yeah, that was harsh. She had been mourning for a year because she believed her father had died and just a few hours after, her aunt had been pretty much ready to marry her off. It was horrible. And yet, I can't help but think that her father couldn't tell her even if he wanted to because of the circumstances. People would have reacted violently to the idea of zombies (and they did and are doing so, it seems).
Pamela was also amazing and I might even say I preferred her over Nora. Pamela was faced with quite a few obstacles because she wasn't from a rich family. Still, because she wanted to continue being with Nora, she applied to the same school and received a scholarship. Also, because of her status in society and her devotion to her family, her thoughts were conflicted in terms of what to do. She wanted her family to be proud of her but she also wanted to be herself. Might I add that she was amazing when she killed her first zombie: with a parasol! She also took charge when it was time for her family to head to the church, and amazingness!!
As for the males (since I'm already talking characters), my favorite was Bram! He was just perfect, too perfect. The way he was respectful and rather talkative. He didn't care about the consequences of disobeying his superior because he thought first about what the right thing to do was. When he first showed up I was slightly confused and couldn't help but think: Is he serious? It was kind of funny how he thought Nora would just go with him. For a dead guy he sure was rather healthy though, and sometimes, I couldn't help but forget. I did want to see a bit more of a darker side of him though. Maybe while out on the battlefield...
3. I loved and hated the people I probably shouldn't have? One of the characters that definitely annoyed me was Pamela's brother, Isambard. The way he acted towards her,thinking he could just talk down to her and tell her she was obligated to marry someone with status so that their family (and he) could live better! Preposterous! Sometimes I felt like I should just knock him out or something! He was such a brat! However, after he was bitten, things seemed to change. He had a new perspective on things and there was a bonding between siblings. Pamela, ever loyal to her family, vowed to protect him when the order to kill all zombies at 0600 was issued. She knew she would go down ( 1 vs. Army) but she still felt like she should protect him and I felt that this was one of the things that changed him. Now that he's changed, and dead, I really want to see who he is and get to know him. I feel like I'll like him better!
Then there was Michael, dun dun dun. Not much to say here other than that bastard! At first I didn't really think anything about him. He was just some rich kid who Nora's aunt wanted her to meet. Then he came to be around more frequent and Pamela was clearly interested. He seemed like a good kid and I thought: wow, two romances, wonder how this will go. And then, at the end of the book, Michael reveals his true colors and I can't even think. If I disliked Isambard, then I despised Michael. The way he outright said he was only using Pamela to get closer to Nora! Despicable! Hope I don't have to see him ever again (though I wouldn't be surprised if I see him again).
4. Lastly, what should have come first but I forgot: the setting! This is the first time a futuristic set book has actually caught my interest and kept it. The way New Victoria (year 2195) came to be was fascinating and I felt like things were planned out rather well: 2nd civil war, the land just going under, the split between people (punks/Victorians). Then there was the whole New Victoria (modeled after antique era) being high-tech, where even nature was artificial and where homes were created deeper into the earth was rather interesting. There were some things I didn't like though: the chips on the wrists, the hierarchy, the letting go of the arts.
The other side.
1. I wish there had been more fight scenes, maybe something like Pamela's first zombie kill. I wanted something bloody, and horrible. I figured there wouldn't be much since it was a romance type book. Still, I wished after the Pamela scene.
2. The last battle seemed a bit over too soon. When Nora finally came back and saved Pamela (and then headed for her father), things just went like I had pressed the fast-forward button. There wasn't even that much of a battle when the went to rescue Victor, which left me disappointed. All of the commotion about revenge and killing the doctor pretty much died after Hector had knocked the guy out. Poor Henry, who died.
3. While I thought Nora was great, I wanted to see her on the battlefield. She was training for a reason, no? After her first encounter with the zombies on her roof, I figured she would be back. I imagined her fighting when the time came to take back her hometown. Alas, she was kept away from danger and her training seemed like quite a waste. Maybe it's coming in the next book?
Rating
I gave it a 4/5 because I felt that the book was rather rushed at the end. I liked how we got a taste of the characters (lol) and the relationships they had with one another, but when it came to the actual fighting, it seemed to just collapse. It's the end of the world and there's a battle going on with crazy zombies, and yet the fight scenes were very minimal. I felt like Pamela was just the center of it for me and I even wished there had been more of her during the zombie invasion.
pamgodwin's review against another edition
3.0
A punky one of a kind cocktail of zombies, steampunk, and Victorian propriety. The story itself bounces in a state of chaos between the living and undead, teen drama and grownup gunfights, historical and futuristic, and utopia and dystopia.
You'll love the good zombies with their metal plated faces, empty eye sockets and wryly attitudes, and the strong characterization is owed in part to the memorable writing. LH can turn a phrase so skillfully, you'll be charmed, entertained, and perhaps a bit disgusted, smelling the rotting flesh, hearing the creaking of metal body joints and feeling the injuries endured by the undead good guys.
Where the bite loses its infectious grip is in the execution of the plot. It drags its decaying hand through a supporting cast of POVs you don't care about, angsty teeny-bop melodrama, and mundane day-to-day details. There's a brilliant world built here, but there are too many pages explaining the political mechanics of the opposing systems rather than fleshing it out through in-scene action.
The element that hurts the story most is the attempt at romance. Bram makes a believable selfless adorable hero in a creepy undead way. But he does not make a good romantic hero. He's dead, as in his parts below the belt don't work. Even though this is YA, you might struggle with Miss Dearly pursuing a romantic relationship with him knowing HIS. PARTS. DON'T. WORK. It degenerates it into a more depressing icky tale than a happily ever after.
You'll love the good zombies with their metal plated faces, empty eye sockets and wryly attitudes, and the strong characterization is owed in part to the memorable writing. LH can turn a phrase so skillfully, you'll be charmed, entertained, and perhaps a bit disgusted, smelling the rotting flesh, hearing the creaking of metal body joints and feeling the injuries endured by the undead good guys.
Where the bite loses its infectious grip is in the execution of the plot. It drags its decaying hand through a supporting cast of POVs you don't care about, angsty teeny-bop melodrama, and mundane day-to-day details. There's a brilliant world built here, but there are too many pages explaining the political mechanics of the opposing systems rather than fleshing it out through in-scene action.
The element that hurts the story most is the attempt at romance. Bram makes a believable selfless adorable hero in a creepy undead way. But he does not make a good romantic hero. He's dead, as in his parts below the belt don't work. Even though this is YA, you might struggle with Miss Dearly pursuing a romantic relationship with him knowing HIS. PARTS. DON'T. WORK. It degenerates it into a more depressing icky tale than a happily ever after.