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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
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
If I could give this book five, six or seven stars, I would. I loved it and have already pre-ordered the sequel.
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.
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.
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.
Way too many POV. had potential. just didnt quite get there. some funny bits.
**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.
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.
Nora Dearly is one of the New Victorians, living in what was formerly South America following a massive global meltdown and disintegration of most of the world's major powers. The New Victorians are at war with the Punks, a more savage people who do not want to live according to the prim and proper rules that emulate 19th century England. Nora is just coming out of a year of mourning for her father when she is captured by what turn out to be zombies. That's when she finds out that although her father is dead, he is still walking and talking. She also starts to fall for Bram, one of the undead soldiers caring for her. However, Nora's father is missing, zombies are invading Nora's town, and her best friend is being forced to protect her family while trying to find a suitor. Nora's got big problems, and a massive zombie outbreak is just one part of the equation.
Dearly, Departed had a lot of fun elements to it. It's a post-apocalyptic, steampunk zombie novel, which could have been a really good time. It fell flat for me, though. There was a bit too little action and a bit too much reveling in the cleverness of itself. In a way, it reminded me of a work of fan fiction, written in an attempt to honor the genres. At first I was having fun, but after a while the pacing of the book wore me down.
Part of my problem with the pacing was that the story would rotate narrators each chapter. Narrators included Nora, her father, Bram, Bram's superior, and Nora's best friend Pam. I had the same problem I have in a lot of books that alternate narrator: they each had the same voice. I'd have to go back to the first page of the chapter to gain my footing in who was speaking, which would have been apparent without the chapter title if the characters sounded more different from one another.
I did enjoy Nora's relationships with the characters around her, though. Bram's a zombie, so there will always be an "ick" factor in them getting together, but he was a stand-up guy and I didn't mind the romance that developed between the two of them. Nora also has a complex but happy relationship with Pam, a lower class scholarship girl with her sights on elevating her family's social standing. The girls stick together and stick up for one another, which is as it should be.
Overall, Dearly, Departed had some memorable characters and fun moments, but relied too much on its genres to carry it rather than moving forward because of its substance and action. I do think it will find its fans, but it just was not the book for me.
Dearly, Departed had a lot of fun elements to it. It's a post-apocalyptic, steampunk zombie novel, which could have been a really good time. It fell flat for me, though. There was a bit too little action and a bit too much reveling in the cleverness of itself. In a way, it reminded me of a work of fan fiction, written in an attempt to honor the genres. At first I was having fun, but after a while the pacing of the book wore me down.
Part of my problem with the pacing was that the story would rotate narrators each chapter. Narrators included Nora, her father, Bram, Bram's superior, and Nora's best friend Pam. I had the same problem I have in a lot of books that alternate narrator: they each had the same voice. I'd have to go back to the first page of the chapter to gain my footing in who was speaking, which would have been apparent without the chapter title if the characters sounded more different from one another.
I did enjoy Nora's relationships with the characters around her, though. Bram's a zombie, so there will always be an "ick" factor in them getting together, but he was a stand-up guy and I didn't mind the romance that developed between the two of them. Nora also has a complex but happy relationship with Pam, a lower class scholarship girl with her sights on elevating her family's social standing. The girls stick together and stick up for one another, which is as it should be.
Overall, Dearly, Departed had some memorable characters and fun moments, but relied too much on its genres to carry it rather than moving forward because of its substance and action. I do think it will find its fans, but it just was not the book for me.
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Nora Dearly is not an ordinary New Victorian young lady, she like watch the fighting between New Victoria and the Punks. However when she is kidnapped from her home she finds out that her father and the government had been keeping the secret about the existence of Zombies.
This is Lia Habel debut novel about romance, action, steampunk and zombies. I did not think I would like this book us much as I did, as I am not a big fan of zombies, however, it is a brilliant book which is action packed and romantic at the same time.
My favourite characters are Nora and Bram because they are really well developed and Nora is a character I think most people can relate to, as we all feel under pressure to act a certain way in society, and Bram is a perfect gentleman who is sweet, brave and very loyal. The romance was nicely written and progressed well over the entire novel.
This story is told from 5 points of view and would have been very confusing if it did not tell you who point of view it was at the beginning of each chapter, however I think it could have not had two of the points of view it did as I did not add much to the story.
This is a really good book which I would recommend to those who like steampunk and/or unusual but charming YA romance.
Nora Dearly is not an ordinary New Victorian young lady, she like watch the fighting between New Victoria and the Punks. However when she is kidnapped from her home she finds out that her father and the government had been keeping the secret about the existence of Zombies.
This is Lia Habel debut novel about romance, action, steampunk and zombies. I did not think I would like this book us much as I did, as I am not a big fan of zombies, however, it is a brilliant book which is action packed and romantic at the same time.
My favourite characters are Nora and Bram because they are really well developed and Nora is a character I think most people can relate to, as we all feel under pressure to act a certain way in society, and Bram is a perfect gentleman who is sweet, brave and very loyal. The romance was nicely written and progressed well over the entire novel.
This story is told from 5 points of view and would have been very confusing if it did not tell you who point of view it was at the beginning of each chapter, however I think it could have not had two of the points of view it did as I did not add much to the story.
This is a really good book which I would recommend to those who like steampunk and/or unusual but charming YA romance.