Monday, June 24, 2013

Review: SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY by Susan Dennard

Title: SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY
Author: Susan Dennard
Published: July 24th, 2012
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #1
Genre: YA paranormal historical
Publisher: HarperTeen
POV: 1st, past tense
Pages: 388
Format: Hardcover
Source: Won from author
Rating: 4 out of 5
"The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance." 

Out of all YA novels that were released back in the year 2012, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY was extremely high on my will-beg-for-this-book wishlist. I may not be a huge zombie fan, but something about this story called to me and drew my curiosity. Fortunately, Susan Dennard's writing and story didn't disappoint. Eleanor Fitt is a determined, take-charge kind of gal, which immediately made it so much easier to enjoy her narration. From the beginning, this story sets off in an excited rush that never seems to dissipate – instead, it builds and grows until the story reaches its conclusion. Filled with fun, flirting, explosions, adventure, action, a lovely historical setting, a healthy dose of steampunk, and some creepy zombies (aim for the knees!), Dennard skillfully weaves it all together and creates SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY – or, one fantastic story.

Highlights: I'm still surprised by one aspect of Eleanor's conclusion1. The setting is wonderfully depicted. I really felt like I was stepping into another time, and I commend Dennard for writing the setting so wonderfully and realistically. Eleanor's spunk and determination is admirable, she's a protagonist worthy of rooting for. The romance was nicely done, even if I was initially concerned that Dennard would include a love triangle since it seemed to appear that things were going that way for a bit. But, it soon became very obvious that only one intriguing young man captured Eleanor's attention. Also, the Spirit-Hunters = Awesome.

Lowlights: The villain of the story was incredibly easy to guess, right from the beginning. WAY too easy. Please give me a challenge next time, Dennard! Eleanor's mom was a bit frustrating, too. I wish the Spirit-Hunters had been in the story a bit more so I could learn more about them, but I assume there will be more of them in A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY.

1. Spoiler! She loses a hand. Some authors like to give their protagonist a magical cure where they survives with only minor injuries, so I'm grateful that Dennard didn't take the easy way out by making sure her heroine healed perfectly.


28 comments:

  1. I want to read it!!! Why has not yet been published in Italy!?!?!? :(

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    1. Aw, that sucks! At least there's always The Book Depository - free shipping worldwide!

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  2. I really enjoyed this story! It was different than I expected but still really good. And that ending...I'm surprised that she was left like that but I also liked it because it wasn't a perfectly happy ending.

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    1. Definitely different but good! And the ending!! It was a bit bittersweet, but I like that - an ending like that is different from other books.

      Glad you enjoyed SS&D too! :)

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  3. I didn't really give this one much thought before, though I've had it on my shelf for ages. It might be time to actually pick this one up now! Thanks for the fantastic review, Lea! :)

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    1. It's a good book! You should absolutely try to check out SS&D soon :)

      Hope you enjoy it!

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  4. Great review! Adding this one to my TBR list:)

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  5. I've been wanting to read this book for a while now, yet I haven't had the chance to get a copy. It seems seriously awesome! The MC seems very likable and relatable. I love how the writing was really able to immerse you into the story so well, I love when an author is able to do that! And these Spirit Hunters sound so cool... Even with the predictability of this story, I plan to pick this one up soon.

    Lovely review, Lea! <3

    -Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life

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    1. SS&D is great! I loved Eleanor's character, she's an easy MC to enjoy. The Spirit Hunters are awesome!

      Hope you get a chance to read SS&D soon (and that you love it)! :)

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  6. awww, too bad you guessed the villain right away!

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    1. I tend to be good at guessing the villain, but in this case, it was very, very easy. But, I still highly enjoyed the story!

      Thanks for dropping by!

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  7. Hate those easy to guess people, but I'm really curious about this book and have been for the longest :) I've kind of been into zombie books ever since I read Dearly Departed! I can't wait to check this one out. Great review!

    Janina @ Synchronized Reading

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    1. It's kind of disappointing when you can guess the villain easily, but SS&D is still a fabulously fun story! You should check it out :)

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  8. I loved this book. I was so, so, so surprised by the ending (the thing you mentioned in the spoiler). I didn't see that coming at all. I thought: no ... she wouldn't and then she did! It was really surprising :)

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    1. "I didn't see that coming at all. I thought: no ... she wouldn't and then she did!" - I know, right?! That ending took me completely by surprise. You hardly ever see that in YA lit, so it just shocked me completely.

      Glad you enjoyed SS&D, too :)

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  9. I was also SO curious about this one when it first came out, but then never got around to reading it! Because I'm all for zombies plus histfic plus steampunk. The spunky protagonist is just the cherry on top! I may wait to see how the sequel fares in reviews before committing to a new series though because I have so many on the go at the moment. Very enlightening review! (I couldn't help but read the spoiler... interesting)

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    1. It's a good book! There weren't as many zombie moments as I thought there would be, but I adored the protagonist and setting.

      Bad Aylee for reading the spoiler! Ha, just kidding. I read spoilers 9 out of 10 times, which is why I try to avoid reviews that have them. I'm too curious for my own good ;)

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  10. I have been seeing this one everywhere lately and really need to check it out. I couldn't resist and highlighted the spoilers for a second though xD I like the way you separated your review into positives and negatives :)

    Alise @ Readers In Wonderland

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    1. Ah, yet another person who peeked at the spoiler!

      Thank you! I like to look for the highs and lows in every story. You should check this book out - you might like it! :)

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  11. I like hearing that you aren't too into zombies but then see that you liked this book. I have a copy and have been a little apprehensive to read it but I definitely will now! Great review!

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    1. I like some zombies, but I also feel like they're a bit overdone in certain movies/tv/books. This book is one of the few stories with zombies that I actually like!

      Hope you enjoy SS&D, if you read it!

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  12. So glad to see that you enjoyed this! I really enjoyed it as well. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it too! I'm so excited for the next novel. Just a few more weeks until it releases! :)

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  13. Great review! Makes me want to read this one even more. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it.

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    1. It's a fun book! You should check it out :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  14. The villain was so easy-nothing subtle there! Still I loved the concept behind the zombies and Daniel so I definitely want to continue the series.

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    1. The villain was way too easy! I'm hoping any future mysteries in this series will be a bit more challenging to unravel :)

      Glad you enjoyed this book!

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