Review : Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Pages : 388
Genre : YA, Paranormal, Steampunk
Series : Something Strange and Deadly, book 1
My Rating : 4/5
From the back of the book :
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.
My Thoughts :
I’ll admit it; I got myself a copy of Something Strange and Deadly for the pretty cover and the promise of steampunk zombies, but I wasn’t expecting to be enjoying it as much as I did!
Probably because I was expecting it to be the main focus of the novel (as is often the case in YA paranormal novels), my biggest surprise was how little romance we actually see in the book. There’s no love at first sight, no continuous daydreaming about the gorgeous boy, no constant scenes of kissing and flirting. Instead, the romance sets in naturally, slowly, and ends up on a question rather than a blatant answer, which I found immensely refreshing! It left me wanting more, in a good way.
Another pleasant surprise was how true the historical setting felt. Through her detailing of fashion, architecture but also social characteristics, the author transported me to another time, another place. For a paranormal novel, I felt much more like I was reading an historical fiction one; the Dead and the steampunk elements were very present, but in a very subtle, realistic manner. It felt to me that the author achieved a great balance between history and imaginary.
I also greatly appreciated the characters, the good ones like the less good ones. There was a great variety, and I felt that even the ones we saw less of had some depth. I was intrigued by them all, but also to see how they interacted with each other. The Spirit-Hunters definitely won in the likability department though! I loved their chemistry together, and I would have spent a whole novel with them! As for Eleanor, I couldn’t ask more from a main character : she was fierce, curious, intelligent, independent, all qualities that do cause her some more troubles of course!
The writing was fluid and, with the constant action and mystery, kept me reading until the end. I do think the conclusion was very obvious, and I would have loved for it to have a bit more complexity; but in the end I was left satisfied, with just a few more hooks to bring me back for the next book!
It’s a great day when a book you expected ordinary turns out to be anything but; Something Strange and Deadly was just the entertainment I needed and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other fans of historical fiction, zombies and parasols!
With its walking dead, haunting spirits and strange machines, Something Strange and Deadly was without a doubt a perfect pick for the R.I.P. Challenge.
Its mystery and its fantastic cast of characters keeps you wanting to read more, and it is dark enough without being too gruesome or scary. I enjoyed every moment of it and, reading it at night, it was the perfect pick for the season. A must read!
I wasn’t sure about this series. Your review makes it sound worthwhile. I have a soft spot for Philadelphia having visited my grandparents there many times.
Maybe I’ll look more into this. Thanks for the review.
I wasn’t sure about it either – I’ve been burned by pretty covers before! But I really enjoyed it. I hope you do too if you ever give it a try!