Review: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Title: Something Strange and Deadly
Author: Susan Dennard
Series: Book One in the Something Strange and Deadly Series
Published By: HarperTeen (July 24, 2012)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Paranormal
My Rating: 4 Stars


Goodreads Description:
 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.

My Review:
 

While I am normally (yes I said, normally in the case of this book) not a huge fan of zombies, I am a huge fan of books set in the 19^th century. There is just something I love about the time period. The big dresses, men who were gentlemen, the parasols and hats, the horse drawn carriages, I just love it all.

So of course seeing how this book was set in the time period I love most and yes, the gorgeous cover that drew me played a role too, I knew that I really needed to give this one a try, zombies or no zombies.

So now where do I begin to even describe the awesomeness that is this book?

The city is being tormented by a necromancer who is raising the dead and setting them loose upon its inhabitants, which of course is where the zombies or the Walking Dead as they are known in this book, come into play.

But this story is so much more than a book about zombies. This story is about a young girl, Eleanor that breaks free from the restraints of her time and not only tries to save the ones that she loves but sets out to find a place for herself in a world where strong willed women are not welcome.

Where woman are meek and cautious and done dresses and attend parties and go to the opera. Not woman who case after ghosts and kill the Dead and try to save the world.

This story was like no other zombie story I have read before. Eleanor, the heroine actually reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice in the fact that she was feisty and smart and strong willed and was not going to let her family or society rule what she did.

This story was packed full of mystery and death and yes even a little bit of romance, one that if I am honest with myself I would have liked to have seen more of.

The ending, well the ending left it wide open for a sequel and honestly, I look forward to reading it. To see what Eleanor truly becomes and yes, I want more of her story. I want more Daniel and Jie and Joseph. I want to know what happens next and what adventures will transpire.

I want to see Eleanor grow even more and to go after what I know her heart wants. I want her to fight because that is what she is, a fighter and a survivor and I know she has many more adventures in her future.