ARC Review: Susan Dennard - Something Strange and Deadly

Susan Dennard - Something Strange and Deadly

• Pub Date: July 24, 2012
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Format: Hardcover / ebook, 400 pages
• Age Range: Young Adult
• Source: Edelweiss

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.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I did enjoy it, but not as much as I hoped. I liked all the 1800s stuff, the clothes, the etiquette, the trains, etc. Daniel was likable. But this book was predictable. I called the brother situation from the very beginning. And Eleanor just didn't work for me as a strong female MC. She doesn't seem like the type to go through all the adventure in this book at the beginning. Oh well.

I'd recommend this book to people who like zombies. They're not all gory and all that, eating people all over the place and what not. But there are headless bodies, murders, and the walking dead. Hopefully more people like this more than I did. And is this a series? The end lends itself to sequel, but I don't know if I'd read it.

Bottom line: If you want historical zombies with some action, check this out.

Rating:

3.5 / 5 book sharks