Something Strange and Deadly- Susan Dennard
Don't you just love it when you are pleasantly surprised by a book?Something Strange and Deadly had been on my TR list for a while but I had been putting it off thinking it wasn't a book for my tastes. Boy, do I stand corrected! This book does justice not only to the Victorian era but also zombies, steampunk and the action it unfolds. Welcome to Philadelphia during the late 1800's; a world where children have grown up listening to talks of dead rising from their graves. It's not a widely spread phenomenon and so scares a few and is mostly considered a tale. Eleanor, our protagonist hasn't ever come across a Dead but the first time she does, it's very unexpected and shocking; since the Dead brings her a letter from her brother Elijah whose return from college after three years was expected the very same day. I don't even know where to start. Eleanor was feisty, compassionate, brave, funny, impulsive, stubborn, rebellious and just the type of character I like. Her intentions of saving her brother who she believed was captured by a necromancer (who in turn was responsible for raising the Dead and the decapitations in town), led her to Joseph, a charming, well-groomed man who could control spirit energy, Daniel, a lanky, blond-haired, green eyed nerd with a knack for tools and Jie, a kick-ass, perky foreigner. The trio was the only group of spirit-hunters in town but was not taken seriously by the Mayor or the Council even though they put all their efforts into saving the people. From the beginning, this book took off with a wonderful pacing. Eleanor's mother, Abigail was a woman who believed strongly in reputation. She tried her best to keep up the pretenses of being rich after her husband's death and her son's absence. I could see where she was coming from, even if I wanted to shake her at times. The séance didn't really grab my attention initially and I was surprised to see how it played a major role in the book. I liked how Eleanor's character grew with the book. Initially, she was too proper and didn't know how to act, but as the story progressed, she found her place, didn't care for materialistic pleasures, kept her calm as best as she could and helped whenever needed. There was a scene where David pushes into her personal space and she punches him in the elbow! How many MC's do we see doing that? They usually turn into a puddle or are too dumb-founded to act staring at the guy's eyes. I knew right then that she was going to be a favorite. Also, she treated her mother with respect no matter how suffocating it became for her, knew her responsibilities, figured right from wrong and acted rationally. What more could one ask for? Gah! I need to compose my thoughts or I'll go praising her again. Hm. Moving to the plot, it wasn't unpredictable. I had figured out the identity of the spirit and the necromancer (and Junior) long before it was revealed, but the way it was executed kept me engrossed all throughout. The whole mystery behind Eleanor's father's demise and the complicated politics weaved around it was truly riveting. I had suspected how the deaths could be connected but there was more to the story than I imagined. David's past was also out of the blue. I definitely had not expected him to be connected to Clarence or his father. The ending was full of action and fitting. I usually find it very distasteful when the main characters come out of serious accidents with bare scratches. I was juggling between a 3 and 3.5 before the last chapter, but that changed with the ending. Another thing I really liked about the book was that romance was on the sidelines. It's tiring to see how every other book these days focuses on the romance rather than the plot. The book turned out to be quite refreshing on many levels. One thing that bothered me was the lack of background history on the waking dead. The necromancer was largely responsible for controlling them and he had his reasons however cynical and twisted they might be, but there was no explanation as to how it all started. It was mentioned earlier in the book that a few dead rose from their graves but back then was it a necromancer's doing? What triggered it? Am I missing something? Also, another minute detail that bugged me was Jie's voice inside my head. I really wish the author had dropped the "yeah?" after every sentence that Jie spoke. It was so annoying! Apart from that, the story went on smoothly and I loved how it ended. I can't wait to see how things turn out in the sequel and this time, I won't be wasting any time picking it up. 4 stars.