Something Strange and Deadly [Hardcover]

Susan Dennard (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 24, 2012 | Series: Something Strange and Deadly

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt’s brother is missing. And when she discovers that the Dead are rising in Philadelphia and wreaking havoc throughout the city, she knows that her brother is involved.

So Eleanor enlists the help of the Spirit-Hunters. This motley crew, hired to protect the city from supernatural forces, is after the necromancer who has been reanimating corpses. Their skills can save her brother. But as Eleanor spends time with the Spirit-Hunters, and their handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. Now not only is her reputation at risk, but her very life may hang in the balance.

In Something Strange and Deadly, the first book in a trilogy, Susan Dennard weaves together vividly imagined scenes of action, adventure, and gorgeous Victorian fashion to create an entertaining steampunk tapestry of humor, horror, and romance. Readers who love Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series will be intrigued from the start.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-This novel is a cool mixture of Victorian mystery/romance and zombie story. It makes for a sort of steampunk feel. It has suspense and is a mystery in the lightest sense of the word but the fun is in its blending of genres with the cosseted elite mixing with the zombie hordes. Eleanor Fitt is in a troublesome spot. Her brother is missing, her mother refuses to acknowledge the sorry state of their finances and is trying to marry her off to the highest bidder, and the dead are walking. She goes to the Spirit-Hunters determined to find out what really happened to her brother. Instead of answers she finds more questions: Why are the Spirit-Hunters here? Are they causing the trouble with the dead, or are they simply patsies? And, more importantly, why is everyone associated with her brother dying in such a dramatic way? Eleanor is strong willed and inquiring, and the situations mirror the Victorian sensibilities well. Give this novel to anyone who likes a light zombie story with a pinch of romance.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

Oh. My. God. IN LOVE! This book takes the walking dead to a whole new level! This whole book keeps you on the edge of your seat… chewing your nails waiting to see what is going to happen next…This book is a MUST read. (Melissa, bookseller at Mysteries on Mainstreet )

This debut novel is quite compelling and features a plot that moves at breakneck speed. The plot is full of action, betrayal, and romance. (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

Thrilling, charming, and dark, Something Strange and Deadly is a delicious sandwich of harmonious flavors. I fell for Daniel, I soaked in the zombie mayhem with glee, I delighted in the steampunk fashion and gadgetry. If you enjoyed The Clockwork Angel, you’ll love this. Fantastical fun. (Marie Lu, author of the LEGEND trilogy )

Mystery, romance, humor, action, a sure-fire setting: Dennard delivers. (Kirkus Reviews )

“Debut author Dennard deftly weaves together a vast plot blending historical fiction, horror, romance, and mystery. A roaring-and addictive-gothic world.” (Publishers Weekly )

From the first page, readers will be awakened to an 1876 Philadelphia replete with animated corpses, irresistible romance and a game of intrigue. Those who enjoy Cassandra Clare’s the Infernal Devices series will be spellbound by Dennard’s macabre and impressive debut (Shelf Awareness )

A wonderfully brisk pace sweeps readers into an intriguing mystery. Eleanor serves as a highly entertaining guide and readers will find themselves settling in among the undead just fine. (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (July 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062083260
• ISBN-13: 978-0062083265
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Dennard is a writer, reader, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. She used to be a marine biologist, but now she writes novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (she really likes swoon-worthy rogues).

She lives in the Midwest with her French husband and Irish setter, and her debut, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY, is now available from HarperTeen.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Spookily great! September 2, 2012

By Nicole @ Paperback Princess

Format:Hardcover

Right from the start Eleanor grabbed me and pulled me into the story, so much so that I was actually able to ignore my sister's dogs while they barked. There was no waiting to get into the story, right off the bat you have mystery and intrigue that you don't want to put the book down. Luckily the book keeps up with the jump-out-of-your-skin action.

As much as I loved Eleanor, I disliked her mother who was almost comical the way that she tried to push Eleanor into a relationship and a marriage. I could see how she meant well, but it was through her mothers own faults that the family was in the financial ruin that they were. I admired that although her mother seemed to care more of marrying her off than she did of Eleanor, she still seemed to want to make her mother happy.

Lastly, I don't even know how to find words to talk about Daniel. I loved that as many times as he came to her rescue, she came to his as well. I thought it was interesting how their lives intersected and how Eleanor gave him the chance to explain his side. But I'm not telling you more because you have to find out for yourself.

I loved this book so much that I went out and bought the hardcover the day after it came out. When my mom asked me why I needed to buy the book when I had the ARC, I told her that I wanted to start supporting my favorite authors because the more books they sell, the more books we get.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent blend of victorian, steampunk and zombies! July 24, 2012

By Karissa Eckert TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I got a copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. This was an absolutely wonderful book; I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a wonderful blend of horror/historical fantasy/steampunk/walking undead with a little romance thrown in. The heroine is absolutely wonderful and I loved reading about her. The world is creative and interesting and the plot incredibly well done. The second book, A Darkness Strange and Lovely, is due out in 2013.

Eleanor Fitt has more to worry about than your average Victorian young lady; her brother has gone missing, her family is nearly destitute, and her mother wants to solve the problem by marrying her off to a rich young man. This is nothing though compared to the problems plaguing the city; the dead have started rising and they are hungry. When Eleanor suspects that her brother is somehow involved with the Dead she hunts down the group of Spirit Hunters for help.

I loved this book. It was fast-moving, had a wonderful plot, wonderful characters, and was very creative. There is witty banter and humor woven throughout the story that made it a lot of fun to read. The walking dead in this novel aren't the result of a strange infection but are instead the result of necromancy. They don't spread infection but they are still incredibly hungry for human flesh.

Eleanor is an absolutely wonderful character. She tries to be a proper lady and even goes along with her mother trying to hook her up with the rich Clarence. Still she is determined to find her brother (who is also her best friend) and she will stop at nothing to find him. She ends up sneaking in visits to the Spirit Hunters in between her normal errands and house calls.

As the story progresses Eleanor really shows her metal; she throws herself into everything she does, takes risks to save those she is loyal to and is so much more tough than she seems in the beginning. She really grows a lot as the book continues. She is one of those rare heroines that really takes a lot of physical damage throughout her escapades; she doesn't heal supernaturally but just pushes through to do what she can. I love seeing a heroine actually take realistic damage and have to deal with aftermath; it just makes the story more real to me.

The Spirit Hunters aren't your average ghost busters (although they do use a mixture of strange steampunkish technology and electricity to deal with their spirits) there is also an element of magic to it all. Of course one of the Spirit Hunters is the young and handsome mechanical genius Daniel. Daniel and Eleanor drive each other crazy in both a bad and a good way; this adds a little romance to the story as they have great chemistry together.

The plot is incredibly well put together, it was a bit predictable, but still very well done. The elements of Eleanor's missing brother, an evil Spirit, the Walking Dead, and the Spirit Hunters are all nicely tied together as the story progresses.

Overall I absolutely loved everything about this book. Great world, wonderful writing, excellent characters, and a fast-paced plot. When reading this book you can't help but compare it to Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel; I liked this book quite a bit more than that one. If you do like Dearly, Departed by Habel I think you would really enjoy this book as well. I would also recommend this book to adult readers who are fans of the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. This was an excellent steampunk/zombie/historical fantasy. I can't wait to read the second book, A Darkness Strange and Lovely!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredibly Fun Read July 24, 2012

By Blythe Harris

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Holy crap this was awesome. I don't even want to write a review; I just want to bask in the awesomeness that is Something Strange and Deadly. (But you know, I kind of have to write a review, since I received an ARC from the publisher, so here goes it.)

Eleanor Fitt is a sixteen-year-old living with her mother in Philadelphia, in the dawn of attacks from the walking Dead brought upon Philadelphia by a mysterious and unknown necromancer. To make matters worse, Eleanor receives letters from her long-lost brother, Elijah, and the content of the letters leads Eleanor to believe the necromancer has held Elijah hostage. Desperate to save her brother from the hands of the evil necromancer, Eleanor teams up with a group known as the Spirit-Hunters, all the while having to keep her strive to save her brother a secret from her overprotective mother, and everyone else.

Something Strange and Deadly was such an incredibly fun read, and I just loved it. There. That's my review. What? I need to write more? Well, crap.

The plot for Something Strange and Deadly is very creative, and just a whole new take on the zombie genre. Instead of the zombies most people are typically used to, these zombies aren't really even zombies. They're animated corpses that do whatever their animator, the Necromancer, orders them to do. The Necromancer is an unknown person who is just wreaking havoc on all of Philadelphia by unleashing an army of the undead. I use the term "unknown" semi-lightly, because I had guessed who the Necromancer was a little too early in the book, but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment, and I still ended up loving it.

The characters--especially Eleanor--were top-notch and were flawed in their own little ways, but they were still strong, amazing and extremely likable. Right off the bat I knew that I would like Eleanor; she's stubborn, self-reliant, witty and strong. She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and won't take no for an answer. As well as that, she is determined, and once she sets her mind on something, she goes through with it (these are the types of heroines we all need in YA). Aaaand, the relationship between Eleanor and her love interest (can I say who it is? Is that a spoiler?) is not insta-love, and their relationship actually takes time to develop and to form into something. (Yay!) Their romance also isn't heavily relied upon in the book, and is more of just something that rides alongside the plot.

If you're reading this book expecting a massive zombiefest, you may be a bit disappointed in it. Yes, zombies are a big part of Something Strange and Deadly, but it's not the main part. Throughout most of the book, there's tons of character development, relationship development, lots of scenes in which Eleanor discovers secrets she never knew existed, and other scenes of the like. All of those scenes take a much larger part in Something Strange and Deadly than the zombies (in my opinion).

And I know I'm jumping around a bit, but in my review I just need to mention that ending. That ending was just perfection! Everything about it I loved, and although I did see the Necromancer twist coming, there were other things I hadn't seen coming, and I thought it was an extremely clever ending (but then again, the whole book is clever). And that last chapter, *sigh*, that was just an amazing last chapter, and I want the next book now. (pleeease?)

And now I have a few more survival tips for the impending zombie apocalypse (because it's bound to happen, people):

Tip One: It's not dead unless it's completely and totally mangled.

Tip Two: Umbrellas can also be used as weapons.

Tip Three: Always aim for the knees.