Something Strange and Deadly

March 10, 2014 Heidi Book Review 1

Something Strange and Deadly

Author: Susan Dennard
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: July 24, 2012
Pages: 388
Series: Something Strange and Deadly, book one
Source: ARC from… I honestly don’t remember. Probably a conference!

About the Book: 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 Thoughts: Okay, so here’s the thing… I don’t tend to like zombie/undead related things. It just squicks me out! I get all shuddery and it tends to overwhelm the story (Carrie Ryan’s books being an exception!) Still, I had to try this one. I mean, maybe historical undead are less horrifying to me? Turns out they’re not… but I still really enjoyed Something Strange and Deadly!

I really think the thing that carried the story for me was getting immersed in the time. I’m a huge fan of alternate history books. I love seeing how authors take a historical place and time and make it their own. Susan Dennard did a wonderful job of this. I loved learning more about Philadelphia of 1876… the Centennial Exposition, the social structure, what life was like for a young woman of the time… all that good stuff! And then you add in Dennard’s own twist… the mystery of Eleanor’s brother, Eleanor’s high spirited character, the Spirit-Hunters, even ***shudder*** the Dead army! It all worked together the capture my attention and keep me interested in the story.

Something Strange and Deadly is not my typical read but I’m glad I gave it a shot. I’ll be interested to see where the story goes from here!