Something Strange & Deadly
Author: Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction, Steampunk
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Summary:
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.
First Sentence: “Dead!” a woman screamed.
My Review:
I’ve read Something Strange & Deadly around the time it was released, which was way before I even started blogging. I remember that I sadly didn’t like it much – if at all. Me back then thought Something Strange & Deadly was boring and slow and I just wasn’t that interested in it the first time I read it. However, lately I’ve been in the re-reading mood, so I wanted to give Something Strange & Deadly another chance; I want to love it like how most other people loved it. Even though I’m technically re-reading Something Strange & Deadly, I don’t remember anything about its plot, except for the ending with the big reveal, specifically who the necromancer is, what happened to Eleanor, and how her relationship with Daniel ended. In the end, my rating for Something Strange & Deadly didn’t change.
I have a huge problem with the main character of Something Strange & Deadly, Eleanor. She was just too dense for my taste. I figured out who was what and who did what hundreds of pages before Eleanor did. Throughout the book, I basically felt like I was there with Eleanor, tapping my foot impatiently, waiting for Eleanor to play catch-up. There were just tons of hints telling us readers what was really happening, easy hints Eleanor should easily figure out without a problem, but alas, she never did until everything was shoved into her face at the end. To make matters even worse, Eleanor’s curiosity gets her into heaps of trouble. I couldn’t help but cringe every time she jumped into danger – and knows it. The only redeeming factor Eleanor has is her deep love for her mother. Even though her mother constantly nags her, annoys her, manipulates her, and controls her, Eleanor doesn’t snap and yell at her mother like I would if I was put in her position. (I mean, all the stupid things her mother did! I wanted to shake her.) Instead, Eleanor still cares for and respects her mother after all her mother put her through.
He signed. “Can’t say I’m surprised you were here. You have the curiosity of a cat and the common sense of a goldfish.” (119-120)
As I might have hinted above, Something Strange & Deadly is extremely predictable. I predicted things two hundred, even three hundred pages ahead of the actual reveals. That lead to Something Strange & Deadly being slow and boring since I already figured out everything pages ahead. I continued on with it though because I wanted to see if my predictions about everything was right, and they were.
You know those action scenes where the main character of the book might die? You know that nail-biting moment you’re supposed to have, that fidgety, panicking emotion you feel, hoping that the character would survive whatever he/she went though? Well, while I was reading Something Strange & Deadly, I had none of those feelings. There was no rush, no worry, nothing. I knew I was supposed to feel that way, hoping Eleanor would survive and for the zombies to just die, but I just didn’t. The only time I actually felt something while reading Something Strange and Deadly was near the beginning of the book and that’s it.
I wanted to say that I was doing everything I could to bring him home. I wanted to promise he’d be back soon and that all our problems would be solved. But I couldn’t, of course. (97-98)
As for Eleanor and Daniel’s relationship, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between those two. Yeah, they both had their cute moments and all, but they just didn’t have that special bond that makes me root for them two to get together. I do want to read the sequel to Something Strange & Deadly to find out what happened to them both though since Something Strange & Deadly left us with their relationship being a cliffhanger.
However, despite all those problems I had with Something Strange & Deadly, Something Strange & Deadly also has a strong point: the ending. I have to give major points to Susan Dennard for choosing to end her book the way she did. Seriously, this is probably one of those rare times where I read a book that has a mostly kind of bad ending that’s also a relationship cliffhanger. (You might have to read the book to get what I mean.)
[HUGE] SPOILER: Susan Dennard is definitely gutsy for making Eleanor lose her hand. I mean, have you read any other young adult books that had a character that lost her hand, especially in a book with a judgmental Victorian society? I don’t think so.
Overall, after this re-read, in the end I still think Something Strange & Deadly deserves the same rating I gave it more than a year ago: 2.5 stars. I guess Something Strange & Deadly isn’t the book for me, although I did enjoy reading it more this time around. In fact, I actually understood the steampunk elements in Something Strange & Deadly this time around.
I’m sure some people will really enjoy Something Strange & Deadly as the statistics on goodreads shows, but it is just not the book for me.
It’s okay, I didn’t like this one much either. I was bored OUT OF MY MIND, that was my main issue. I’m not a fan of historical, though, so that made it worse. I remember practically nothing about this book and I just read it last year I think. I didn’t give a crap about the story or characters, either. And it’s funny that I didn’t remember that happening at the end! Obviously this book did NOT leave a lasting impression on me. I don’t plan to pick up the second book, either.
Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat recently posted…Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
I was SO bored the first time I read it and this time, the book managed to hold my attention for 50% of the book, then lost its grip on me.
Yeah, I figured that you don’t like historicals. Too bad you don’t though.
Ouch! Ha ha, I sadly only remembered the ending, but as I read on, my memory of the book slowly became fresh again.
I only have the first two books because of the gorgeous cover. They are just so pretty!
Kelly recently posted…I’m Turning Old + A Birthday Giveaway
I know what you mean with those predictable plots with a character that still doesn’t get it.. It always makes me want to smack them. And I don’t like it when there is romance, but no chemistry. It always makes me feel like they had to throw in some romance, but didn’t care to create a spark.
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Cast a Harry Potter spell (part 2)
Exactly! I wanted to slap Eleanor or at least give a knock-knock on her brain. I mean, how slow can one person be?
I think that the author tried to create some chemistry, but it didn’t exactly work out. You know those hate then love relationships? It’s hard to put the perfect amount of chemistry in them without being too obvious and sadly, it was too obvious and forced in Something Strange & Deadly.
Kelly recently posted…I’m Turning Old + A Birthday Giveaway
Kelly! First and foremost, I haven’t visited blogs in such a long time, it’s so nice to be back and reading blogs, especially yours! But onto your review; it’s so unfortunate that you didn’t enjoy this one! I don’t like dense characters myself and with a plot THAT predictable? Yikes. And aw I’m sad that the romance is only mediocre. I’m still curous to check out this book for myself since some people have LOVED it. Thanks for the honest review, Kelly! <3
Jen recently posted…These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner | Blog Tour review & giveaway
Yay, welcome back to the blogging community Jen! :D<3
Yeah, TONS of people loved this one, but the dense characters and a REALLY predictable plot just turned me off. I wasn't impressed with the romance either. :l
Thanks Jen! (:
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
It’s pretty shocking that you would feel the same way about a book the second time around, but at the same time it’s understandable. Sometimes books just don’t work out for the same people. I definitely know the feeling for some books I’ve read in the past. But something tells me I should give this series a try. Maybe not right away but someday would definitely do :) What I am worried about it divulging myself into a new genre. Can you believe it? I’ve never read steam punk before? If I read Something Strange and Deadly that would definitely be the first book I read of that genre. It’s a little nerve wracking and exciting :D
If it helps, I didn’t feel the EXACT same way I felt when I read Something Strange & Deadly the first time. This time, I actually got and understood all the steampunk elements in the book.
A lot of people loved this series Hillary, so maybe you would too. :D
Ha ha, I can believe that you haven’t read steampunk before. After all, there aren’t a lot of steampunk books out there.
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
I agree some parts of the book were predictable — like the whole brother factor — but I bought into the Eleanor and Daniel relationship and loved the Victorian and steampunk feel to the book. This one seems to be a hit or miss for people. I liked it a lot, but I have a few friends who didn’t love it. I agree that Dennard was gutsy though, and I respected that twist at the end.
Kim @ YA Asylum recently posted…What’s Up Wednesday
I loved the Victorian and steampunk feel to the book too, but the predictableness of the book ruined it for me, I wish I bought into Eleanor and Daniel’s relationship, but just saying how Eleanor never noticed how handsome he is and how they glance, then look away from each other just doesn’t cut it for me sadly. :l
Something Strange & Deadly is definitely a hit or miss kind of book – I know a lot of people who loved it like you and some others who didn’t like me.
I definitely respect what Susan Dennard did in the end. That took some major guts.
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
Yeah I felt the same way about this book being super predictable. I really enjoyed Dennard’s writing and the setting of the novel, but I was so bummed that basically every surprising thing that happened was super obvious way beforehand. I hate it when that happens…
Exactly! Predictableness of a book always ruins the book for me 85% of the time. I loved the setting of the book too, but I could NOT forget about how predictable the book is.
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
This sounds like it should be super suspenseful and awesome and it’s too bad that it is predictable. I might pick it up anyway just to see the ending. I’m curious!
Zombie books should always be suspenseful and mysterious, but alas, this one sadly wasn’t. D:
Ha ha, maybe you’ll like this one better than I do! And ohh, wait until you see the ending of this one. ;D
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
I agree with you Kelly. Reading this book was a bit irritating because of how Eleanor is. I don’t think I gave it a very high rating. It wasn’t THE book for me.
Eleanor’s denseness’ annoyed me greatly too. I mean, a Victorian lady can’t be THAT dense right? She’s still a human being.
It sadly wasn’t THE book for me either. ):
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
Nara keeps telling me to read this! She’s in love with this series, but the zombie aspect has been putting me off. I’m also very character orientated when I read, so I think a dense protagonist would completely do my head in :\
Eep, if you’re very character orientated, then I can pretty much guarantee that you would NOT like this book. In my opinion, the only way you would like this one is if: 1. You don’t care if the book is predictable and 2. You don’t care if Eleanor is dense and can’t see the obvious when it’s right in front of her eyes.
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Things I Am Thankful For
Great review, but I am not to into Zombies, so I don’t think this book is for me. ;)