Something Strange and Deadly!

Title: Something Strange and Deadly
Author: Susan Dennard
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: 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.

Why?: I LOVE a good zombie novel, and this book has gotten such rave reviews that I had to get it! It's been on my wish list for a while based solely on the synopsis, and  I figured now was as good a time as any to start it. I also think that books set in the past in at least semi-familiar settings are really interesting, since it's pretty cool to see how an author's imagination fills in details.

Expectations: I expect a strong female heroine who will go to great lengths to find and rescue her brother. I also expect lots of zombies, and probably a couple of epic scenes where Eleanor has to fight some zombies or some other supernatural force to protect herself and her family.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover has a girl dressed in a gorgeous dress from the 1800s. The tree and  the colors of the sky in the background look very foreboding.The gears make me think that there will be  some sort of steam-punk influence here too. If I saw this in the bookstore, I would definitely pick it up and flip through it.


--Ashley