Review: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

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.

Hardcover, 388 pages

Published July 24th 2012 by HarperTeen 

(info grabbed from GoodReads)

Something Strange and Deadly had everything I could ever want in a historical fiction novel: a dynamic heroine, swoon worthy gents, Centennial Philadelphia setting, and zombies.  I don’t think I really have to point out what makes this book special, but just in case you missed it, here again: zombies.  A steampunk zombie novel.  But labeling it so just doesn’t do it justice.

I really liked the addition of magic and voodoo to the story.  Within zombie fiction, there are two main types of zombies that every other classification of zombie fall into, those being biological or demonic.  Biological has become much more common and are in books such as Feed by Mira Grant and movies such as Resident Evil.  Biological zombies happen from a disastrous science experiment or virus causing the condition of being a zombie.  Biological zombies can be scientifically explained and zombification spreads more like a disease.  Demonic zombies are more spiritually based in origins and are a bit more flexible in what they are defined as.  The main thing about demonic zombies is that there is a necromancer or wizard controlling them for his bidding, typically.  In Something Strange and Deadly, Susan Dennard made a story about a girl and a boy while tying in demonic zombies invading Philadelphia and sprinkling some voodoo and the magic of friendship on top.  How can that not be a winning combination?

I’m honestly not a fan of the rag-tag-thrown-together-band-of-friends trope, but it works in this case.  Every character within the group is well defined and has their own quirks that add to the story.  The two main characters weren’t really enough to keep me totally vexed into the story, and the side characters give the story a bit more pizzazz.  The Spirit-Hunters are also the main source of steampunk goodness in the book, so as much as the rag-tag group trope bothers me, it is necessary in this story.  It’s not particularly annoying, I’m just being particularly critical.

One big criticism I have is that the action scenes were not very clear.  I found them very confusing and it was very difficult to follow what was going on.  It’s kind of a huge problem since with any zombie book, action is going to be a big element.  It doesn’t compromise the story itself, but when it comes to getting a bright, beautiful picture with some steampunk glory and zombie gore, well… there was no picture forming in my head.  It was just words on a page.  Imagery suffered a bit in the book -- I felt that there should be more in general and that the setting should have been played up more.  Again, I still really liked this book and am going to attribute this issue to Something Strange and Deadly being a debut.  Hopefully, we will see the author grow and write some fantastic action scenes in the sequel.

Overall, Something Strange and Deadly is a great debut.  It throws a lot of things that haven’t been done together and combines them to form a story that is something familiar and refreshing at the same time.  It is a story that any zombie aficionado won’t want to miss and any historical fiction fan who is curious how zombies could force their way into Centennial Philly.

Final Thought: 10 out of 12 toadstools

This review is also posted on GoodReads

Review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

 In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling-or dangerous Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper from the clutches of a devious criminal demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. One false move from Jasper, and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens and tightens. From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens follows Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship. More than ever, Finley must rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley...and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Now, to help those she's come to care for so deeply, Finley must infiltrate the criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much....

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published May 22nd 2012 by Harlequin Teen

(info grabbed from GoodReads)

I don’t see why a lot of people like this one less than The Girl in the Steel Corset.  I found the change in setting refreshing and thought it was well highlighted what differences were present between the two places.  It added interest into the sequel for me.  It was something new to explore as we were already familiar with the world Kady Cross had started to build and the characters she had created in the first book.  I think the characters became better defined and I was impressed that relationships grew instead staying stagnant.  The only complaint I have is that there wasn’t enough Jack Dandy, because he was still in London for this book.  Sad face.

I loved seeing more of Finley Jayne and watching her grow into her new, more complete skin.  Her two sides have merged into one and she has to figure out which one is dominant.  Will it be her softer side, or the raging fire or her more destructive side?   Finley spends a good portion of the book cut off from the rest of the group, giving her time to find herself away from Griffin and who he wants her to be.  Maybe that’s part of why this book isn’t as well liked is that it has less swooning and action than The Girl in the Steel Corset.  But still, there is quite a bit of action.  Just maybe not enough swooning.

In The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, we get to see a lot more of Jasper, our rogue cowboy.  He was more of a side character than the rest of the group in the first book and it was nice to get to know more about him and his back story.  I missed his more casual and flippant nature from the first book at first, but it makes sense as to what is going on in the story.  So again, not a criticism or a fault, just a change.  The beautiful thing about this series is how fluid the characters feel -- like real people, they grow and change with circumstances and time.  At the very least, hopefully Jasper will be back to his old self in the next book, The Girl with the Iron Touch.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar was a wonderful continuation of the world I’d begun to love with a new tale to wet my palate with.  I can only hope that the next book will keep me as satisfied as this one did.  I am for sure looking forward to reuniting with a certain criminal rogue back in London.

Final Thought: 25 out of 28 toadstools

This review is also posted on GoodReads

Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

 In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if it seems no one believes her.

Hardcover, 473 pages

Published May 24th 2011 by Harlequin Teen (first published January 1st 2011)

(info grabbed from GoodReads)

There was a lot to love with The Girl in the Steel Corset.  I felt that this book blended historical fiction with science fiction better than any other I've read before, which is what I always expected of steampunk but hadn't gotten so far.  It was like if H. G. Wells and The X-men had a baby, in the best way possible (because let’s not lie, H. G. Wells and the X-Men making a baby could go seriously wrong).  I would classify the book as steampunk adventure if I had to nail it down, since that is what the book truly was: an adventure.  We explore Kady Cross' steampunk vision of Victorian London hunting down The Machinist -- a despicably superb villain -- all while meeting delicious characters, discovering steam and gear gadgets, and looking good in the delicately put together ensembles the author creates for her characters.

The prose was wonderfully fluid while fitting the time period -- something I feel is needed in a steampunk or historical fiction novel.  I don't like words out of time, where the prose doesn't fit the intended time period.  But with Kady Cross, I definitely did not have that problem.  The only issue with the prose I had was that it seemed wordy at time, which I attributed to it being very telling when it could have been showing.  The author would sometimes directly describe what was happening instead of animating the world with her words.  It make the book a bit less immersive than I would like, but it wasn't unbearable.

I loved our girl in the steel corset, Finley Jayne, but with her being the subject of the title, I had expected more of her.  More from her point of view, more with her Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde duality, more of her in the story.  While our events start with her entering the picture for the rag-tag group surrounding Duke Griffin Greythorne, the book encircles the entire group rather than focusing on Finley.  The exploration of her dual being was extremely cut short as there is so much that could've happened and didn’t.  I thought that it was a bit disappointing, especially in the romantic category.  There are the beginnings of a love triangle based on the two sides of her personality that simply seemed to fall apart. 

Though I could never feel so much of a firm grip on Finley's unique personality (or personalities), the rest of the cast was much better defined.  The other characters have their own quirks and abilities, adding to their own character and relationships with the group.  The group was well balanced and thought out -- very enjoyable to read.  You could really understand the different relationships and feelings between characters.  I particularly liked Sam and Emily, with his brute force and her the genius mechanic.  Their friendship laced with tragedy slowly blossoming into something more was beautiful, and I hope their relationship with be further explored in sequels.  That, and I mean, who doesn't love a red-head with a brain to boot? 

The Girl in the Steel Corset has left me with high expectations for the sequel, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.  I'm very much so interested in seeing how the author expands her steampunk world to New York City and getting to know a few more additions to the cast. 

Final Thought: 3 out of 4 toadstools

This review is also posted on GoodReads

"Review:" Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club--in the depths of her own despair--Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for--no matter what it costs her.

Hardcover, 319 pages

Published April 24th 2012 by Greenwillow Books

(summary grabbed from GoodReads)

Masque of the Red Death is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's book of the same name.  Poe is the master of creepiness, so a retelling of his classic tale would be perfect for October, right?  Well... it fell flat for me. was reading it on my Nook and got about halfway through, but grew bored.  I started skipping around, reading other books, and I just don't see myself finishing it.

It feels almost as if I'm breaking up with the book: it's not you, Masque of the Red Death, it's me.  We had a good run, but I think this is where we go our separate ways.  I treated you wrong -- cheating on you with other books.  Many other books.  All the while, I strung you along on my Nook and that was wrong.

The story simply did not resonate with me.  I could not connect with the characters, the world felt blah, and I had no sense of intrigue.  It was rather disappointing because this book has a lot going for it.  I can't see myself going back to finish this, but maybe I will.  And maybe I'll turn around and go "Omgomgomg this is best book everz!!!!!!" and fangirl out.  Today, however, is not that day.

Final Thought: 7 out of 10 breakup toadstools

Thoughts?  Non-thoughts?  Want to rate my break-up skillz?  Be sure to leave a comment! 

This "review" is also available on GoodReads