Annotation:
After
her brother goes missing and the Dead start rising in Philadelphia,
sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt turns to a team of Spirit-Hunters to help save
her brother who, she fears, is being held captive by the necromancer that is
raising the Dead.
Personal
thoughts: I had a difficult time deciding whether I liked this novel or not.
It was a bit schizophrenic for me, almost as if the author wanted the story to
be many different things that there wasn’t one thing that was done really
superbly. The zombie element kind of came and went in importance, Eleanor’s
plight to find a good marriage wasn’t really executed fully, and the support
characters weren’t as developed as they could have been. I think the author
definitely has the makings for a good series, but some editing and focusing of
where the story is going and what the main themes are would help the reader to
stay more engaged.
Plot
summary: After her father’s death several years earlier, sixteen-year-old
Eleanor Fitt, her brother, Elijah, and their mother were left with next to
nothing. Eleanor knows that it is up to her to improve their fortunes by
marrying well, something her mother reminds her of daily. After her brother
mysteriously disappears, however, and the Dead begin to rise in her hometown of
Philadelphia, Eleanor has a lot more than marriage to a wealthy bachelor on her
mind. It seems that a necromancer is operating in the city, raising the Dead to
do his bidding. Sons of well-to-do families in Philadelphia society are being
murdered and Eleanor fears that Elijah, who she believes is being held captive
by the necromancer, might be next. To help save her brother, Eleanor turns to a
team of Spirit-Hunters operating out of a lab out of Philadelphia’s Centennial
Exhibition. The Spirit-Hunters, consisting of a man named Joseph who can sense
the supernatural, a handsome scientist named Daniel, and a young but fierce
Chinese woman named Jie, are on the hunt for the necromancer themselves. Can
Eleanor and the Spirit-Hunters save Elijah and end the reign of the necromancer
and his army of the Dead before it’s too late?
Review: Part
historical fiction, part zombie thriller, Something
Strange and Deadly, the first installment in a series for teens by debut
author Susan Dennard, is a decent selection for readers who like supernatural
novels with a bit of a twist. Set in 1876 Philadelphia, much of the story
focuses on the plight of leading lady, sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt, in
securing a marriage to save her family’s hemorrhaging finances. The rest of the
novel deals with the supernatural elements, like zombies, ghosts and
necromancers and the mystery surrounding exactly what is causing the Dead to
rise. While many will enjoy this combination of history, mystery and horror, readers
who want something that is only historical fiction or just about zombies and
the supernatural might find themselves disappointed that the novel solidly
identifies itself in one genre. Not enough focus is given to any element in the
story to make it really appealing to fans of a specific type of book, so only
readers who are interested in a combination of themes will enjoy reading the
novel. Eleanor is a likable enough protagonist, but not enough depth is given
to the support characters to really engage the reader in her interactions with
them. A small romance does blossom, but not really in any way that feels
organic. The story does have some promise, however, so hopefully the author can
strengthen the characters and plot in the next installment, A Darkness Strange and Lovely, set to be
released July 23, 2013.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Science-Fiction
Reading
level: Grade 8+
Similar
titles: Magic Most
Foul series by Leanna Renee Hieber, Gone
With the Respiration series by Lia Habel, Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury.
Themes: Zombies, necromancers, dark magic, ghosts, séances,
spirits, Philadelphia, historical fiction, mystery, duty, marriage, murder.
Awards/Reviews:
Positive review from Kirkus, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and VOYA.
Series
Information: First installment in Something
Strange and Deadly series. Second installment, A Darkness Strange and Lovely, set to be released July 23, 2013.
Discussion
questions:
- Do you think Eleanor’s mom truly cares about
her daughter’s well-being, or is she only focused on improving the family
finances? Why?
- Why do you think Eleanor’s father passed away? How did his death impact the Fitts?
- Do you think Clarence had feelings for
Eleanor? Why or why not?
- Who was your favorite character in the novel?
Why?
- The Centennial International Exhibition of
1876 actually took place in Philadelphia. Research the Exhibition. Did the
novel do a good job of describing it? What was the importance of the Exhibition
in the story?
- Were you surprised to learn the identity of
the necromancer? Why or why not?
- What would you like to see happen in the
sequel, A Darkness Strange and Lovely?
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