Title: Dearly Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Publisher: Del Ray-Imprint of Random House
Pub Date: October 18, 2011
Genre: YA-Steampunk-Zombies
My Copy: Advance Reader Copy- because I filled out the Authors Contact Form at Authors Website
Reviewers Note: May Contain Spoilers….
Book Synopsis from the back of my ARC:
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria. Nora, a very human teenager living in high society, falls in love with Bram, a handsome and polite eighteen-year-old lieutenant who happens to be suffering from “the Laz”, a disease that is slowly turning him into one of the walking dead. Bram is fully conscious and healthy enough to take on Nora, killer zombies, and the treacherous humans that plague his life-at least for now. But it is only a matter of time before the Laz will take him away from Nora forever.
Book Review:
When I saw the cover of this book, I immediately was intrigued by what the premise of this book was going to be about. Normally, I don’t do zombies, but this really was too good of a concept to pass up the chance to read it. So glad that I took the chance on this book.
What is at the center of this book is the love story that develops between Nora and Bram. I felt that those scenes were really very nice and beautiful despite the fact that Bram is a zombie. Yet Bram isn’t a mindless zombie. Love his tenderness, his ability to calm Nora down and that Nora and him both despite their differences can see each other for what they are inside.
The shifting viewpoints of Nora, then Bram really helps get you inside both Nora and Bram’s heads and that helps you tremendously understand their thinking, their hearts, their reasoning. This is a very good way of storytelling. Normally, I don’t like shifting viewpoints, but this novel makes it work. There are other characters too whose viewpoint is included and it helps fill out the rest of the storyline.
The Laz, the mindless zombies, in particularly the villain Averne want Nora’s father, Victor Dearly to make them a vaccine so that they won’t be mindless. Nora has believed along with several others that her father was dead. This comes as a shock to Nora. Her father was a scientist. Averne believes that Victor is responsible for the Laz. Victor tries to tell him no. Nora we learn is immune and that the Zombies want her blood.
So many twists and turns in this book, made me really take notice that this book had a lot of action in it as well. Also love the fact that at certain points in the books some characters take some rather surprising actions. Like Pamela(who is Nora’s best friend) killing a zombie with her Parasol when the Laz come to New Victoria. Of course this freaks her out. Who wouldn’t be freaking out? I would.
The other part of this book that I love was all the action sequences and interactions between Pamela and her family. Pamela doesn’t like being used. Everyone wants Pamela to use her beauty and charm to move up in society. In Steampunk books, this is a common motif, especially Victorian steam punk. Pamela doesn’t like being used. She wants to live her life by her own terms. Yet, when the Laz attacks her home, New Victoria or the Elysian Fields she gets the chance to be brave and courageous.
A beautiful love story, zombie action, battle scenes, fight scenes, a girl killing a zombie with a parasol and so much more are in this book. Buy this book when it comes out October 18. I will be buying a finished copy of this book, because I adored it so much.
Rating:
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