Review of Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Title: Something Strange and Deadly
Author: Susan Dennard
Published by: Harper Teen
Pages: 248
Source: Thanks to HarperTeen/Edelweiss
Format: ebook arc
Available: July 24, 2012
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  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.

Susan Dennard delivers a debut novel filled with adventure, strange events and of course, the dead. 

Eleanor Fitt is going through a rough time.  Downcast by the death of her father, and the family's financial demise it gets worse when her brother Elijah goes missing.  Not to mention her mother trying to bid her out to the first wealthy suitor to save both their bank accounts and their reputation.  But the truth of the matter is that Eleanor has never really fit in with this society and their beliefs. 

Eleanor is the type of character that you may be unsure of at first.  She comes across as uptight and nosey, but soon her tenaciousness grows on you.  Eleanor and the Spirit-Hunters are what really made this book wonderful.  They are lively and attention graping.  They don't follow the customs and each have a bit of a rebellious streak in them that makes them interesting and unforgettable.  Their back stories are rich in detail and emotion making you understand their personalities and builds a connection between you.

I have to admit I'm not much of a Zombie person, and though they were central to the storyline they didn't overtake the story.  Susand Dennard brings a new type of story into the mix.  It's fraught with scandal, death and even a touch of romance.  She brings passion and emotion to the story and her writing seems to flow softly and smoothly.  And my favorite thing is she knows how to write a spectacular ending.  She wraps up the story, but leaves just enough loose ends to have you wanting more.

Something Strange and Deadly is a wonderful debut and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.           

Review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 308
Source: Traded with The Book Cellar
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★

Summary from Goodreads:  In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

At first I was a little apprehensive about reading this novel, because I'm just not a Zombie-type person.  I thought there was going to be some human-Zombie love so that is what originally deterred me from reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  I just cannot picture Zombies as sexy so hence my neglect of this novel.  I think I cursed myself with my fear of disliking this book, because I didn't actually enjoy it that much.  It wasn't a bad book by any means, and I really think this was a case of me more than anything.

When I originally started reading this book I thought of M. Night Shyamalan's movie "The Village."  There are great similarities between that movie and this book.  They both lived in these small communities with no knowledge of an outside world and a fear of the surrounding woods that were crawling with creatures.  This concept in itself is a great one and I really enjoyed the setting of the book and the plot.  Carrie Ryan did an amazing job at giving us a picture of a secluded lifestyle and the hope that there is more out there than monsters. 

The major issue I had with the novel was the main character Mary.  I couldn't stand her.  I thought she was self-centered, selfish, whiny, rude and just a not nice person.  I feel like she wouldn't listen to what anyone else had to say, instead she just believed she was right and everything she did therefore was the right thing to do.  She didn't have any respect for others and that was portrayed many times through her actions, especially with her friends.  I understand that she lives in a completely different situation than I do and her actions were probably normal for the setting of the book and how the main character should act, I just wasn't fond of her. *see more evidence it was me and not the book*

I think if the main character was different I would have loved this novel.  It has all the elements to be a great novel and I've read some spectacular reviews for it, so again it points to it being more of a me issue than a bad book issue.  If you've read this novel let me know what you thought of Mary?