Thursday, December 8, 2011

Book Review- Dearly Departed

Early this morning I finished reading Dearly Departed by Lia Habel for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?


The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.
 
So I don't think I ever really read the summary of this book.  I just knew that it was YA, paranormalish, and had a beautiful cover.  So I signed up for the tour.  I had no idea it was about zombies.  If I had known, I'm not sure I would have signed up since I hadn't read one before and it doesn't really catch my attention.  But let me tell you, I am so glad that I didn't read the summary first.  I really enjoyed my first zombie novel!
 
The world that the story is set in is very similar to Victorian times, although its set in the future.  But fortunately, the author tells us why this is, instead of leaving us confused like other authors do.  I was very grateful for this.  So I really got into the background of the story and the way there were customs fitting of old times blended with future technology.  Pretty neat!
 
And oh, Bram!  He makes me want my own zombie.  Such a true gentelman!  The zombies were so great!  They had such a great sarcastic sense of humor and often times I forgot that they were flesh eaters!  And I loved that Nora was so open minded and embraced her new friends (after having to warm up to them of course!) 
 
I liked that so much was explained in this book.  Why the zombies were happening.  And how.  I think it's a good thing this was first zombie book because it really got me into it!  And the story definitely leaves you wondering what will be happening next.  And I can't wait to pick up the next book!
 
I gave this book a rating of 4/5.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2011 100+ Reading Challenge: 113
2011 ARC Reading Challenge: 91
2011 Debut Author Challenge: 29
2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 90
 
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

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