Review Detail

Since first hearing about Dearly, Departed, I’ve been a bit wary. For one, the thing is humongous, I mean 466 pages can be a lot, especially when you’re not all gung-ho about it in the first place. Second, I’m a tad frightened of steampunk. Yes, yes, I’ve heard that this isn’t really classified as steampunk, but that’s what I’m going with for the time being.
Never fear though, I adored this book.

Seriously, how could I ever have doubted myself loving this book? I mean, I don’t believe I’ve come across a zombie book I’ve disliked before! I’m glad this one didn’t break the streak.

So, characters. They were all pretty fantastic. Of course Nora is awesome, but considering she already has a dislike for the society when the story starts, we could totally see that one coming. Now, what I couldn’t see coming was her best friend, Pamela. That girl was fantastic! I don’t want to give anything away, but suffice it to say that when the time comes to be tough, Pam definitely steps up.

The story itself was great. Though I found it a little slow at times, I loved it overall. The New Victorian setting fascinated me. I’m not a big historical fiction fan, so I never really read about Victorian times with their pretty dresses and whatnot, but Dearly, Departed delivered me the whole package: Victorian setting with awesome futuristic technology! Plus, you know, zombies, which happen to be my favorite.

The Nutshell: I’ve already gushed all over the place, so let’s try to keep it short. Dearly, Departed is a fantastic story which will likely surprise you. If you’re afraid of steampunk, dystopian, historical fiction, or zombies, I suggest giving this one a go anyway. It blends all these different genres together so well, you won’t even realize your reading something you’d normally turn your nose up at. (I’m not completely sure that sentence makes sense, but I think you still catch my drift.) In short, go read this book.