Dearly, Departed

Not a fan of zombies but I loved this one

I wasn't overly sure if I was going to like this book or not. I definitely wasn't planning on falling in love with it. I have been sort of feeling like YA is going down a very boring and sugar coated slope. On top of that Zombies make me VERY squeamish, but it's coming up to Halloween and it seems like Zombies are the new big thing, so I decided to give this book a shot. Even though parts of it were a little creepy with the rabid zombies, I felt that the author wrote a very good YA book that sort of touched base with the whole "cannibalism" without actually going into detail of them eating Brains. Which is okay with me since, like I said before, Zombie freak me out. A vampire, ghost, even a mummy, NO PROBLEM but the second those reanimated decomposing corpses start hauling butt towards me with hunger in their eyes, I am out of there!

Which brings me to the romance of the book. A human and a zombie...? It helped that Bram wasn't falling apart and had all of him original body parts still intact but it took a little bit to convince me. They didn't automatically fall in love, in fact Nora was freaked out by Bram being a zombie when he saved her and fainted, when she awoke she was in his room at the Z base and quickly locked herself inside. By talking through the locked door to Bram and making a deal that every time he answered one of her questions, she would unlock one of the 10 locks on his door, she slowly started to trust him. Eventually she came out of the room but by that time, I wasn't so weirded out by the civilized zombies because by that point Bram had humanized himself in my mind.

The book is split primarily into Nora, Bram, Pam and Victor's point of view. It helps to give you a sense as to what is happening out in the world where the rabid zombies are terrorizing the streets and slowly taking over. Even though things are sort of calm at the Z base, back in Nora's neighborhood all hell is breaking loose and she has no idea that it's happening. Pam's story is by far the scariest parts of the book because she is dealing with the rabid zombies and trying to convince her family that it isn't safe. I will be honest that while reading the book she reminded me a lot of Katniss from the Hunger Games. It wasn't just her use of weapon (a bow) but just the way she carried herself and stepped up and took control of protecting her family.

One last thing that I want to touch base on before I leave you with an ending quote... this book is pretty funny. The civilized zombies are like normal people and the ones in Bram's close unit all joke around and act as if they are best friends or even siblings. They squabble and joke around a lot throughout the book.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Undead romeo and juliet

I honestly loved this book more than I thought I would! It was absolutly amazing. The mix of past and future for the sretting is so unique and workks. The romance between nora and bram is like a supernatural romeo and juliet; so wrong that its right! Great plot, aawssome story idea, cant wait for a sequell!
I recomend it for teens whho like something a little on the odd side:)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Recommended

Lia Habel does for zombies what Stephanie Meyer did for vampire--humanized them. Even though dead, the undead have memories, feelings, and desires. Nora and Bram are an attractive couple--young, charming, dedicated to family and each other--however, Pamela is a wasted narrator. The use of her to show the entrenched societal values of New Victoria is unnecessary, a distraction from the flow of Nora and Bram. Interspersing Pamela and Victor, while giving a view of what was happening in different sites, slowed the narrative to a crawl. Other characters were stereotypical snobs: Aunt Geneva, Vespertine Mink, and Michael Allister. Growth in their lives would have strengthened the story, just as the acceptance of Nora by Z Company did. Overall, not a waste of time, and zombie lovers will like the action and gore.

Addicting from the very beginning!!

I was a bit skeptical of this book when I bought it but figured since I had read vampire books before I had to give zombies a try as well. I was hooked from the very beginning, the characters were relateable and the romance wasn't unrealistically fast moving. I can hardly wait for the sequel, I would recommend this book to anyone.

Don't waste your time!

I am really disappointed with the ratings on this book. I picked it up and read the discription and thought, "This isn't a book for me," but the one exerpt from the back of the book caught my attention. I read the reviews and decided to take a chance, but I wish I'd saved my time and my money on this one. The writing was fine, but the story was really lame. I guess I'm just not into the whole zombie thing, but aside from that, the love story was really lacking and the whole book just seemed really juvinile. I know this is a teen book, but really, I'd lable it a tween book. If you want a good book with some teeth to it, ready Hunger Games or Divergent. Both are great books!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Dearly Delightful

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read Dearly, Departed. Honestly, reading the synopsis, I was intrigued but at the same time terrified at the prospect. Zombie’s in love? What? But after I thought about it, it’s like Vampires in love so I decided to give this book a chance. I was pleasantly surprised.


The characters in this book are interesting. I like Nora and her fighting to be who she wants to be. She doesn’t take crap from people, she learns to fight, and she takes the whole zombie thing surprisingly well. The group of zombies that Nora is introduced to are a hoot. They really give the book a special touch. The one character that definitely makes the book for me is Bram. Except for the whole part where he’s dead, he’s the perfect guy. His character was the most liked out of all the ones I read. He even outshines Nora, who should have more points to her considering she’s actually the one with the heartbeat.
The world Lia created is appealing to say the least. The New Victoria is a unique twist to the steampunk novels I’ve gotten used to. The descriptions are vivid and believable. I enjoyed getting to discover the ways of 2195.
However, I have to admit the ever changing point of view almost drove me up the wall. While I really liked getting into the heads of Nora, Bram, and even Nora’s best friend, the others didn’t seem as necessary to me. I was a little confused at the beginning, thinking I must have missed something. In the end, I got a bit better grip on what was going on.
Overall, this book is definitely worth reading. Lia takes what is known in fiction and makes it her own: a world where death and decay may play a role, but love shines like the brightest star. I don’t know if I’ll be reading it again, but I most definitely will read what happens next. Dearly, Departed is out now, wherever the books are sold.

Zombies, romance, and action in a perfect balance!

Dearly, Departed is a prime example of why I don't like to give up on books if I have trouble getting into them at first. And I did have trouble getting into Dearly, Beloved. I was trying to read it in bits and pieces while reading other books and it just wasn't working. So, as 2011 drew to a close, I knew that this book needed to be a priority. I started over, set aside a few hours, and dove in. Let me tell you--I LOVED this book. It has a perfect mix of action and adventure with the detail and world-building of a well-written steampunk novel with an incredibly sweet love story thrown in.

Nora Dearly has a fairly normal life, despite being orphaned at age fifteen and having to deal with an over-bearing, social climber of an aunt as her guardian. Thankfully she has her best friend Pam to get her through. When she's approached by a blind man on the street one evening who attempts to take her and claims to be a friend of her deceased father, well, that is definitely a moment that Nora will never forget as what ensues is a story of kidnapping, adventure, war, love, ...and zombies.

Nora is a really fabulous MC to get to know. She has a very kick butt attitude and she's not afraid to put herself out there and make things happen. She's fiercely loyal to her best friend, despite their social difference. After she's kidnapped, I appreciated her fear and caution--signs of an authentic character who can't easily accept the things going on around her--as well as her boldness and honesty. I've been a tough sell on good characters lately, but Nora is definitely at the top of my list as an enjoyable, authentic heroine.

Nora wasn't the only character that I loved in this book either. Bram is absolutely wonderful. Chas, Tom, and Ren are a fantastic cast of side characters with well-defined personalities and roles. Dr. Dearly himself is sharp as a tack. Wolfe is the ultimate villan. Overall, this was a whole cast of characters that I found myself attached to. I honestly cared about what happened to each and every one of them.

The writing in this book is phenomenal. You will be pulled into this foreign world and you'll honestly feel at home. Ms. Habel's writing is beautifully descriptive without being completely overbearing. She gives the reader a perfect sense of this futuristic "New Victorian" world and its oddities without ever making it feel like an info dump. She had me mesmerized. Like I said, the beginning may have been a tad slow for me as you're getting to know the world and the characters, but when it takes off, it will take you on quite the wild ride. Be prepared for action and adventure, zombies, and a romance that swept me off my feet. I'll be anxiously waiting for book #2, Dearly, Beloved.

Great read, even for this non-zombie lover!

This was my first zombie book AND my first steampunk book. I always thought I would hate anything that had to do with zombies but with all the zombie craze I read in the blogosphere I knew I had to at least give it a try. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this book. I'm not going to re-summarize because the above synopsis is pretty thorough.

I loved both Nora and Pam. Two young girls growing up in a society that has the ideals of the Victorian era where the girls are expected to marry young and marry for money. They bucked the system and I like that. I also really loved Bram. Dead as he might be, he was incredibly loyal, and had a very kind heart.

I also really loved the whole steampunk thing. I figured I would, I love the wardrobe anyway, but it was really interesting to see the two themes combined.

One thing that I loved with this book is that I never got confused. When you are writing in a different time and almost a different world, it can be confusing. It helped that the girls were students and it really flowed for them to give us the "how we got here" explanation by way of school conversation.

I also really loved that they explained the zombie phenomenon as a disease. My only experience with zombie related entertainment was too stupid to be funny for me, and definitely too funny to hold any real terror.

A love story between the living and the walking dead, how do I start. When I first caught that this would be a love story I became incredibly skeptical. How? I didn't understand at all. The fact that they bring up the reality of the situation, acknowledging that there will be no forever and (thank god) that zombies can't be intimate helped me frame this in a way that I could still enjoy the book.

So while I can't say that I will now love all things zombie, I really loved this book. I look forward to reading the rest of the Gone with Respiration Series.

Omg

This book keeps me up at all hourd of the night. It is THE BEST book I've ever read. Lia Habel is one of the best authors of my time. I absolutelyblove her writing and can't wait until her new book comes out. (:

Original dystopian zombie novel!

A few years ago I saw a zombie movie and it gave me the worst nightmares. Ever since then, I have avoided zombie books and movies because they scare me like almost nothing else can. Lately, however, there have been a few books on the YA market involving more sophisticated, romantic zombies. This move towards the lighter, prettier side of zombies is perfect for me. Not to say Dearly, Departed is all romance because it¿s not. The brainless, flesh eating zombies are included as well, so it¿s a good mix of dark and light. Dearly, Departed is set in a dystopian future where climate change has caused survivors in North America to move to warmer climates in South America. While keeping their technological advances, these settlers have adopted a Victorian lifestyle in dress, speech and manners. I loved Lia Habel¿s world building. The book has a wonderful steampunk feel to it. Dearly, Departed is told from several perspectives including that of Captain Abraham ¿Bram¿ Griswold. Loved him! He is strong, funny, caring and very devoted to Nora. Even though Nora is brave, selfless and smart, her character fell a bit flat. I much preferred to read the portions of the story from either Bram¿s perspective or from the perspective of Nora¿s best friend, Pamela. Pamela¿s quick thinking and butt-kicking was much more entertaining than anything that was going on Nora. My other issue with the story is the romance. Nora and Bram are really sweet together but I could not get past the fact that he is dead, a while he is handsome, he looks dead. His skin is even gray! I have no idea why I feel this way as I have no issues with the vampire/human relationships in books and vamps are pretty much dead too. Dearly, Departed has a good amount of humor, cleaver world building and some exciting action scenes. This is a fun and original book. It¿s very cool how Ms. Habel put it together and I look forward to the sequel. Content: Kissing and violence.

MUST READ MUST READ MUST READ!!!!!!

LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! NORA IS SUCH A SMART AND BRAVE HERIONE, SHE IS VERY STRONG WILLED AND CARING TOO. BRAM WAS AWESOME. I NEED HIM TO BE REAL BECAUSE THERE IS JUST NOT A MAN THAT LOYAL AND LOVING IN REAL LIFE!! BRAM AND NORA FOREVER. THE OTHER ZOMBIES WERE GREAT TOO!! I JUST LOVE STEAMPUNK NOVELS.

I really enjoyed this book!

Dearly, Departed is a book that starts off strong, and keeps you on the edge right until the very end. After hearing so many good things about this book, I just knew I had to read it. I¿m so glad that I did! The main character in the story is Nora Dearly. Nora is not your average teenage aristocrat. Instead of caring about balls and suitors, she has a passion for political and military history. In the beginning, I was worried that Nora was going to be another of those weak, wimpy heroines that I am constantly rolling my eyes at. I¿m so glad that she turned out to be the complete opposite. One quote in the book describes her perfectly: ¿Because I¿m not a princess. I have a temper and I¿m impetuous and I have series issues when it comes to keeping my mouth shut.¿ Love her! Bram is an undead soldier that helped kidnap Nora in the night, to protect her from the zombies that are running amuck. I thought he was a really interesting character as well. He is definitely not what I think of when I think of zombies, and I had a bit of a hard time picturing him as a zombie. However, I thought he was a wonderful character. Strong and brave, noble and caring, he really had it all. I really liked the relationship between Bram and Nora. It grew at just the right pace, and was well written. I still have a bit of a hard time seeing Zombies as love interests, but they are starting to grow on me! (It works for vampires, why not for zombies???) The secondary characters were really great as well. I really loved Nora¿s best friend, Pamela. As if I haven¿t mentioned it before, I really love awesome best friends! I also enjoyed Bram¿s fellow soldiers, Chase, Tom, and the whole crew. They were great for a laugh! The world-building in the book was really interesting. The author did a great job of describing not only the setting, but also the people. Some of the zombie descriptions were a bit too well described for my liking. HA! Overall, this was a book I really enjoyed more than I thought I would. The characters and the story were really creative. I am looking forward to adding this to my collection! Happy Reading!

Undead Delight

Nora dearly was born into a life of Victorian customs and high society a good 400 years after such ideals went out of fashion. But her rule abiding world is about to be flipped on it's rump. Conflicting communities have created a politically volatile atmosphere. More than one conspiracy is brewing all of which involve the undead. Fortunately dearly doesn't do demure. Nora with have to open her mind and heart if she wants to save her friends, family, and find love along the way.

When I first started reading Dearly Departed I wasn't sure how the clash of the genres could work but Habel weaves a stunning mix of period and technology with horror and a dash of steampunk to create a rich and interesting world for her story. The book had a futuristic steampunk vibe that went beyond clockworks and clogs. The Victorian aspect provided the frame work for a slow romantic buildup. The army of undead not only helped drive the storyline but added yet another element that set it apart from being just another paranormal YA romance.

Typical revolving turn of the century themes involving women and their place in society crop up through out the book, yet are redefined in stronger more exciting roles, that only the author's unique setting could provide. Habel's heroines were diverse like Dearly who was the equivalent of a Victorian tomboy with Rambo tendencies and Pam who was a nurturer with an edge, not only taking care of loved ones but leading the charge to protect them as well.I particularly loved her supporting characters both living and undead. Bram and his elite Z Team provided an equally interesting blend of character depth and humorous banter while Pam's POV gave the reader a glimpse of the class and social issues common in the replicated era.

With it's rich mix of styles and characters Dearly Departed is a good book to curl up with and get lost in.

Who knew zombies could be so cute?!!

I received an eARC of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My honest opinion is that I LOVED this book! I've always had a thing for the undead, but it was always vampires or ghosts, never zombies! But after meeting Bram, I'm going to have to amend that to include one zombie in particular.

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."

This is kind of a futuristic steampunk-ish book, which sounds weird, but it totally worked here. The writing was superb and the characters were totally fleshed out (yes, that is a really bad zombie pun!).

This story was told from 5 points of view, and where normally I might find that a bit confusing, each different voice was so unique and true to the character that I never had a problem following who was narrating at any given time. Each POV gave a different dimension to the story and definitely moved the story along and made it easier to understand what was happening.

The book summary gives a really good description of the book, so I don't need to reiterate what it's about, but what I can tell you is that this book is definitely worth reading! It moves along at a good pace, so it was a quick read for me. I am highly anticipating the next book in the series and will be one of the first to buy it (if possible) because I can't WAIT to find out what happens with Nora and Bram :D

Great Mix of Steampunk-Romance-Zombies

Welcome to the New Victorian era nearly two hundred years in the future. After the world descended into utter chaos following several disasters, humans migrated south to establish a new colony. They chose the Victorian era because they considered it a model of civility order and prosperity. These views are not shared by everyone and formed radical fighting groups called Punks who reject this new aristocracy. Although fighting has been going on for quite some time between the Victorians and Punks it now seems to be shifting and the fighting seems almost animalistic. Nora Dearly, daughter of the late famous Victor Dearly, is an interesting character. From the start we sense she is just waiting to burst out of this mold of a proper woman whereas her best friend, Pamela Roe, is always trying to attain it. After returning home from school, Nora is set upon by what she thinks at the time as Punks. Bram Griswold swoops in and saves the day. Nora awakes in a secret location and is informed of what is truly going on. There are ¿good¿ zombies and ¿bad¿ zombies. These so called ¿good¿ zombies like Bram and surprisingly her father, are battling the ¿bad¿ zombies for the government who want this all to be hidden from its citizens. Nora starts to digest all this information and slowly comes to terms with it. She also discovers that her father created the serum that lengthens the life of a zombie and helps them retain their humanity for some time. Victor is also working on a vaccine to the zombie virus and apparently has been kidnapped because of it. Bram is noticeably in love with Nora and will do anything to protect her. He defies all commands and knows that she will appreciate the truth given to her straight. Even though he is attracted to her, he knows to proceed slowly because what human woman would find a rotting zombie desirable. I agree with that completely but Bram had me falling in love with him. His strength and his struggle with his human side and his zombie side will have you cheering for him to overcome all the obstacles and get the girl. The adventure these two embark on is exciting! The battles, the secrets and the revelations that they discover will keep you flipping the pages. Do not start this book unless you have time to finish, you will not want to put it down. The humor injected just enhances the ambiance of this story. Dearly, Departed is told from many viewpoints and Habel effortlessly does this with chapter headings of the person whose viewpoint we are reading. I absolutely LOVED this book. The mixture of zombies, steampunk and romance made for an exhilarating read! I am not huge on the zombie genre just because there aren¿t too many new ideas introduced into the storyline. Dearly, Departed is NOT one of those. You will fall in love with each and every one of these characters and will cheer on Nora and her pursuit to love Bram. Highly recommend for YA, steampunk, dystopian and zombie lovers everywhere.

Live To Read

A futuristic setting combined with zombies and the Victorian Era? This novel can only be a steampunk. One of the most enjoyable qualities to this book is the research the author put into the novel, specifically about the Victorian Era. The reader will feel as if he/she can picture the scenes and characters perfectly, the author provides intricate details. The zombie portion of the novel serves to make the book far more exciting and fast-paced than it otherwise would be. The reader does not learn overly much about he zombies until further in the book, leaving the reader to anticipate and guess.


The characters were fun to read about. The author alternated between different characters' point of views, enabling the reader to feel as if he/she knows all of the main characters quite well. Nora is brave and smart while Pamela tends to err on the side of caution, but has a slightly rebellious glimmer every once in a while. Bram is by far the most stoic character of the novel and Dearly is too smart for his own good. The secondary characters are interesting, many have certain quirks or qualities that make them stand out to the reader.


The events of the novel are quick, the reader will be taken from one scene to the next, sometimes with no warning. The ending is perfect, the reader will look forward to the sequel. This book is highly recommended to young adult/adult readers.

delightful, witty, fresh take on zombies

Dearly, Departed is a YA horror novel with a splash of romance. It contains elements of steampunk, fantasy and a post-apocalyptic dystopia. This is Lia Habel's debut novel and despite some flaws, I found it to be refreshing and delightful.
The futuristic world of New Victoria is fascinating. It's exactly how you might picture the world in 2195 with a few twists. The place is riddled with technology. Some neighborhoods are built below ground, complete with holographic skies and trees that blow in the wind. There are micro-chip ID's, digital diaries and flat screens everywhere. The homes, transportation, clothing and social classes all resemble the late 1800's to early 1900's Victorian era in England. Habel's history of how this new world comes to be is interesting and believable. I love this world she creates, and could easily immerse myself in it. There has been an on-going war with outsiders known as the "punks". This war has consisted of propaganda and border skirmishes, stemming from a difference of opinion in social statuses and government.
The zombies in this world are caused by the "Laz" virus. Habel's explanations regarding zombies, their cravings, classifications and needs are clever. When reading a zombie book, I expect slow moving, mindless, flesh craving monsters. Habel provides these and they are referred to as the "Grays." She also provides us with smart, witty, caring zombies. These zombies are part of "Company Z." They are comrades, they like music, care about clothes, music and the living. They may be dead, but they don't want to be dead-dead.
The story is told from the POV of five characters. I enjoyed reading the different perspectives, including those of the villain. My problem is that it pulls the reader into too many directions and makes the overall flow of the story cumbersome. If the story had been limited to the POV of Bram and Nora, it would have been brilliant. Nora Dearly is a strong, witty, brave, young woman. I like that Habel made her fearless. She is a girl of privilege, who lost her mother early in life, was pushed away by her father and eventually lost him. She was left in the care of her self-serving Aunt and she could just as easily have been a spoiled, hateful, brat. Captain Bram Griswold is sixteen years old and leader of "Company Z." He is brave, charming, smart, thoughtful and dead. The romance between Nora and Bram is sweet, innocent and heart-breaking. Habel makes you believe a romance between a zombie and a human is possible. It is pure magic. Despite the fact that I disagree with Pam having her own POV, I loved this spunky, lower class, zombie kicking girl. I hope to see more of her in future books.
The overall theme is compelling and I became immersed in the storyline. Dearly, Departed starts off slowly, as Habel lays the ground work for this tale, but stick with it. The middle was riveting and the ending set the stage for book two. I enjoyed Habel's writing style and imagination. Her characters each have their own voice and personality. The banter between them is witty and I love how she combined Victorian era dialect with modern futuristic dialect. The details regarding this world, the war and the disease are wonderful. I question the validity of some of the characters and sub-plots in the novel, but since this is to be a series, I will take a wait and see approach.
I will definitely be reading book two of this series entitled Dearl

Fantastic!!!

Dearly, Departed is an all-in-one Novell. Lia Habel has amazingly put Science Fiction, Steampunk, Horror, Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal, Apocalyptic, Historical and Romance into this incredible Novell. Along with five POVs, with the main two perspectives being from Nora and Bram. Lia Habel definitely created a fantastic world with zombies and humans trying to coexist together.

Nora is almost seventeen and has been sent off to an all-girls school to become a proper Victorian lady after her father's death. Nora's not interested in tea and high society. Nora's father raised her to know how fight with weapons and to think for herself. Nora becomes a wanted person by the Gray's because of her father's work as a doctor, and everything Nora thought was truth about her Victorian life will be destroyed after she discovers who her father really was and Bram will become her truth.

I really liked Nora. She is a petite and stubborn tough girl who is not scared to speak her mind and acts on what she believes in. She has just enough Victorian politeness that makes her character one I truly enjoyed. But I do have to say I love Bram more. Bram is strong and witty, with a tender heart even if it's not beating anymore. Bram's love for Nora is so warm and intimate and one he had to find after his death, which makes it heart-breaking. I couldn't help falling for this zombie.

Dearly, Departed is definitely a novel with a terrific storyline, action, drama, humor . . . it's like getting nine novels in one. I recommend Dearly, Departed as a must read.

Awesome

Can't wait for the next one.

Packed with adventure, romance, and tragedy. Handpicked favorite of 2011

I must confess that prior to this book's release I was nervous of picking it up from the store. The idea of steam-punk and zombies being able to fit into a post-apocalyptic Victorian themed world seemed like a very complex notion. I feared that all these ideas mixed together wouldn't make for a cocktail of entertainment. I was wrong- SO wrong. The way Lia Habel writes is reminiscent of classic literature, and the Victorian stylized world walks comfortably hand-in-hand with steam-punk technology, and grasps at the fringes of an awakening apocalypse.

Lia Habel delivers a female role so strong that I felt proud of my gender. Nora makes no qualms of squaring her jaw and impetuously stands up for herself on several occasions. This girl isn't your cookie-cutter Mary Sue content to CAUSE problems for her romantic interest and friends. She throws herself into the fray heedless and recklessly, and fully intent on destroying the obstacles in her sight.

For those that judge a book by the cover, yes- it may seem a little odd that a living girl would fall for a dead man. There are no attempts made to make the reader comfortable with this, because even the main characters realize that it's wrong. However, in this fantastical world that Lia Habel has created- love never dies. Bram and Nora are aware of their short relationship, and even if it is meant to be a brief and tragic one- they're making the best of it.

This book has easily earned a place on my coveted "favorite" shelf among big names like Harry Potter. Well done, Lia Habel! Bravo! Can't wait for the sequel.