Dearly Departed by Lia Habel review



Dearly Departed by Lia Habel (Dearly #1)

Egalley thanks to Random House Publishing Group


Synopsis from Goodreads
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.

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* * *
Absolutely glorious book!


Not only Lia Habel managed to create a fascinating neo-Victorian society in the distant future, her engaging characters shone all the way through the book.


There are gazillions of reviews out there already on Dearly Departed, so I'll keep mine short.


This book is really visual, to the point where I can easily imagine it being made into a movie a-la Hellboy (hopefully with Guillermo del Toro as the director), it's entertaining, sweet and its bad zombies and villains feel almost too cartoonish to invoke fear.

There are some absolutely delicious moments which keep playing in my mind - Nora dressed up as a cute anime character, zombies being patched up by the doctors or eating their tofu, Pamela, Nora's feisty friend, smashing some zombie brains with her umbrella... Come on! I will be really surprised if this book isn't picked up for a possible movie.

Nora and Bram's relationship is very sweet, so as their conversations, but I still wasn't entirely convinced in Nora's attraction to a zombie boy. However, we'll just have to see how the couple develops in the next book.

Overall, a fascinating, hugely entertaining, light read. Recommended to anyone.


* * *
Получила огромное удовольствие от дебюта мисс Хэйбелл. Необычайно развлекательное чтиво, как будто смотришь фильм наподобие Хеллбоя.


Нора Диарли живёт в нео-викторианском мире будущего, и увлекается политическими новостями и военными стратегиями.


Когда в один день её похищает группа зомби, всё, о чём она знает переворачивается вверх тормашками. Зомби во главе с их капитаном Брамом работают на её отца и представляют собой секретное подразделение армии, которое борется с атаками зомби у границы страны.


Они также ничего не едят кроме тофу, и над ними постоянно работают доктора, чтобы удержать их тела и мозг от распада.


Нору похищают, чтобы до неё не добрались плохие зомби во главе с их дьявольским злодеем-лидером, как будто срисованным из книги комиксов. Злодей верит в то, что если Нора окажется у него, то её отец выработает для него формулу, которая остановит вирус, превращающий людей в зомби...


В общем, начинаются приключения Норы, её задористые диалоги с Брамом и растущее к нему влечение. Да, знаю, как-то не очень представляется романтика между живым мертвецом и нашей девушкой, но у Лии Хейбелл всё получается прекрасно. остаётся милая пара, задавшаяся целью спасти мир, вызволить подругу Норы, Памелу, оставшуюся в заполненном зомби городе, и спасти отца Норы от злодеев.


Читайте! Книга лёгкая, занимательная и необычная.


10/10

Comments

  1. Great review! I could definitely see this as a movie as well!

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

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  2. Ooo, I got this on netgalley as well and now I can't wait to start reading it now! :)

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  3. I'm glad you liked it I've heard so great things, I can't wait to read it now

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  4. You weren't convinced? Really?! But he's so sweet and would do anything for her - what's not to love? :D

    PS. Knew you'd love this one!

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  5. Hannah, lol! It's just this whole business of him being a pale zombie with murky white eyes and body parts in constant need of being patched up ;) hardly romantic. It's like she is forcing herself to like him :)

    Melliane, Mel, read it! It's a great book ;)

    Roro, Giselle, thank you!

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  6. I loved this book but I thought it was heavier then you. I had to reread pieces because the world building was so detailed (though I suppose I'm comparing it to other YA and not adult books). But it was absolutely amazing! I'm not sure about a movie. I don't know if they could really do it justice! I guess we'll see ;)

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  7. Candace, I think I was irreparably damaged in my youth by heavy sci-fi and fantasy :) My mind usually gobbles up all these details. However, some books still make my head ache. If Guillermo del Toro makes a movie on this book, it would be absolutely wicked! But we can only dream :)

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  8. So glad to hear you loved it - I can't wait to start it!

    Pabkins @ Mission to Read

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