The American nation suffered the most after refugees from Canada brought a new strain of influenza long with them. It killed one out of four people. The survivors were then forced to live through the second American Civil war and its nuclear destruction it brought with it. The United States as a nation ceased to be. If that weren’t enough destruction and mayhem, an eruption of a super volcano under Yellowstone finally emptied the US of anyone left behind.
Society, as the survivors knew it, changed drastically. There was a separation into two distinct camps called Victorians, and Punks. The Punk Movement rejected the new aristocracy, anti-technology, anti-government of the Victorians and formed their own country in the area known as Brazil and Bolivia.
Although they are technologically advanced like the Punks, the Victorians have embraced the ideals of a past era and modeled their society on Victorian England. And much like the actual Victorian era, the civilized veneer of society is masking lots of unpleasant things.
Main Characters:
Bram Griswold (Punk) is a 16-year old who became one of the undead after the Gray, or zombies, killed him. Due to advent of a disease called the Lazarus syndrome, people don’t stay dead for very long. They reanimate within a six hour time frame. Some become walking zombies with no memories of who they once were; while others, like Bram, retain their memories and abilities which made them human. Bram is a member of a zombie army that fights the Gray (those who are truly the walking dead) and is supposed to protect the human population from their attacks.
Nora Dearly (Victorian) is also 16-years of age and has been in mourning for a year and a day since her father died. She goes to school at a prominent institution due to her father’s actions in saving the Prime Ministers life. Nora lives in Elysian Fields with her overbearing Aunt who wants to marry Nora off to some wealthy boy so that she can start living the high life once again. Nora is extremely short tempered, impetuous, and has serious issues with keeping her mouth shut but also seems sure of herself when it comes to guns, and fighting those who want to harm her. She is also fascinated by the Punk society and watches past movies as her father did before her. She too easily accepts the Lazarus virus after being nearly being capture by the Gray, and rescued by Bram’s group of misfits.
The story is told from multiple points of view which can sometimes be quite annoying. But, after you read the book in its entirety, and take a moment time to think about it, they are definitely necessary to the overall telling of the story.
Most of the major chapters are narrated by either Nora Dearly or Bram Griswold. There are other chapters told from other characters' points of view like Pamela Roe (Nora’s best friend who is described as being a lower caste member of the Victorian society who was lucky enough to have Nora as a friend). Dr. Victor Dearly is Nora’s father and is blamed for creating the Lazarus virus that changes people into zombies, and the walking undead.) Captain Wolfe is a human who leads a reanimated army like Bram against the Gray. He has an agenda
The romance between Bram and Nora isn’t pushed on the reader, but built up slowly from being scared out of her mind, to slowly coming to terms with her new reality, then to the realization that Bram is a somewhat changed and a different human being and not the walking brain sucking zombie the Gray are.
Bram is a character that you can actually feel sorry for, and cheer for at the same time. He didn’t exactly choose his current state of existence, but is doing the best he can under trying circumstances. He was forced to leave his mother and sisters behind after becoming one of the walking, talking undead. Bram and Nora couldn’t be more different. He is a tall and lanky and a Punk who loves to sing 20th century songs by legends, while Nora is a petite, short tempered, who doesn’t care who she goes up against.
This book is a young adult steampunk, zombie, apocalyptic romance novel which hits on all four genre’s with fluid motion. It also contains, what I believe to be, the writers personal political views on global warming, and racism especially with the different castes, and then the good versus evil zombies.
Dislike: The Epilogue. Please, Ms. Habel, this was a pretty decent story right up until you threw in the Epilogue. After everything that happened over the course of the story, why was this necessary?
Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Genres: YA Dystopian
