A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly #2)

 Synopsis

After helping the Spirit-hunters save the Philadelphia from the walking Dead,  Eleanor Fitt must now face the things she couldn't stop: her brother's death, her mother's deteriorating health, and the sting of unrequited love. But when she encounters the necromancer Marcus again, she must seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel- who have all fled to Paris.

On her way to France, Eleanor meets Oliver, who claims to have known her brother. Though friendly, Oliver harbors a secret involving black magic that entices Eleanor. Trying to resist it, she rejoins the Spirt-Hunters in hopes of stopping Marcus.

 But the Dead have taken over Paris, and there's a whole new evil lurking. Eleanor is now forced to make a dangerous decision- and her choice could mean life or death for everyone.

Loved

• The mystery. Although it's very clear to the reader who is behind everything, there are many pieces to this mystery that make it very intriguing. We get lots of little clues and have lots of questions, which compels us to keep reading because we want to know how everything fits together. I enjoyed the Parisian sub-plot of this book and also how it fit in with the overall storyline of the series.

• Oliver. This demon can be frustrating, but I thought he was a very interesting character because he's morally gray. He's definitely not evil- despite being a demon- but he's also not selfless nor noble. I like his sense of humor, quick thinking, and willingness to help Eleanor over and over again even when she gets herself into so many frustrating situations.

• The magic. Much of the plot of this book is about Eleanor learning about her necromantic powers and understanding how they affect her and everyone around her. I thought learning about the necromancy, the demon magic, and the ancient artifacts and rituals was very interesting. I also liked the exploration of necromancy and discovering that it can be used for good although it's a dark magic.

Didn't Love

• To be honest, I really disliked most of this book- mostly because it was SO FRUSTRATING. Reading this reminded me of reading the Selection series because I hated every single character, but had to keep reading to find out what happens. I literally hated every character in this- I tried to think of someone I didn't hate, and the only person I didn't hate was Laure, but she did annoy me at times. But everyone else I basically hated haha. Especially Eleanor. So for my job I teach therapy groups, and I do a group where I show movie clips of bad communication examples. This book covered every. single. one. No joke. All the characters assumed the worst of the other, let prejudice totally blind them, made impulsive decisions, and (Eleanor) just straight up lied throughout the entire story. Ah, don't get me started about Eleanor. She drove me CRAZY. After listening to one part of the book where in one afternoon she succesfully destroys every relationship in her life, I was in such a bad mood that I had to take a break from the book for a day- I'm serious! That being said, she and everyone else get better toward the end of the book. #sorrynotsorry for the total rant ;)

Content

• Language: 
• Fairly frequent uses of "bastard," "damn," "shi*", "hell," and as*."
  

• Sexual content: 
• A scene where two characters (*finally*) kiss. Described as many kisses, he backs her against a wall, she kisses his neck. Other people are close by, so not too steamy.

• Violence:
• As in the first book, there is a LOT of talk about corpses walking around and trying to kill/eat people. Lots of fighting these corpses and descriptions such as bones clanking and teeth chattering to try to chew victims.
• Many bodies are found with their eyes and ears gouged out and all the blood in their tongues let out. It turns out this is part of a sacrifice and this happened while the victims were alive.
• The characters examine one of these bodies and there are detailed descriptions of these injuries.
• In one scene, a character is attacked by one of the Dead and her neck is chewed through.
• In another scene, a character's ear is cut off. The villain drinks the blood of this character.


• Other themes:
• There is a lot of talk about demons, the afterlife, the spirit realm and black magic. One of the main characters is a demon and he is not evil. Another character is a demon and is very evil and literally drinks the blood of its victims. There is much talk of the spirit realm, "hell hounds" that guard this realm, and trying to talk to the spirits of loved ones who have died.
• Lots of talk of necromancy and speculation about whether it is always evil despite its being black magic. Also mentions of voodoo, seances, and shamanism.

Overall Thoughts

Wow, I have a rocky relationship with this book. I really enjoyed the first book, so I was excited to dive into this second adventure. I still enjoyed the setting, the idea of the hungry Dead, and the vibrant and fun characters. However, there was so much drama in this story that it annoyed me too much to really enjoy the story. I felt like every character was impulsive, assuming, and just straight up cruel at times. I really liked Eleanor in the first book, but I couldn't stand her in this one. I eventually realized that I needed to expect her to do the worst thing possible in each situation, to lie in every conversation, and to come to the worst conclusions about each person. Once I accepted that, I was able to enjoy the book more. The ending was satisfying and I loved how the mystery wound up, and the characters definitely got much better toward the end. I am going to finish the series because I'm this far and I want to know what happens, and I'm hoping the second book is less dramatic and painful in regards to the characters and their relationships.