Something Strange and Deadly Read Along – Week 1

It’s time for the first week of questions for the read along. I’m actually late for it. I’ll try to be more timely next week!

Week 1 Questions:

Character impressions: Clarence
What are your first impressions of Clarence? Does he seem like a trustworthy person, or is he hiding ulterior motives behind good looks?

I think he’s too polished for me. I don’t trust him at all. It also seems like he’s trying too hard to charm Eleanor. He’s obviously hiding something and I don’t think it’s something good. I can never trust a character that’s all charm and good looks.

Character impressions: Eleanor Fitt
What are your first impressions of Eleanor? It seems like her mother always wants to put her family’s reputation above all else. How do you think Eleanor feels about this?

I thought Eleanor was very brave and resourceful. She withstood the Dead attack very well, but I don’t like the way she sways under her mother’s thumb. I wish she’d stand up to her mother a bit more. I think she feels that she needs to carry the weight of the family’s reputation and the family’s fortune on her shoulders. That’s too much responsibility for one girl.

Character impressions: Daniel
Daniel is quite brash with Eleanor when they first meet in the Spirit-Hunter’s lab. Do you see potential for a friendship? For a romance?

Daniel is everything Eleanor isn’t. He’s lower class and he’s uncultured. The way the two clashed made me think that they were bound for an opposites attract type of relationship. I can just see the set up for that.

1. Mrs. Fitt decides to hold a seance as a last minute fill-in for the party’s entertainment. How would you feel about this if you were a guest at the party? Do you think that’s wise with the Dead running around?

I thought she was crazy! With all that psychic energy running around? To hold a seance? Maybe she thought that nothing would happen but it was extremely foolish and I would have stopped her. I would have literally shook some sense into that silly woman. All she could think of was impressing her guests and she had no thought to the consequences.

2. Eleanor lives with only her mother and the live-in help since her father passed away and her brother is in New York and possibly taken by the Dead. I feel like the absent family member – especially a parent – is a theme I see a lot in YA novels. Why do you think that is? What aspect does this add to the story?

I think divorce is common these days and I think that authors try to address that in books these days. I think authors try to help young adults not only relate to the characters their portraying in their books, but also to cope with their situations.

3. We first see the steampunk feel when Eleanor wanders into the Centennial Exhibition to find the Spirit-Hunters. What do you think of machines and science fighting the zombies and paranormal?

I love machines and science joining the fight! I think it adds a new dimension to a story. I think we’ve seen it in other stories with vampires and werewolves, but I don’t remember it with zombies.

4. What do you think really happened to Elijah? Do you think he was captured by the Dead, or are there more secrets hidden behind his disappearance?

I do think there is more to the mystery then there appears to the naked eye. I have a sneaking suspicion that Clarence has something to do with it one way or another but we’ll have to see how that plays out. I’m eager to see if my hunch rings true th0ugh!

That’s it for this week’s read along questions! I hope you enjoyed it. Next week we’ll be reading Chapters 8-14 (through page 178). I hope to see on Wednesday (Oct 17th.)!

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