Strange and Ever After by @stdennard Review

Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard
(Something Strange and Deadly, #3)
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen; 400 pages
Rating:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

This may be the shortest review I've ever written because there's just so much that happens in this book, I feel like if I ramble about my love for it, I'll slip with a spoiler even if I don't intend to. Here is my warning to those of you who are dying for this book and excited and terrified for the end of this beautiful trilogy. Have tissues nearby. You will need them on more than one occasion. Then when you are done reading the book, please come here for a group hug. I will be waiting.

Every good thing must come to an end. I've come to loathe that saying because I'm tired of these great series coming to an end. I'm tired of endings because it's so . . . final. I'm not ready to give up these worlds, these characters and yet, I'm not given a choice. But what I love most is when a series ends and even though you may be saddened by what's happened to some of your most beloved characters, you're happy. You feel complete because this book series leaves you that way. I feel complete having finished these books. I will never get over these characters or this world that Susan has created but I am happy to have been apart of it and traveled the world with them. If I ever miss them so much I'll just re-read the trilogy again and I feel like I'd be satisfied. It's one of the greatest joys about books. When you miss them, you just pick them up again and it's like they never left you.

You see how vague this is? No spoilers here, ladies and gentleman. If you haven't read these books, I advise you change that and pretty quickly. If you have, get prepared to say goodbye to all the characters we've fallen in love with over the years. It's going to be a rough, emotion-filled journey but I can't say you won't have fun along the way; you will. This book is filled with everything you've wanted but also filled with so many things you never ever dreamed of (good and bad, y'all). When you're done reading this book, and we've concluded our group hug session, I'm here to talk about this series we all love.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Susan Dennard for writing such a beautifully heartbreaking book - you are amazing.