SS&D Surprise Party: Why I Love This Series + Giveaway!

Welcome, ladies and gents, to the Something Strange and Deadly Surprise Party! Rachel of Hello, Chelly & I have teamed up to organize a week of posts to celebrate the release of Strange and Ever After, the third & final book in Susan Dennard's amazing series. We'll be sharing our reviews, thoughts on the series overall and some other fun surprises along the way!

Today, we're dedicating our introduction posts to sharing why we love the series, as well as spotlighting our favorite quote, scene & moment! Be sure to hop on over to Rachel's blog after reading my post to see her answers too.

I fell head over heels in love with the Something Strange and Deadly series from the moment I cracked open the first book! While there really are many detailed reasons I love it, here are the top three reasons it was a big hit with me:

(1) Wonderful characters

There is no doubt about it - Susan Dennard is a master at crafting characters that are real, flawed and lovable. The biggest reason I'm so invested in the series is because I care so much for the people in it - Eleanor, Daniel, Joseph, Jie, Oliver. They're so fleshed out and really pop off the page, coming to feel like old friends by the time the first novel comes to an end.

(2) Solid settings

Each novel in the trilogy has placed us in different settings: Philadelphia, Paris and Egypt. I just adore the fact that Susan carefully researches each place, so that she can include relevant details in her novels. She made me want to go to all these places! (Related: For last year's Something Strange and Deadly celebration, I wrote a post about Philly and Rachel wrote one about Paris. Is there an Egypt post? You'll have to check back and see!)

(3) Compelling story

Honestly, this series has one of the most readable and fascinating stories I've read in a while! I'm not much for paranormal novels, but I've certainly made an exception for the series. It's got magic and mischief, history and inventions, romance and friendship, and I just love it.

I was this close to choosing Daniel Sheridan as my favorite character. But really, Eleanor Fitt is the character this series happens to be all about! She experiences tremendous character growth from start to finish, gaining wisdom + strength the more experiences she has. I loved that she was intelligent, unafraid of getting her hands dirty and being involved in quite a few shenanigans. Plus, her love and loyalty to her family and friends was admirable too! She's often stuck in tight spots in the story, but still manages to overcome her troubles in the end. I really loved Eleanor, and think that she's an amazing character!

I was this close to choosing a different scene between Daniel & Eleanor, if I'm being honest. But this one is actually the one I remember best when I think of the series! It's not just because I love that Daniel calls Eleanor "Empress", an unexpected nickname. But it's also because this scene just perfectly sets these characters personalities into place and highlights a growing tension between them. It's like the beginning of what could be between these two, and I love that!

So, there you have it, the reasons I love the Something Strange and Deadly series, as well as some of my favorites from it! Don't forget to check out Rachel's post for her favorites too. We'll be back tomorrow with our reviews of Strange and Ever After!

... You don't think I would really leave you hanging after teasing you with that giveaway in the title of my post, right? Well, here's the deal! Rachel and I are giving away ONE COMPLETE SET OF THE SOMETHING STRANGE & DEADLY SERIES... and it's open INTERNATIONALLY. The giveaway is open till AUGUST 4, so enter away! All you have to do is enter via the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for checking out this post!

Come back tomorrow for my official Strange and Ever After review!