I'm not sure how to review this one, because I don't at all think the writing or the storyline are bad --- I just know that they were not for me. Initially reading DEARLY, DEPARTED, I came across a review calling it "one of the best steampunk novels". Steampunk? I'm not familiar with that. A quick trip to Google taught me that steampunk is a subgenre of either sci-fi or fantasy that takes a futuristic Victorian perspective of sorts. I'm still not 100% sure I understand the definition, but I think it should have been enough to tell me that this novel was probably not for me. 
 This is basically the story of Nora Darling, a teenager in a strange futuristic setting that models the dress and etiquette of the Victorian age, except with a high tech twist to things. So, the ladies still wear long dresses, attend tea parties, and wait around to be courted, but they have cool gadgets too. Anyways, Nora isn't into the whole dainty female thing, instead focusing on the political unrest and military history of her homeland. Both Nora's mother and father have passed away, so Nora is sent to live with her prissy aunt, a Victorian-era gold-digger who wants to marry Nora off for money. 
 So, Nora has a run in with zombies, then learns that her father was involved with a virus that reanimated dead people. He scientifically discovered a method to help some zombies maintain some semblance of brain power and manners, but of course they are still undead. Nora meets Bram, an undead soldier who becomes, of course, a future love interest. And, Nora learns that her dad is still alive (well, as a zombie) and struggles to learn the real story -- all while harboring feelings for a zombie who will eventually succumb to his zombie disease. 
 I'm not sure exactly what did it for me. It just felt like there was too much going on. And, I'm definitely a fan of alternating perspectives, but we were seeing the story from way too many viewpoints here. It just got confusing and made the story too choppy. 
 I'm sure there's a huge fanbase for this type of novel, but I'm just not part of it.