A punky one of a kind cocktail of zombies, steampunk, and Victorian propriety. The story itself bounces in a state of chaos between the living and undead, teen drama and grownup gunfights, historical and futuristic, and utopia and dystopia. You'll love the good zombies with their metal plated faces, empty eye sockets and wryly attitudes, and the strong characterization is owed in part to the memorable writing. LH can turn a phrase so skillfully, you'll be charmed, entertained, and perhaps a bit disgusted, smelling the rotting flesh, hearing the creaking of metal body joints and feeling the injuries endured by the undead good guys. Where the bite loses its infectious grip is in the execution of the plot. It drags its decaying hand through a supporting cast of POVs you don't care about, angsty teeny-bop melodrama, and mundane day-to-day details. There's a brilliant world built here, but there are too many pages explaining the political mechanics of the opposing systems rather than fleshing it out through in-scene action. The element that hurts the story most is the attempt at romance. Bram makes a believable selfless adorable hero in a creepy undead way. But he does not make a good romantic hero. He's dead, as in his parts below the belt don't work. Even though this is YA, you might struggle with Miss Dearly pursuing a romantic relationship with him knowing HIS. PARTS. DON'T. WORK. It degenerates it into a more depressing icky tale than a happily ever after.