Inspired: Stronger and Closer; Anymore (More Than a Misfit): Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (+giveaway)

Inspired: A Summer of Songs showcases song lyrics written by myself and other bloggers. The lyrics and themes were inspired by books. The author of the books have provided their thoughts on the lyrics and how it fits their books; in the case that an author could not participate, a fellow blogger took up the responsibility. I highly encourage you to comment either on the lyrics, on the books, on the event in general, or on anything of a similar note.

So I'm really excited about today's songs because there are two of them, both inspired by Susan Dennard's Something Strange and Deadly series. I absolutely love Sooz, who is awesome and super supportive and just all around great. Thankfully, her books are just about as awesome. The series has inspired me for a long time, and when I finally just sat down to write, the words came out (almost) easily. Needless to say, I'm excited to share these two songs with you, and I was ecstatic over Susan's kind words. Lastly, Susan was kind enough to donate a hardcover copy of Strange and Ever After, so be sure to enter the giveaway!

The Song:

Stronger and Closer

First look of anger,

First look of kindness,

First look of despair,

First look of loss,

Scared of all the darkness around,

Scared of all the darkness within.

Feel the energy,

Feel the fear,

Taste the darkness,

Hear the tears.

But you make me stronger,

Tell me that I can make it through.

You help me see clearer,

So I can see the truth.

Bring me closer,

Closer to you.

Bring me closer,

Closer to the truth.

First look of softness,

First look of light,

First look of past times,

First look of longing,

Scared of all the darkness around,

Scared of all the darkness within.

Feel the energy,

Feel the fear,

Taste the darkness,

Hear the tears.

But you make me stronger,

Though I try to be brave too.

You help me see past the lies,

So I can see the truth.

Bring me closer,

Closer to you.

Bring me closer,

Closer to the truth.

The first night,

The last dawn,

The echoes of our heart.

The first look,

The last kiss,

The flutter of my breath.

You make me stronger,

Though I can stand on my own.

You help me see past my tears and fears,

So I can see the truth.

Bring me closer,

Closer to you.

Bring me closer,

Closer to the truth.

You make me strong.

Bring me closer to you.

You help me through this,

So help me to see you clearly too.

The Reaction:

This. Is. Incredible. Oh my goodness, when I read it I got chills from all the emotion! I can FEEL what the singer feels. And what I really love is that it could fit any of the characters. Eleanor, Daniel, Oliver—they all go through something like this (minus the kiss for Oliver ;))—which I think says a lot for how well this song fits the emotional starting point for the series arc.

Eleanor especially is in a dark, frightened, reaching place, and I think this song conveys that perfectly. Interestingly, even though Eleanor grows and takes her life into her own hands, even by the end of the book, that scared, lonely, darkness is still inside her—so the song still applies, even up to the last page.

Gosh, I wish this song were real because I would totally add it to my Strange & Ever After playlist. I can see it sung in the style of “I Remain” (by Alanis Morissette sort of way).

The Song:

Anymore (More than a Misfit)

Running,

Falling,

Don’t know what I’m doing anymore.

The world’s turned without me,

And I don’t know where I am anymore.

I hear the ring of the sirens

Piercing through my brain.

They’re shouting, I’m running,

Faster than I’ve ever been.

All the new people entering my life,

But the one I’ve thought mattered most,

He’s not coming back anymore.

Brother,

Mother,

I can’t get them back anymore.

The friends that surround me,

They help me when I fall.

I hear the ring of the sirens

Piercing through my brain.

They’re shouting, I’m running,

Faster than I’ve ever been.

All the new people entering my life,

But the one I’ve thought mattered most,

He’s not coming back anymore.

I’m broken

In pieces,

But still I try to go on

Faster and stronger than I’ve ever been.

I’m holding on,

Trying to be

Something more than a misfit.

I hear the ring of the sirens

Piercing through my brain.

They’re shouting, I’m running,

Faster than I’ve ever been.

All the new people entering my life,

But the one I’ve thought mattered most,

He’s not coming back anymore.

Running,

Falling,

Don’t know what I’m doing anymore.

The world’s turned without me,

And I don’t know where I am anymore.
Don’t know where I am anymore.

The Reaction:

Okay, I didn’t think it was possible, but I love this one even more than the other. Oh my gosh, I read it and I could just see and feel Eleanor’s urgency when she’s facing off to the Dead.

The whole “The world’s turned without me, And I don’t know where I am anymore” could basically summarize all of her character tension in the series. She knows what needs to be done, but she doesn’t know how to do it. 

And oh wow—this whole chorus: “I hear the ring of the sirens, Piercing through my brain. They’re shouting, I’m running, Faster than I’ve ever been” reflects every high energy scene. She’s running, she’s fighting, and she’s just grappling and grabbing for whatever she can do to get out of this next encounter alive. 

This song so perfectly reflects Eleanor’s inner (and outer) struggles for most of the books—certainly books 1 and 2, and even a large chunk of 3. Eleanor grows stronger, but her strength only brings in new problems—new people to lose, new disruptions and heartache. 

I really, really want to hear this song done in the style of “Bones” by MsMr (which is, like, my Eleanor theme song!) because I think the urgency of the lyrics would fit so well with that epic, dark beat and style.

The Books:

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: July 24th, 2012

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: July 23rd, 2013

Darkness has come to the City of Light...

With her brother dead and her mother on the verge of insanity, Eleanor Fitt is utterly alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor begins to hear the vicious barking of hounds and see images of haunting yellow eyes, she fears the worst—that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are coming for her.

To escape and search out the Spirit-Hunters, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. Though friendly, Oliver entices Eleanor with necromancy and black magic, yet as long as she can resist his powerful temptation, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over the city...and there's a whole new evil lurking. With the body count rising, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely...and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

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Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: July 22nd, 2014

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.

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Susan Dennard, The Author:

Websit | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway:

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