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Girls*Heart* Books: The Revenants
Showing posts with label The Revenants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Revenants. Show all posts

Friday, August 10, 2012

'Die For Me' by Amy Plum: Review


Die For Me
Revenants Book #1 
By Amy Plum
Published By: HarperTeen
Published On: May 10, 2011 

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again. (from Goodreads)


Die For Me is the first book in The Revenants series by Amy Plum.  I had been hearing wonderful things about this series from friends for a while. Add in the gorgeous cover and I simply had to pick it up. I'm so glad I did, this book definitely lived up to the hype in my opinion. 

Spanning the course of several months, the story follows the main character, Kate as she struggles to move past the grief of her parents death and adapt to her new life in Paris. When Kate meets Vincent at a local cafe her life begins to change and The City of Lights serves as a breathtaking backdrop to their fledgling romance. 

The story is told from Kate's point of view which ratchets up the suspense. Being inside Kate's head as the drama unfolds makes it all even more interesting for the reader.  She is a bookworm with a spine of steel and her personality leaps from the page.  I adored her from the very beginning . Bursting with both humor and sadness, the narrative flows effortlessly. 

In my opinion, Plum's deftly crafted characters are easily what set this book apart from others in the YA Paranormal genre.  Whether they're sarcastic, funny, sweet or plain old evil, they are all flawed and this adds to their authenticity. Ambrose and Jules, Vincent's  friends, are easily my very favorite part of this book. Their humor and loyalty make them completely unforgettable. 

I cannot even begin to explain how much I love this book.  Perfectly paced and overflowing with romance and intrigue, there is not a single dull moment in the entire story. There are a few pretty fantastic twists thrown in the mix and the ending is simply superb. In short, this is the perfect book for me and I cannot wait to read the second installment in the series. 


My Rating:  

You Can Find Die For Me:


About The Author:

Amy Plum is the author of the International Bestseller DIE FOR ME, which is an Indie Next List pick, Romance Times top pick, and recipient of a starred review from School Library Journal. DIE FOR ME is the first novel in a YA trilogy set in Paris. The second, UNTIL I DIE, will be released in May 2012.

After being raised in Birmingham, Alabama, in a rather restrictive environment, AMY PLUM escaped to Chicago to an even more restrictive environment at a university that expelled people for dancing. (And where she was called to the dean’s office for “wearing too much black”.) After all of that restrictiveness, she was forced to run far far away, specifically to Paris, France, where she only wore black and danced all she wanted.

After five years in Paris, she ventured to London, where she got an M.A. in Medieval Art History, specializing in Early Sienese Painting (1260-1348) mainly because it promised almost no hope of finding a paying job afterward.

Amy managed to find work in the world of art and antiques in New York. But after almost a decade of high-pressure lifestyle in the Big Apple, she swapped her American city for a French village of 1300 inhabitants.

After signing with HarperCollins for the DIE FOR ME series, Amy left her job as an English professor at Tours University to write full-time. She now splits her time between her centuries-old farmhouse in the countryside and Paris’s 11th arrondissement.

She is a huge fan of Edward Gorey and Maira Kalman (and collects both of their books/art), as well as David Sedaris, Amadeo Modigliani, and Ira Glass. 

Follow Amy Plum:


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Tammy's Two Cents: Double Whammy of Amy Plum!

Die for Me (Revenants)
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.


Show Less   One of the best books I read in 2011.  We must start with Die for Me as it is book 1 in the series.. I am a well known cover HO; bought this book for the cover and the cover alone!  What I found inside the cover absolutely left me breathless!!  1 word, Revenants… by the time you finish this book you will understand.
Brilliant story, compelling and captivating plot, wonderful setting (Paris), Fascinating characters… departure from the Norm YA Paranormal overcooked and overpriced stories we see on every shelf in every book store today!
You know what I love about Love?  It’s give and take; 50/50; in order to achieve True Love, there has to be sacrifice.  Plum has managed to wrap her love story around all of the above.. Kate, our heroine, is beautiful but flawed; with the recent death of her parents her and her sister, Georgia, have come to Paris to live with their grandparents.  She will soon learn that she will have to Love again in order to be Whole again, the question is.. can she?  Vincent, our hero.. WOW.  He’s Gorgeous yet Smart, Protective yet Yielding, understanding that Kate needs to be herself and independent in order to fully be with him.  Shock of all shocks, he has a secret; will Kate be able to look past his imperfection to the wonderous heart and soul that lie beneath??
The secondary characters in this book are as well written as Kate and Vincent; Jean Baptist, Gaspard, Jeanavive, Charles, Charlotte, Jules… the list goes on forever.  It is so refreshing to finish a book and want to know more about EVERYONE that was in it!  Die for Me is a very non traditional romantic ghost story packed with action and suspense that will keep you glued from cover to cover. 
5 Quills guys, Must Read!
  

Until I Die (Revenants)
I wish there was only today, just right now, and no forever.

It seems fitting that I fell in love in Paris. Peel back a thin layer of reality and under the city's glamorous surface is a battleground for immortal enemies.

Because with Vincent, reality is an illusion. Handsome, chivalrous, and witty, he's got everything I've ever wanted in a boyfriend...except mortality. But when I chose Vincent, I chose love over reason and safety.

Vincent swore to avoid death--to resist his very nature so that we could be together. But I refuse to stand by and watch him suffer.


I know I'll do whatever it takes--even if it means lying to the people I love--to fight against a fate that is trying to tear us apart.


Show Less
What a long year it has been awaiting this book; I was not disappointed!  We pick up not too long after Die for Me ended, having killed Lucien and sated the threat of the Numa can Kate and Vincent’s relationship resemble some form of normality?  Probably not… new enemies will make themselves known; trust, friendship, loyalty and love will be put to the test in this 2nd installment of the Revenants series.  We learn so much more about the Revenants in this book, their history and their lives.  With Kate and Vincent both searching for the key to ending the vicious cycle that makes Vincent a Revenant what hides around the corner for them?  Kate definitely holds her own in this book and becomes a force to be reckoned with which only makes Vincent love her even more; their love story grows and takes on new meaning as well throughout this book.  Plum will keep you guessing until the very end and even then you’ll be screaming “No Way!” when the true enemy is revealed. 
Many secrets are revealed along the way; someone cares deeply for Kate, someone other than Vincent.  There is a gay coupling, it is only briefly spoken about but, I love it!  True evil can present itself in many forms, you will be shocked in the end.
5 Quills Guys… save yourself the trouble and just grab both books at once!