Review : Die for Me
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Pages : 352
Genre : YA, Paranormal, Zombies (kinda)
Series : Revenants, Book 1
My Rating : 
What it’s about :
After their parents die unexpectedly in an accident, Kate and her sister move to Paris to live with their grandparents. All Kate wants is to take some alone time to live her grief and get to a better place, mainly by walking the streets of Paris and reading in cafés.
Then Kate meets Vincent and everything changes. Vincent is beautiful and charming, but he also is a mystery. When strange things begin happening, Kate confronts Vincent and she has to make a choice : stay safe, or take a chance with him.
My Thoughts :
Die for Me surprised me pleasantly. From the synopsis it sounds like pretty much any other paranormal romance currently on the YA market. And in part, it is : there’s a paranormal creature, love at almost first sight, a mystery. But somehow, Amy Plus took the formula and made it a fresh, surprising story.
I have to say, setting the story in beautiful Paris doesn’t hurt; while the author doesn’t drown the reader in details, she gives you just enough to imagine the streets and the buildings, creating a perfect escape through the pages. Also, I loved that she didn’t go for the classic, cliché, touristy French references, but instead described the city more from the point of view of someone living there. It made sense with the story, and was different on that aspect from most books.
I really enjoyed how close Kate was with her sister. They fought like sisters but confided in each other like best friends.They were there for each other when it mattered, too. Their grandparents were lovely, maybe not as present as I would have imagined them to be, but still not totally absent either. It made sense though that they would trust Kate, as she is more of the quiet, lonely kind who prefers to spend her days reading in cafés than party all night in clubs.
On the paranormal side, I loved the idea of “revenants”. They’re kind of a mix between zombie (back from the dead), vampire (coma-like sleep and other things), and guardian angel. The battle between “good and evil” was interesting, and though it wasn’t as nuanced as I would have hoped, it created an interesting setting for the characters. Apart from Kate, her sister and Vincent, there’s a whole group of revenants with distinct personalities and stories. I would have loved to learn more about some of them, but I’m sure the author kept some in store for the next books, which is just perfect!
I think the only thing taking away from my enjoyment a little, was the romance itself. Except from Vincent’s gorgeousness, it was difficult to see what Kate liked so much about him. Their chemistry wasn’t that obvious to me. Plus, Kate-in-love felt a lot more ordinary to me than regular Kate. I’m hoping that, without necessarily setting the romance aside, Kate will have more chances to develop her own individual story in the coming books.
In the end, I do believe that fans of YA paranormal romance will enjoy this one; with its French setting and original creature, Die for Me is great entertainment that I read almost in one setting (I blame the cat for picking that day to escape through the back door!)
Reading Order :
- Die for Me
- Until I Die (coming 2012)
I’m not a fan of paranormal or romance, so this book probably isn’t for me, but I just have to say, I love the cover.
I haven’t read a lot of paranormal romance, but what I have read, I have liked, so it might be a good idea for me to add this one to my list. I am glad that you enjoyed this one so much, and can imagine that I might too, and like Kathy, I just love the cover. Great review on this one!
I need to read this immediately! I can’t believe I haven’t yet!
Kathy : I agree, gorgeous cover! Probably half the reason I read the book 😛
Zibilee : I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on it if you do read it. I thought it was a sweet one for the genre.
Bookish Brunette : Yes! Read it, read it! 😀
I think if the author had not forced the romance, let it grow at its own pace, it would have made for a better flow. since it is a series, the romance does not necessarily have to be wrapped up in one book. It was interesting though. I wonder if she’ll become a revenant in the sequel. That would be totally awesome.
Yes, exactly. I don’t know why authors are so in a rash to create romance between characters instead of letting the chemistry manifest itself.
You read my mind about the revenant thing : I hope she becomes one, too! Her grand-father clearly knew something about the numa, though, which made me think that maybe she already had numa blood or something, which would explain why she had a certain, huh, ability to understand Vincent…