Book Series Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Die For Me by Amy Plum
May 10, 2011
Harper Teen
341 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Personal purchase

Die For Me Blurb:

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.

My Spoiler-Free Series Review:

I loved the direction of this series, doing something different with zombies. Revenants are essentially undead "people" who continue their "lives" saving humans from death, which includes actually "dying" for them at times. I admire this concept, and found the views of this type of "lifestyle" very interesting, especially when you look at it from the different characters perspectives. Add in Kate and her tragic past, having recently lost her parents, along with her adorable grandparents and extrovert sister, along with the Revenant cast, and you get a variety of wonderful characters that I instantly loved (well, except for the bad guys, of course). Plus, the author takes us on a wonderful tour of Paris and some of its outliers, as well as French mannerisms, art, and cuisine, and I loved that I felt like I was right there with Kate and Vincent (and wanting to travel to Paris very badly).

The depth of this series was a pleasure to read. Not only do we have the love story between Kate and Vincent, but all the complications that would obviously persist in a relationship between a human and a Revenant. Throw in Kate's struggles over death itself, having lost her parents, and the incompatibilities increase. Kate must confront her personal issues, family fears, future desires, and her love for Vincent, and Amy Plum takes us on a great journey with Kate. Vincent has no shortage of issues to face as well. This was more than just a love story. Yes, it was a love story, but I appreciate that it was more than that.

I found the variety of characters very interesting, and I particularly appreciated the depth the author gave them. There were no shallow, unimaginative people here. I also liked how little stories about some of the secondary characters would come out at random times. I loved the layering of the story, how we would learn more and more about the Revenants, and be allowed to try and piece things together ourselves as Kate was piecing things together. I like that even if the reader is able to figure out clues and plot prior to them being revealed, this does not detract from the enjoyment of how Amy Plum reveals things (at least for me). I loved the twists and turns we were taken on, and applaud the author's creativity.

Bottomline: I loved this series and recommend it to anyone who wants to travel to a different city, fall in love with an amazing guy and self-sacrificing "people," watch a girl heal and discover her true potential, and be swept away into an amazing and unique journey.

5 STARS

Individual Book Mini-Reviews:

   

 

Die For Me #1: Kate's journey from depression to love was heartfelt and endearing. I could feel her pain, her reluctance, and also her curiosity. The reader may be tempted to compare this book, and the H/h to characters in other popular books, but I would encourage the reader to look beyond some similarities and see the numerous differences. I really enjoyed the unique take on zombies and the world of Revenants in particular. It is a wonderful, worthwhile storyline that deserves it's own attention and recognition. 5 STARS

Until I Die #2: I continue to love this series. The pacing in this second book slowed down for me a bit until toward the end of the book, suffering a bit from middle book syndrome. But the second half, particularly toward the end, was very exciting. I found the secrets between H/h to be understandable but still frustrating, though wanting to figure things out along with Kate certainly held my attention. Warning: There's a major cliffhanger at the end, which made me so glad that I already had the next book, and I had to immediately read the first chapter, despite it being already being very late.  4 STARS

Die For Her #2.5: I enjoyed Jules' POV, as I really like his character. My heart was so sad for him and his unrequited love. This is really a summary of the first two books from Jules' POV. I loved the extras from Jules. But since I had just read the first two books back-to-back, I didn't need some of the story reminders. I additionally want to say I would love a book or series following Jules after the last book of this series, because I loved his character so much. 4 STARS

If I Should Die #3: Thankfully, If I Should Die picks up right where Until I Die left off, after that crazy cliffhanger. I felt like there was a continual stream of action and intrigue, and I felt like the story griped me right away and didn't want to let me go. I loved all the different directions Amy Plum took us on, and all the twists and turns. I loved how in control Kate had to be, and couldn't rely on Vincent to be in charge. He may have all the Revenant history, but this book further demonstrated Kate's leadership prowess and abilities. Their love story is challenged and tested until the end. The secondary characters are tested until the end. Everyone is tested until the end. And the ending was exciting and worth the wait. I appreciate the way the novel ended, giving satisfactory closure yet realism that not everything would be perfect for everyone. But it still left me in a place of hope and direction for the future. I loved it! And, honestly, I wouldn't mind a spin-off book or series following some of the other Revenants, because I loved these characters so much. 5 STARS

Book Links:

Die For Me:           AMAZON * GOODREADS
Until I Die:            AMAZON * GOODREADS
Die For Her:         AMAZON * GOODREADS
If I Should Die:    AMAZON * GOODREADS