Die for Me (Die for Me, 1)

While reading the first 150 pages or so of DIE FOR ME, I felt that I would likely have to put on a poncho and acquire an umbrella to have on hand for when people read my review of the book. All in anticipation of the possibility of tomatoes being thrown my way. But then, I reached the midpoint of the book and decided that those items would no longer be necessary. While not without its faults, and its apparent similarities to a certain book about a sullen girl who falls in love with an immortal hottie, I actually found myself ENJOYING Amy plum’s debut novel. To the point that I eagerly anticipate her second book in the trilogy, UNTIL I DIE.Plot: 7Die For Me starts off on a pretty depressing note. Kate Mercier and her sister Georgia are moving to Paris; not by choice, but as a result of the recent untimely death of their parents. In the City of Lights, Kate spends most of her days alone, mourning the loss of her parents in the local museums and coffee shops, while Georgia eases her woes with endless partying. Kate spends much of the first part of the book doing nothing but mourning, until she catches the eye of a certain mysterious (and HOT) young man. Then she spends the next handful of chapters doing nothing but watching him and falling in love with the mysterious stranger. THEN they meet and further develop their love. You’re left waiting for something to happen other than discovering who and what Vincent is, which doesn’t even happen until 100-150 pages or so into the book. And THEN things start getting complicated, motives of certain characters are revealed and the story gets really GOOD. Really, it’s worth reading Die For Me and dealing with the “watching and waiting”, even if just for the final 100 pages of the story.Characters: 7One of the biggest pit falls of Die For Me is the amount of time spent with Kate and Vincent just “watching” each other. Kate herself is a fairly well-developed character. Her background is established in the beginning, she has thoughts and emotions that are realistic of a person who just lost her parents. Even her sister Georgia and her reactions to their parent’s deaths are realistic. Unfortunately, Kate becomes a bit stale as a character during the time spent watching Vincent and then subsequently trying to stay away from him once she finds out who (and what) he is. Also, at times she does things simply because she feels she “should” but then she turns around and changes her mind within the blink of an eye. I guess this is the realistic nature of a teenager, but her actions and decisions had my eyes (and my head) rolling at times.Then there’s Vincent. He’s hot and he’s “immortal”, he has wicked hair and an “old soul”. Sound familiar? Lucky for him, he’s also funny, laid back and not a total prude. Whew! Vincent also has a “family” that feels somewhat familiar, with a “creator” who is also a father figure of sorts… Hmm. But all these striking similarities are forgiven when the story is taken in a direction that separates the supporting characters from their “other” immortal counterparts.I did laugh at the numerous “stalker” references throughout the book, though, and the occasional apparent jab at a certain other immortal stalker. At times I almost felt that maybe mockery was intended to a certain extent when it came to the characters in this book. Who knows!Setting: 10Paris, The City of Lights. Amy Plum knows her setting, she loves her setting, heck, she recently moved to her setting! She does a very nice job of taking us up and down the streets of Sweet Pari, into the cafes and galleries that are scattered throughout the town. The sights and sounds, you will be pulled right into them along with Kate. Even Vincent’s home receives much attention in the story. I commend Amy in being able to create a scene and set us right into it. Much like the cover of the book, her setting is enthralling.Pacing: 6This is the part where I thought that a poncho and umbrella would come in handy. Oh, Amy, if only you could have condensed the first 150 pages into half that many! Your story would have improved greatly, and the early pacing should have been more in line with the later events of the story. I grew tired just “watching and waiting” with Kate. I wanted to bop her over the head with the book when so much time was spend mulling over this boy that she didn’t even know. At one point I almost put the book down. But then suddenly, with all the silly melodrama put behind, things FINALLY got interesting and I decided to keep reading. AND I’M GLAD I DID! If not for the later half of the book, Die For Me could very well have been a DNF on my shelves, and I would have missed out on what eventually turned into a very engrossing and promising story. (But the first half of the book… Oi…)Style: 8Amy is a commendable writer. Her prose and descriptions of her world reveal that she has great potential. But there are two departments where I had issues: First was Kate’s grandparents and their apparent disregard for the well-being of their grandchildren (Really? Letting a teenager party every night? A sleepover at a boy’s house just so the child can “live the life”? Ugh, as a mom myself, that’s disturbing.) And second, the occasional wooden dialogue. At times, when I think the moment was supposed to be serious, instead I found myself laughing because of things the characters would say. These moments came in spurts, but they were a bit distracting when they did happen.But then again, this is a debut and, as is the case with most debut authors, one would hope that skill will improve with each release. Plus, what with all of the “watching and waiting” behind us, I have a feeling that great things are in store in UNTIL I DIE. I will definitely be reading it to see if I’m right.

Die For Me was one of those titles that I was anticipating last year. The beautiful cover immediately caught my eye-especially with the Eiffel Tower in the background-and the synopsis sounded intriguing and romantic. But unfortunately I never got around to reading it. When I received an ARC for Until I Die, it provided me with the great opportunity make time to read Die For Me and see for myself what all the fuss is about.Following the tragic death of her parents, Kate and her older sister Georgia move to Paris to live with their grandparents. Unlike her sister, who has adjusted to her new life quite easily, Kate can't seem to move on and she spends most of her time alone, reading, visiting museums and drowning herself in sorrow. During one of her few outings, Kate meets Vincent, a handsome and charming guy who sounds like the perfect gentleman. After a couple of dates, Kate knows that she is beginning to fall for Vincent. Unfortunately, she discovers that Vincent (and his friends) are undead, a revenant who sacrifices his life over and over to save others. Despite her feelings for him, she doesn't think that she can handle being with him if he will keep dying. Vincent and Kate come to a compromise to be able to be together. But being a revenant comes with its own share of problems, including the Numa, who are their sworn enemies. How will Kate deal with being with Vincent and the constant danger he constantly faces?I really liked the slow build up to Kate and Vincent's relationship. Vincent is sweet, romantic and speaks French! Yet despite how perfect he sounds, I couldn't help but think that he was just a little bit too sweet. Usually my favorite male characters are someone who is sarcastic a bit of a jerk, but really sweet and romantic. (Think Patch, Jace and Daemon) I also wish he had a bit of a dangerous side in him, which I did not see in this book, hopefully it makes an appearance in the next book. I couldn't help but love the rest of Vincent's revenant friends, especially Jules, Ambrose and Charlotte. I loved the flirty way Jules behaved with Kate and I can't but wonder if he is teasing her, or if he has real feelings for her. Anxious to see how that will play out in the next book.Amy Plum did an AMAZING job at creating and explaining the world of the revenants! Everything about them was so new and interesting and I can't wait to learn more about them in Until I Die. Die For Me is the start of what will for sure be an amazing new series. I'm happy I FINALLY got around to reading this and I'm ready to continue the story with Kate, Vincent and some of the coolest zombies I've read about. Die For Me was a great story with romance, mystery and a fresh take on paranormal characters-set in the city of love, can't go wrong with that!4 out of 5 sparkly stars!-I had begun to feel like I was encased in a layer of ice. I was cold inside. But I clung to the coldness for dear life: Who knew what would happen if I let the ice thaw and actually began to feel things again?-"So can you be here now?""Well I'm glad we're starting with the easy questions," he said, stretching his powerful arms and then leaning his powerful arms and then leaning toward me. "The answer would be...because we're zombies!" and he let out a horrible groan, stretching his mouth open and baring his teeth as he curled his hands into claws.Seeing my terrified expression, Ambrose began cracking up and slapping his knee with his hand. "Just kidding," he cackled, and then, calming down, looked at me sedately. "But no, seriously. We're zombies."-"So you eat normal food," I commented, watching Vincent cut a piece off his magret de canard."What? Were you expecting me to order raw brains?"-Pulling the shirt over my head, I said, "Okay, I'm decent."He turned around and looked at me, whistling under his breath. "You're more than decent! You look practically edible.""I thought revenants weren't into eating human flesh," I teased, blushing in spite of myself.-My normal world was gone, in more ways than one. But I had a chance for happiness in a completely new one. A world better suited to science fiction and horror films, perhaps, but also one where I could find tenderness, friendship, and love. Although I still longed for my old life, I knew I had been given a second chance. It was right here, suspended like a ripe fruit in front of my eyes. All I had to do was reach out my hand and take it. But first I had to let go of what I was grasping in white-knuckled fear: the past.*** of my reviews and author interviews at:Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed Read more

*Contains a few minor spoilers*I was immediately drawn in by the concept that the move from Brooklyn, New York to Paris, had already taken place as the book began. I loved that it also gave more time for the back-story to be told of Kate, because she was a pretty fascinating character. Kate Beaumont Mercier, American, though fluent in French through her father's parents, her Papy and Mamie who she and her older sister; Georgia, live with now.Kate was still very much in a state of mind that circled around her old life, her parents and grief. She had lost contact slowly with her old friends from New York, because the memory of who she used to be with her parents was just too fresh and painful. For the most part of the beginning, Kate is still an interesting, bright character who was a very selfless person, and usually told her Grandparent's and sister that she was okay, even though she was struggling. Georgia, Kate's sister, is the life of every party. She was in New York, and she is in Paris. That's her own little way of dealing with things, and it seems to work for her throughout the book, whereas Kate is very withdrawn to start...until...enter; Vincent Delacroix.He's the stranger with his friends at the cafe, the face Kate can't seem to get out of her mind. For a while, it seems as though he could be a distraction from things, and when he finally talks to her, things seem to head in the right direction. She thinks that things will be...better from here. But, see, Vincent's actually a Revenant. So, yeah...he's undead.A Revenant is a "zombie-esque" type of undead, immortal being that saves human lives for a living. It's usually because they originally died in their human lives saving someone else, and therefore, a Revenant is born. They "animate" and come back to life, and thanks to someone who can see when someone has come back from the dead in their sort of "family" or group, they can detect who is now one of them, although that doesn't happen to everyone.Kate on the other hand, is shocked to find out everything about what Vincent and his friends, or "Kindred" are, and what their lives entail. But he also saved her life, thanks to Charlotte, another Revenant, (sort of like a fiery, feisty girl who would be the most amazing friend ever,) who is part of twins. Charles, her twin, is quite troubled after not being able to save a life, and because of their compulsive need to save a person's life, he takes a turn for the worse and heads to the baddies (Numa; definition; a bad Revenant) for a way out.“I had feared that love would make me vulnerable. Instead I felt empowered.” This is nothing like Twilight, but I see why people would assume it is similar. Yes, there's a group who aren't family, though live together in a big house (La Maison) because they are all one kind, but it stops there. That is the only similarity. I actually found it quite interesting reading about all these different characters who seemed to have this spark of their own that shone though, though they never overshadowed each other. There was Jules; flirty, constantly with a different date, and very impulsive. He is always super nice to Kate, and flirts with her like it's his job. I always feel like there's something sincere about it, though. Then there's Ambrose; with leader quality and a good heart, he is very impulsive too, and always likes to pick a fight with the Numa when he can. Charlotte and Charles, like I mentioned before, hate being apart. Charles is very withdrawn, not shy per say, but he isn't very open to Kate being at La Maison either. Charlotte is just so nice. She was one of my favourite characters, for definite. Both twins died quite young in their human lives, and I'm sure they were about fifteen years old. Like Kate described her, she was small, but she was stronger than people assumed. There's also Gaspard, Jean-Baptise, and Jeanne; the only other human in the house (the housekeeper).Vincent adored Kate, and since his wife-to-be died a very long time ago, he had never found someone he loved so much, or anyone, actually. Kate is just so frightened of this world that revolves around death, with her being so close to it already with the grief of her parent's death. But their love and relationship was something that was just easy. It came naturally. He would literally die for her, he was obsessed with her (in a good way, although he did kind of stalk her to start with) and she felt the same. There's just that doubt that what if that world brings her into danger? She hated being so close to death, on the edge...but the question of the novel was; was her love for Vincent and keeping him safe, worth the sacrifice to stay and fight with him and be in that world? Could she be that girl?I adored Amy Plum's writing style. It was effortlessly beautiful and flawless. I wouldn't change a thing, and think she really nailed it with Die For Me. It was one of the best debut books I have ever read, and I just love what she did with the history of Revenant's, whilst creating her own history and gaining followers of the astonishingly amazing trilogy. There was something about Die For Me that just made me want to drop everything and read it whenever I saw it sitting there. I just couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next, and could never leave it long before picking it up and reading it again.2 days! I read it in two days!?!

I'm a revenant, not a vampire, chérie."What is a revenant (rev-uh-nuh-nt) you ask?The official definition would be a person who returns or a person who returns as a spirit after death; ghost. Sound intriguing? Yeah, I thought so also which is why I was pretty excited to start this series.The story follows Kate who has recently had her own share of devastation. Both of her parents have died and she and her older sister Georgia have moved from New York to Paris to live with their grandparents. I must stop here to mention the location. The author does such a wonderful job of describing the City of Light. I would find it difficult to not be swept away in a whirlwind romance with a setting such as Paris. I have been lucky enough to have visited Paris before and I would love to return and reading this book has only heightened that desire.Enter Vincent. Kate and Vincent meet quite early on in the book and I am here to report that it is pure Insta Love. I am honestly not bothered by this but I know that it can annoy a lot people so wanted to put it out there for those who may find it irritating. I for one can understand the concept of instant attractions and think that when thrust into the circumstances that a lot of these paranormal books lead their characters into, I can see how feelings are more intense than in normal circumstances.Vincent is a revenant. It is explained that these are beings who have died in the act of saving somebody. Their body is then reanimated (think zombie but without the brain eating) with a fierce need to continue saving others, it is their sole purpose. They do not die each time a life is saved but if they do die then they simply awake again at the age they were when they first died. Even more interesting is that they do not sleep however for 3 days a month they become dormant. In the first day both their body and spirit are shut down. However in the second day they become Volant. In this state their body still appears 'dead' but they are in a spirit/ghost form and they move about in this form and can even communicate with other revenants. In the third day they awake but they are very weak and must use that last day to rest upon where they find themselves as good as new the next day where the cycle is restarted.Honestly, it may just be me but I found this entire concept so unique. I for one have not read any other stories like it and being a fan of the paranormal genre I loved having a new 'species' for a lack of a better word. Don't get me wrong... I love me some vampires but it really made for a nice change. I also love that they have a purpose. It is not explained why not everybody who dies becomes a revenant and maybe those answers will come in later books (this being a trilogy) but the thought of them dying originally in the service of another person and now they go around saving others... it is just a really nice thought.There are bad guys, of course there are... aren't there always? They are the Numa. They are the same as revenants but in reverse. In that when they died they were not saving somebody but rather taking a life or betrayed somebody someone to their death. So yeah, they are really bad.I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed this book Kate did bother me a great deal at the beginning. Obviously I have never been in the situation of being faced with something paranormal being thrown into my lap. But if I did have this happen I would hope that I would handle it a bit better than Kate. One minute she was all in love at first sight, then she finds out the truth, then she is all 'oh... deep down I always knew there was something more to Vincent'. Then she is all 'I can do this, I know I can' only to turn around and be 'I can't do this, please leave me alone.' *sigh* Luckily once she finally decides that she does in fact want to be with Vincent (and she stops calling him and his 'family' monsters) I started to like her. She proved herself to be a very strong character toward the end of the book and I think she will only grow in this capacity... at least I hope so.I found the side characters really enjoyable. Vincent's family are made up of other revenants and they refer to each other as their Kindred. Jean-Baptiste, Charlotte, Charles, Ambrose, Gaspard and Jules. oooOOOooohhh Jules... I do love him. He is flirty, snarky and fun.... but I think I can see a bit of that dreaded phrase, you know the one. There are two words, first word starts with an L and the second word starts with a T. Yep, Love triangle. However, this is just my initial impression as I have not even read the synopsis or any other reviews from Until I Die, which is book two. I'm not saying I think Kate is going to reciprocate the feelings but Jules just seems to be overly friendly with her. More than just in teasing Vincent by flirting with her... but we shall see if it leads to anything.All in all I would suggest this book to any paranormal genre lover. Also, if you have ever wanted to visit or if you have visited and simply loved Paris then you will also love this book. I felt as though I was walking down the Seine with Kate and will say that it is one of the most romantic places for a book to be set. Add a swoonworthy character such as Vincent and you have all you really need."I can't promise you an ordinary experience, Kate. I wish I could transform myself into a normal man and be there for you, always, without the trauma that defines my life as "the walking dead." Since that isn't possible, I can only reassure you that I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. To give you more than a normal boyfriend could. I have no idea what that will mean, exactly, but I'm looking forward to finding out. With you."ChristineRainy Day Reads

Wow, I don't even know what to say about this book. It was absolutely incredible. I've had Die For Me sat on my shelf since it was published and I really don't know why I didn't read it before now. I loved every moment of it and I can't wait for book 2.After her parents are killed Kate moved to Paris with her sister to live with her family. Here she meets the gorgeous but mysterious Vincent. As she starts to fall in love with Vincent she realises that all is not as it seems and he is hiding a big secret. When all comes out will Kate let her head or her heart rule?I loved this book, it completely drew me in right from the start and I couldn't stop reading. It's such a fantastic storyline and I absolutely adored the setting in Paris. Amy's narration completely sucked me in and I think she story-writing was absolutely superb. She had a surprise for us round every corner and it kept me reading all day long and I did not want to put the book down.Kate is such a fantastic character. I really loved her, she is strong and vulnerable at the same time which are two very opposite traits but Amy writes her character to perfection. I felt so much for Kate, after her parents death and I love that when times got tough you could see the vulnerable side to her but saw how she was trying to stay strong for her family and I loved that.Vincent, Oh, Vincent. I love him. He is definitely what kept me reading the book and every time there were scenes he wasn't in I was flicking through the book going when is Vincent coming back into it? He is like the perfect guy. I just wanted to reach in the book and make him real, I loved him that much. He is so sweet and loving at the same times as being dark, mysterious and tough and protective. All the perfect qualities mixed in one perfect character.The setting of this book was perfect, Paris. One of the most romantic cities in the world and it was the perfect setting for this book. It is the place I have always wanted to go to and I loved reading about all of the beautiful landmarks that I want to see for myself. I think this is a fantastic start to a series and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series and find out what happens with Vincent and Kate.

Reading the product description I thought I'd found another demon/angel YA. I was intrigued and wanted to read it but I thought I had sussed out what Vincent Delacroix and his kind were. Boy was I wrong!!!Amy Plum created a unique story that kept me going until I knew everything. Set in Paris her style of writing had me believing I wasn't in Kansas (actually the Uk if I'm to tell the truth) anymore, but in a little charismatic cafe on a french Rue, observing the characters sat on a bench opposite me.I immediately felt I could relate to Kate, a girl happy to go out and enjoy night life; but who, given the chance, would much rather curl up with a good book and a steaming cup of coffee on one of the artistically architectural streets of Paris.When she meets Vincent he's shrouded in mystery as an individual. But as a reader I kept trying to pick up clues that would tell me which could he be, of the magical candidates I had selected. Instead of becoming clearer, as I read on the clues confused me and the layers of mystery multiplied! Leaving me somewhat baffled but even more determined to find out where this was heading. Admittingly and rather frustratingly, Vincent Delacroix was not inclined to reveal his secrets to me or Kate for a while, but when he did we had a great shock, and an even stronger desire to know more.I can only conclude by saying that Amy Plum created a unique story set on the most perfectly chosen stage. Every page emitted strength of character, artistical beauty and history that only Paris could offer. All this only only complementing and adding more to the story and it's characters.By the end my mind had traveled to Paris only to be awoken by the sound of BigBen. Now I want to physically go there myself to soak in the atmosphere and imagine with open eyes the story I have read.If you like this: I have read the sequel Until I Die and strongly recommend it. I would also suggest the "Fateful" series by Cheri Schmidt, which have a fairly similar style though somewhat softer than the strong beauty of Die For Me. Similarly I would also recommend considering the more modern and sarcastic alien love story "A Lux Novel" series by Jennifer L. Armentrout; and the lethally marvellous series "Existence" by Abbi Glines where love must conquer death, and death must conquer love.

I went into Die for Me not really knowing what to expect. I try not to read other reviews before I start a new book, fearing someone else's perspective will influence my own feelings on the writing. But, I made the mistake of seeing a few before actually starting Die for Me. And from what I saw, people either love it or hate - intensely.For the most part, I think those that hate Die for Me do so for the wrong reasons. It has been slated as the 'zombie Twilight', with Vincent the walking-dead version of Edward Cullen. Whilst there are moments that are not unlike the 'T' word, Die for Me very much stood on its own two feet and supported itself.Amy Plum successfully found an as yet untapped niche in the YA paranormal market - something virtually unheard of these days. She portrayed the revenants in such a way that intrigued me and made it feel like I'd learned something. I'm a sucker for myths and history, and Die for Me had plenty of both.The characters of the book while, at times, could be infuriating, at others were blissfully charming. I dare anyone not to fall for brooding and sexy Vincent, or to be swayed by the charms of Kate. The supporting cast were equally as delicious, and I found myself giving a little 'yay!' when any of Vincent's kindreds made an on-page appearance.I found Kate's attitude refreshing, and pretty much as far from Bella Swan as a YA heroine can get. When the great reveal happens, she doesn't shrug and say I fancy you anyway. Nope. Her reaction is one hundred per cent on the nose. Well, as far as I can guess anyway. Not having met any hot zombies, I can't say for definite.Die for Me kept me intrigued from start to finish and while some plot points were cringe-worthy obvious, others were a pleasant surprise. In all honesty, any faults that can be found with this book can be cheerfully forgiven. Amy Plum's obsession with how long tasks take got on my nerves, but no sooner had I frowned did I smile at whatever the characters were getting up to next.The book finished at a satisfied place, tying things together whilst at the same time leaving it wide open for any further books. Which I sincerely hope there will be.I battled on whether or not to go for five stars with Die for Me, but it (only just) fell short of the amazing that books have to be for me to go all out and gush over it. But overall, it wasn't a disappointing book and found it as satisfying as a slab of (insert favourite cake/goodie here).