Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Die For Me by Amy Plum

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

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Source: ARC/NetGalley + HarperTeen
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kindle
Next: Until I Die (2012)
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge

I actually enjoyed DIE FOR ME immensely. And I don't mean to sound almost shocked, as if I assumed it would be a bad read. Because that's not the case. I just expected it to be a typical and semi-original addition to paranormal YA lit. I've never been more happy to be proven wrong! DIE FOR ME tells of Revenants, or zombies-that-aren't-really-zombies, and I was riding on pure fascination for this newly introduced species/subclass of zombies, as well as delight in the ensuing romance. An added bonus turned out to be the addicting first-person narrative! I liked being inside Kate's head.

I could almost believe Kate's story. Forgive me, though, if it seems a tad unbelievable for a girl to live in Brooklyn all her life, suddenly lose her parents, and then move to Paris, a place she's been to every summer since she was young, where her grandparents live. Do parentless girls abruptly move to a glamorous foreign country and subsequently meet and interact with zombielike beings who have the compulsion to die for others? I don't know. Perhaps or perhaps not. Either way, I still found myself enjoying the tale. Initially, I will admit, the story did unfold pretty slowly. But, when Kate succumbed to the urge of hunting down some answers, things really picked up. And while I had a bit of pre-DIE FOR ME knowledge, I was still shocked and intrigued by the paranormal elements in the story.

Kate's past aside, I liked her. Which is *clap clap* awesome! Kate seemed genuine in her struggle to endure the loss of her parents, her unwillingness to get back on track and wallow some. She had doubts and insecurities. And probably my favorite thing about her is how inwardly old-fashioned she was about a lot of things, particularly in regards to the dating scene. That endeared her to me; I couldn't help but enjoy her. And though I needed a bit more insight into Vincent, I adored him. I thought he was just right for Kate. I loved how nervous, how sweet and honest he was with Kate. But, most important to me was the fact that, for once, the couple got to know one another, dated slowly, gradually realized their feelings for one another. I loved that. Countless books depict this soul-searing, irresistible love between the two main protagonists, but DO NOT DEVELOP IT. And, like I said, FOR ONCE, that wasn't a problem here. I felt them falling in love. And I swear to GAWD every time Vincent called her Mon Ange, I was reduced to puddle of warmth!

Loving the romance wasn't enough for me though. I needed to love the other characters as well. And I didn't. I started to like them, they started to grow on me, but the book ended before I got the chance to really get attached. But, I am soothed by the fact that this will be a series, and that there's officially plenty of time to bond with the other characters. I've got my eye on Jules in particular. I like him; he's funny and cute and all, but my love-triangle senses are tingling. And I am not happy about that. Kate stay with Vincent. Asher no hurt Jules.

Besides characters, I was a little miffed as far as the pacing went. The pacing was a bit inconsistent; in places I needed things to pick up, they slowed down, and vice versa. Plus, with the adversaries plotting and committing dastardly, evil acts, I needed a bit more action to substantiate certain scenes. With that in mind, I'm not sure what exactly the focus is with this book. Is it the romance? The good vs. evil battles between the Numa and the Revenants? What? In this way, I was kind of confused.

It's likability, however, was saved by the kick-ass action scenes toward the latter half of the book. And I actually liked the way the book ended. It faded out with a sweet, romantic scene, which seemed appropriate to me, given the circumstances. DIE FOR ME, overall, is a pretty good kick-off to this series, a real pleasure to read!

"You know, I always thought that if the centuries and centuries of Paris's ghosts could materialize all at once, you would find yourself surrounded by the most fascinating people." I stopped, suddenly embarrassed that I was spouting off to this guy I barely knew with details about one of my several dreamworlds.
Vincent smiled. "If I were riding to the challenge, would you give me your favor to display on my arm, fair lady?"
I pretended to dig through my bag. "I can't seem to find my lace kerchief. How about a Kleenex?"
Laughing, Vincent threw an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me tightly. "You're amazing," he said.
"That's a definite step up from 'amusing'," I reminded him, unable to prevent my cheeks from reddening with pleasure.