Die for Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum

Die for Me (Revenants #1)

by Amy Plum

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.

“I had feared that love would make me vulnerable. Instead I felt empowered.”
― Amy Plum, Die for Me
 

When I opened to the first page of this book, never did I expect it instantly become one of my favorite books of all time. If there is such thing as love at first sight with books, then that's what this was. The cover alone was enough to make me want to love it, but the story that lied inside far surpassed the book's outer beauty.

Of course, there is that sort of insta-love that is oh-so popular in YA these days that makes some of us cringe inside, but the romance between Katie and Vincent was just so sweet and gentle that I couldn't not love them. And then there was also the cliched beginning where you find out the protagonist's parents have died and that's why she moves in with her grandparents. It seems that someone is always dead at the start of YA fiction because the death of a loved one always sparks the beginning of all the crazy, unreal events that, essentially, brings the story to life. Not that I'm really complaining; if no one ever died in these books, it seems like nothing would ever happen and we wouldn't have a story to read.

Reading Die For Me was like a breathe of fresh air. Revenants? What the heck it that?! It was refreshing to not have to deal with the cliched paranormal/fantasy elements in most other YA novels. Die For Me definitely had its own unique plotline that had me hooked from page one. I could not put this book down for anything; I ended up neglecting my rather immense homework load in order to finish it. Luckilly, there's the weekend to do my homework!

I have to admit, the romance was my favorite part. I cannot really explain why; I am jsut a huge sucker for it. The action, however, was just great. Though, honestly, the fight with Lucien kind of grossed me out. I do not want to go into much detail about it in case those of you reading this review have not read the book, but some of the imagery I was getting in my head as I read that part was just, "Blehhh!"

So I have to be honest with you guys: this book did make me cry...but just a bit. I cannot remember what part it was, but somewhere in this book, I teared up. I slapped myself silly for it too; curse myself for getting so emotionally involved with books! >:(

The characters were all so amazing! There is not one that I can honestly admit to not liking, even poor Charles who seems to hate Katie. Vincent is the best fictional boyfriend ever! I never wanted to be one of those girls who gets all crazy about fictional males, but yeah, if he were to just magically pop out of the book and into my life, I wouldn't complain. Katie was a great protagonist. Her life was completely turned upside down when her parents died and then she finds out the guy she likes isn't quite human, so it is pretty understandable how she is slightly unstable. But as the book goes on, she grows as a character and becomes more confident about herself and starts to accept the reality she lives in. Jules! I love him! He is just so adorable and seems like so much fun to be around. The rest of the gang is great too.

Overall, this book was just out of this world. Yep, it was awesome. Hopefully, if you read it too, you agree, if not...well then, that's a bit awkward :)

I would recommend this book to everyone I know who enjoys a good paranormal romance. Already have the second book on hold at my library, which I cannot wait to read!