Book Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum.

Product details:
Publisher: ATOM
Release date: May 5th 2011
Paperback, 320 pages.
Rating: 4½ out of 5
Ages: 14+

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?

I read Die for Me by Amy Plum, and fell in love, not just with its delectable love interest, Vincent Delacroix, but also with Amy Plum’s stunning style, breathtaking descriptions of Paris and addictive plot that kept me completely hooked from start to finish. This novel is a debut, but it doesn’t read like one. Plum’s prose flows effortlessly making the book a joy to read and a total page-turner. With the creation of her Revenants, Plum has brought something completely new and unique to the YA market. If, like me, you can’t abide by zombies, and were a little nervous of the original tagline for this book: ‘Twilight...in Paris...with zombies’ you don’t need to worry! Plum’s revenants are nothing like the ghastly undead creatures of zombie fiction. For the record, I hate zombies, but I heart Revenants, and you will too!

Following their parents sudden death, Kate Mercier and her older sister Georgia have relocated to Paris to live with their grandparents. Kate must try to rebuild her shattered life in a new city, while all the while dealing with her overwhelming grief at the loss of her parents. The theme of grief is dealt with sensitively here, as is the notion that grief is a very personal thing. While Georgia deals with her grief by partying the pain away, the more introverted Kate likes to be by herself, spending hours at a little café, reading, drinking coffee and watching the world go by. One day she spies a handsome stranger and once their eyes meet, Kate can’t stop thinking about Vincent Delacroix. Soon, it seems that Vincent is everywhere she goes, and although Kate is drawn to him, she also senses danger. There is something mysterious about Vincent, that’s for sure, and once Kate finds out his secret, she has a big decision to make. Does she risk everything to be with Vincent, or will she save herself further grief and let her head rule her heart?

Kate is a wonderful protagonist, and one I warmed to immediately. One thing I really liked about Kate is that she’s not like all those other girls in YA fiction who fall at the feet of the handsome stranger all of five minutes after meeting him. Kate and Vincent’s attraction to each other is undeniable, but with all that Kate has been through she thinks of the consequences of her actions, what they will mean for her, and for the rest of her family. There is a sense of maturity found amongst the characters in this book that is so often missing from YA fiction, and it’s something that I think adds hugely to the crossover appeal of this one.

Now for the romance, which, I have to say, is simply delicious! It’s dangerous, forbidden, and oh, so, irresistible, for who could resist Vincent Delacroix? Gorgeous, charming and best of all, French, Vincent captured my heart immediately. What I loved about Vincent is that he so differs from the usual tortured and brooding love interest of YA Paranormal Romance. Sure, Vincent has his problems. He spends his time saving humans from premature death and has to battle a badass villain who would be happy to see the end of Vincent once and for all, but throughout the book, Vincent’s sense of humour shone through. His witty remarks made me laugh out loud a number of times, and I loved that there was more to him than just his good looks. Of course, it helps that Vincent is gorgeous, charming and romantic too. You will swoon!

In addition to Kate and Vincent, the secondary characters in this book are all wonderfully written, while the Parisian setting is simply stunning. It seems that whenever I read book that are set in Paris (Anna and the French Kiss, Revolution) I simply fall in love with them, and this book is no exception. Die for Me has everything required for a great read. Amy Plum combines mystery, past lives, intrigue, great characters and wonderful romance with a Parisian backdrop that is hard to resist. This book will be loved by fans of Paranormal Romance, but it’s also one that has major crossover appeal. I predict a big summer hit for Amy Plum and her Revenants. As for me, I’m already counting down the days to the next book in this series, Until I Die, which will be released in 2012.

Stop by tomorrow, when Amy Plum will be featured as this weeks Delightful Debutante!