Die For Me

Die For Me 

Author: Amy Plum

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 344

Read Time: Three Days

Rating (1-5): 3.5

Tag Words: paranormal romance, Twilight-esque, Zombies, self-sacrifice, Smoochie Award, Revenants, historical fiction, old enemies, True Love, grief, loss, sadness, Debut author challenge 2011

My Summary:

From the moment Kate sees Vincent watching her at her local french cafe she is lost and found all at once. The year previous has been spent in dark grief over the loss of her parents, but Vincent offers her the chance to live again. When it is revealed what Vincent is, a Revenant, fated to Die For those who are in mortal danger Kate is back where she began, living in fear and a graveyard of a life. 

My Review:

Amy Plum is a debut author this year, hooray! I want to begin by saying that Plum has openly admitted to being inspired by Twilight. It is very obvious that she was. If you no longer claim being a Twi-hard I would give up the ghost and forget this book, you will not become a die-hard fan of Die For Me if Twilight just doesn’t do it for you.

I have a sort-of problem going for this one. On the one hand Plum admits to her number-one inspiration being the Twilight movie, on the other hand it is such a reproduction that not even being open about it really puts me at ease. I don’t have any fierce loyalty to Twilight and I don’t think Plum copied Meyers work... it just... well, it’s already been done, hasn’t it? 

Let’s leave that paragraph alone and take the book at face value, a paranormal romance influenced and inspired by Plum’s desire to create a high-stakes love story to mirror Bellward. How do I feel about Die For Me? 

I felt like the whole Revenants bits were contrived and that the rules were a bit too all-encompassing for the breed of creature they were (What are they exactly?). I was unimpressed by Kate and Vincent who just lock eyes across a crowded room, Kate pronounces him ‘dangerous’ and then they are falling madly and passionately. Their whole world becomes each other, the break-up, get back together, share one heck of a kiss and defeat the bad guys. I didn’t really care.

I don’t want make it seem like I am just being prejudice against the paranormal genre; as if that is my only problem with the read. I wasn’t sold on Plum’s writing either. Some of her analogies didn’t quite make sense (How can a grasshopper be constipated, I ask you.) and I’ve already voiced my feelings on the Revenent rules. If the Revenents had been based in more lore, some kind of legend, some grain of salt, the pearl of the book would have been more easily, and beautifully formed. 

I will probably read book two because I am Team Jules and I can feel a love triangle coming on. Maybe this time Bella will shock us all and pick Jacob. *shrugs* Eh, who knows? And did I mention that kiss because HELLO that was a kiss. Great kiss, in my mind that kiss deserved a whole star. 

Notes on the Names: 

There were some really great choices in there. My favorites being Georgia, Lucien, Jules and Hélène. 

I did a palm face when I read about Charlotte... and her twin brother Charles. Really?! Charlotte and Charles?! 

Thoughts on the Cover:

I am really shocked the ARC cover for this one disappeared. Kate on a roof never happens, it’s just another paranormal romance cover... which I guess supports the theme, but I felt so strongly for Kate in the boat because that really happens in the book! Eh, oh well, the hardcover does have the Eiffel Tower in the background and I love the Eiffel Tower. 

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content: 

Moderate.

That was one heck of a kiss. It earns the moderate rating in a good way! *fans self*

Language: 

Mild.

H- 6

D-4

B-1

A-1

Violence:

Moderate/Heavy

Attempted rape, Good vs. Evil warfare. 

The Revenents die in the place of others, many times those deaths are bloody and violent. 

Other Notables: 

By American standards Georgia is an underage drinker, but they are in Europe so she is not breaking their laws.