Die For Me by Amy Plum

Title: Die For Me
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher:  Harper Teen
Release Date: May 10, 2011
My Rating: *** (3 stars)
Pages: 341pages

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 tried to read this book last year but only got about thirty pages in before I quit it. Then the next books in the series came out and I noticed my friends and other book bloggers reading them. They raved about them and I felt I had been too harsh on it. I'd barely given it a chance after all. So I rechecked this book out and gave it another chance.

Amy Plum was just an okay writer for me. Her writing was alright, the descriptions okay- it was all just mediocre. It wasn't bad writing. She simply had her own writing style. I don't know how else to describe it other than the writing was rather simple. Nothing was overemphasized or over described and there weren't very many big words used.

The plot of the story was what made me quit last time. I made assumptions that were totally out of line. I was completely wrong and glad I read it again to reconcile with those assumptions. I thought the plot was predictable and I'd already figured everything out. There was actually more twists than I thought and the story was unpredictable in many ways. I liked the plot although I wish a bit more could've happened and the plot could've moved at a faster pace.

Less than a year ago, Kate and her sister Georgia suffered from a terrible tragedy. They were forced to move in with their grandparents and live in Paris. They both reacted to this in different ways. Kate, being naturally introverted kept to herself and almost never left the house, finding comfort in reading. Georgia was the complete opposite. She went to parties almost every night to try to hide the pain. Georgia eventually convinced Kate to get out of the house which is when she meets Vincent. Vincent is dangerous and Kate should stay away from him. So why does she find herself constantly thinking about him?

Kate had been through a lot. I understood why she reacted to things the way she did. She was a relatable character and I feel like she was well done. Georgia was okay for me. She acted wild, which was understandable. However, she cared deeply for her sister, which is why I didn't understand why she acted unreasonable toward her several times. Vincent, despite his seemingly dangerous persona, was a good person. He followed through with his promises and was always there for his loved ones. The only thing I didn't like about him was how at times he acted sappy and kind of marshmallowy.

In conclusion, I'm glad I gave this book another chance. It wasn't the best book, but I did enjoy reading it. I want to stick with this series simply because they're entertaining reads. I had fun reading this book and hopefully I will with the next one too. I'd recommend this book to fans of paranormal stories or to someone looking for a relaxing book to read. This book was just relaxing to me because I felt it was written for pure entertainment. No overthinking necessary.

 

Memorable Quotes

 

• “Well, spit on my empty grave--if it ain't the attack of the Disney princesses!”
• “So is this a habit of yours, leaving your bag behind in order te strike up a conversation?" He grinned and nodded at the bench where I had been sitting. Lying beneath it was my book bag. "Wouldn't it be easier to just walk up to a guy and say hello?”  
• “I spent the rest of my day in someone else’s story. The rare moments that I put the book down, my own pain returned in burning stabs. I felt like a circus knife thrower’s target. If I held my mind immobile, I might avoid being hit by the blades whizzing by my head.”  

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