Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Die For Me by Amy Plum
UK: May 2011, ATOM, ISBN 190741102X
US: May 2011, HarperTeen, ISBN 0062004018

Notes: Whilst reading Die For Me I switched to and from a UK review copy and a US e-copy supplied via Netgalley, depending on where I was reading.

Review: I loved it, you will too, go read it.

The End

I guess I should write a little bit more than that. Ok. When sixteen-year-old Kate and her older sister Georgia are orphaned they are taken in by their French grandparents who live in Paris. Naturally, Kate has a prolonged period of mourning/depression but when she recovers enough she starts frequenting a local cafe to do her English literature reading. And there she notices a trio of gorgeous young men. A few visits later one of them, a dark haired Adonis, banters with her when she leaves her bag behind and a similar exchange in a museum leads to a date.

The date, with the gorgeous Vincent, goes well at first but ends in tragedy when one of Vincent's friends is killed preventing a suicide attempt. And then Vincent has to reveal who and what he is and Kate has to decide whether she can be with him or whether it'll hurt too much. Having lost her parents she doesn't feel strong enough to face more heartache.

Whereas Vincent is one of the good guys, an evil opposing group wants to see him destroyed and when one of Vincent's "family" falls into their hands they have the weapon they need. Will love prevail, will good triumph over evil? Will you be able to put this book down?

To continue with my habit of referring to outdated tv shows in my reviews, some scenes brought back fond memories of Highlander: The Series when, due to who was funding it, the series would decamp from North America to Paris and the sword-fighting and beheading would have a more scenic backdrop.

Towards the end there is plenty of fighting and a bucket-load of tension. I was very tense and at times could not help but peep ahead (the advantage(?) of a paper book over e-book) to see what was going to happen.

As well as the gorgeous and romantic setting of Paris which certainly adds another level of pleasure to reading this book, there is a well thought out arc for Kate's character as she struggles with past grief and potential future grief and reasons out what's best to do for herself. She's a quiet individual whereas Georgia hides her grief in a whirl of people and parties. They are both supported by adorable, open-minded grandparents. This is a paranormal romance and though I don't like to say too much about that angle as that should be as much of a surprise as possible I feel, I do think any girl would eat Vincent up, whatever he is, as he's thoughtful and kind as well as super-fit. I look forward to reading more about him and his kin. Fortunately Die For Me is the first part of a trilogy, the sequel Until I Die will be out next year and I can't wait!

When you've finished with Die For Me you can find loads of extras on Amy Plum's website.