Review: After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum

After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum

Rating: 2 out of 5

Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by HarperTeen

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Synopsis:

She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.
At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

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May's Most Wanted 2013!

Out May 2013

So, here's what I'm hoping to get in May.
Which books are you looking forward to?

Review: Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum


Publishers: HarperCollins
Published Date: May 8th 2012
From: Bought
My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:
Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Review:
*Sigh* Vincent and Kate. Two of the most wonderful characters I've read in a long time. In Die for Me the premise of the story was very much about Kate discovering Vincent's secret and how she coped with his revenant background.

Until I Die is very much a middle book. Kate and Vincent are settling into the comforts of their relationship, and they are very much in love. When two new/older revenants replace Charlotte and Charles in the Maison things start to go a bit array injecting tension between Vincent and Kate. Arthur immediately shows his distaste for Kate's humanness, but Violette shows compassion for Kate's youth and seems very much in awe of hers and Vincent's unity.

But even though their leader is dead, the enemy - numa - are making another stance. Various revenant abodes get burgled including Papy's gallery. The plot explodes as Vincent gets involved with a project so secretive that he cannot enlighten Kate or ease her mind, even though it could be the answer to their own predicament. This secret doesn't sit well with Kate. Vincent begins to look ill and in need of his dormancy more and more just to recover from the repercussions. As a throwback Kate begins her own investigation of the revenant history to try and discover another way of staying with Vincent and slowing down his compulsion to die saving people. Soon rumours drift in that another mysterious leader has taken place of Lucien and is searching for something to do with a revenant Champion.

With secrets building up on both sides Kate falls back on newbie Violette to take her mind off things and the two become closer. Georgia, Kate's older sister, also brings a lighter side of life to Kate's which is getting ever darker as she and Vincent step around one another without revealing what they are each up to.

All of the previous characters have their own roles that play an important part resulting in a finale and cliffhanger that will have you screaming for the next book.

First of all, I loved this book just a little less than Die for Me but I still loved it. The Parisien setting is wonderfully written, the revenant history has been expanded so we get to learn more about the lore and myths of Vincent and his family. The new characters are intriguing, but I guessed something was wrong! And Georgia adds to the spice with her quirky and realistic say-it-how-it-is attitude.

This book has lot more action and suspense that keeps you gripped to the story just hoping that our favourite characters make it to the end - but do they?

Until I Die is now available as an ebook, Hardback or Paperback. Get it now!

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Waiting on Wednesday (#1) by Bookworm Blogger

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Week:

 

Until I Die by Amy Plum

'Die for Me' was one of my favourite books from last year. I loved the different concept of Paranormal - the Revenants - and I thought Vincent was amazing.

Plum's writing was beautiful, set in Paris, and had me captivated from the beginning.

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

I can't wait to read it. Now that everything is out in the open I want to find out what happens now to Kate!

Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers

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Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Die for Me by Amy Plum

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Right then...this is a toughy...but only because I've just read about 30 reviews caning the story for being a Twilight rip-off....I mean, honestly? First though here's the...

Synopsis
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?

Review:
So, lets begin with the 'Twilight'ism's shall we?
To put it simply, there is no comparison with Twilight. Both books are written in 1st person POV, yes, but the writing style is completely different. Personally I think Twilight could have been written by an 8 year old. The language and use of English was appalling whereas Die for Me was written with depth, insightfulness and charm that is rarely seen these days. Often YA books tend to be too basic in the English but it's about time that authors starting opening teenagers minds to diversify and that's exactly what this book does.

What's lovely is that it's set in Paris - not America. How refreshing! The characters are all fleshed out, and easy to relate to - especially Kate.

The romance was gorgeous, and Vincent definitely gets the heart swooning. Plus all his revenant kinsmen are equally amiable. Charlotte is a delight and Georgia is a great feisty sister who alas gets in with the enemy by mistake.

The descriptions were beautiful and sparkling, with a true sense of Paris that was believeable and the essence behind the story was a new direction that paid off.

I have a couple of gripes though.
1) French people who speak English do not use the word 'gotten'. This is an American word. They would have said 'got'.
2) The word 'normalcy' crops up a few times. To my knowledge this is a newish word that has only been used in our modern lingo for the past few years. I'm pretty sure older people wouldn't use it.
3) Vincent's age. I'm pretty sure that he was nineteen, but then we're told he's eighteen. The way I understand it, its because when he saves someone and dies he then reverts back to his former age. Somewhere along the line this got confusing but I think its just me.
4) Overuse of the 'zombie' concept. Yes, we know they're not zombie's or undead or vampires or werewolves but why not settle on a trope that we get, like unofficial guardian angel (without the angel wings or direct line to god). The zombie comparison almost pulled the story in another direction that I didn't enjoy.

Apart from that, I loved the book. The subject of Revenants is discussed in length and if you have a look at history books there are plenty of examples of strange things happening throughout WW1 and WW2 to dead or dying soldiers that cannot be explained so this is an old concept with a new twist. It's so nice to read something that wasn't stereotypical.

I can't wait for the second book! An amazing read!

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