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. ~From GoodReads
Did this pass my "100 Pages or Die" test? Not really, but I couldn't help myself.
I just need to start by making it perfectly clear that I do not like writing negative reviews. At all. In fact, it makes me a bit ill. All I can do is be honest. Having said that, here I go...
I don't even know where to begin. For starters, I found the story to be too convenient. Well, besides the whole dying issue. For example, Kate happens to be the only human to have the ability to communicate with the revenants while in spirit form. She's the only human who can be possessed by the revenants and not go insane. Kate loves boats? Vincent's family has the nicest yacht money can buy. You know the story.
Also, the love story. I have to confess, though, that I am not a fan of overly romantic dialogue. In my books or real life. In fact, I snarfed in the face of the first guy who told me he loved me. Having said that, the dialogue, internal and verbal, felt cheesy to me. When a couple declares their undying devotion, swearing they'd rather be dead than apart, I lose it. Call it survival instinct, but if my husband dies, I'm not going to throw myself off a bridge. And I didn't feel that way in the early, love-crazed days of our relationship either. The melodramatics made me cringe.
I felt no connection to the characters, except for possibly Georgia. And I think that's only because she's a bit ridiculous, in a good way. Kate was aggravating. One minute she was furious with Vincent, the next she's declaring her undying devotion. The Revenants are just creepy. Even Vincent, the romantic hero, held no appeal to me. All the dialogue, actions, felt generic. I didn't feel any heart.
And you know what? I still don't understand how the whole revenant situation works.
I could deal with some of the above issues if the story had any momentum. Short of a bit of research, some semi-romantic dates, and a lot of hand-wringing, nothing happened. The action finally took off with approximately fifty pages left. If I hadn't been insanely curious as to whether someone would do something, I would have stopped at the hundred page mark. Oh boy. That ending is going to have more than a few people throwing their books. Shocker.
I know I'm in the minority when it comes to this series. It has a really high rating and a lot of people love it. I know I come across as a big meany, but I do think the author has a really pretty writing style. The flow is generally nice. Fans of super romantic, purely escapist paranormal books will most likely enjoy UNTIL I DIE. Just be prepared for the last two pages!
Favorite Quote:
"Pausing at the doorstep, he glared at me. 'We will be seeing you again. Au revoir, Kate Mercier.'"
(pg. 293, ARC)
(This was my favorite because it made me laugh.)
Expected publication: May 8th 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers
You can pre-order UNTIL I DIE at:
Source: Received for review for publisher.
