Die for Me (Revenants) by Amy Plum

Title: Die for Me (Revenants)
Classification: Young Adult (Ages 14 and up) 
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages 
Publisher: HarperTeen; First Edition edition (May 10, 2011)  
ISBN-10: 0062004018 
ISBN-13: 978-0062004017
Author's Website: http://www.amyplumbooks.com/
Notes: Contains kissing, but nothing racier.


     "We call ourselves revenants."
      I looked around at them, one by one.
     "Ruh-vuh-nahnt," Jules pronounced slowly, obviously thinking I didn't understand.   
     "I know the word. It means 'ghost' in French." My voice shook. I am sitting in a room of monsters, I thought. Defenseless. But I couldn't afford to freak out now. What would they do to me if I did? Unless they were the kind of monsters who could erase people's memories, I was in on their secret now.
     "If you go back to the root of the word, it actually means 'one who returns' or 'One who comes back,'" offered Gaspard pedantically.

Kate's life was that of a typical US teen until the night her parents died. In the blink of an eye her world changed as she and her sister found themselves half way across the world living in Paris, France with their grandparents. Trying to grasp all that had happened and start living life again, she is persuaded to get out and do something other than sulk in the house. One day, while reading a book in her favorite cafe, she meets Vincent Delacroix. The attraction is instant and undeniable. Vincent, however, is not what he appears to be and Kate's life is about to get a lot more interesting as she is plunged into the world of revenants.

This was a fun book. It started out rather slow, but picked up once the mysterious Vincent entered the picture. I have to admit, his instant fascination with Kate made me wonder if perhaps she looked like someone he'd known previously. I do believe in love at first sight, but I guess when it comes to it in books, I've trained myself to look for other possibilities (sinister or not) for an instant attraction.

In the beginning of the book, Kate acts like a typical individual who has lost someone they love. She's receded into herself and isolated herself from the real world in an attempt to come to grips with what happened.  I like how she and her sister, Camille, went about their healing in two different ways. While Kate became a recluse, Camille, did the polar opposite, she became the life of the party. Afraid to deal with the reality of the deaths by being alone, she looked for a distraction from her sorrow.

When Vincent enters the picture, Kate finally seems to come out of her dark period. Vincent and his friends are all very good looking. It brought back memories of Twilight, but that is where the similarities seem to end. I believe even Ms. Plum recognized people would make the comparison and I think she couldn't help herself when she added the line, "I'm a revenant, not a vampire, chérie."

Vincent is very mysterious in the beginning. Torn between what he can and can't tell Kate about himself. Kate, however, is a little too bright and observant for the secret to be kept long. He decides to let her in on the big secret, and Kate has to decide if a relationship with him is truly what she wants.

Drama is added into the mix because revenants aren't without enemies. Being with Vincent could spell danger for Kate and her family. Having a mortal pawn to use against revenants could doom them all.

Overall, I gave this one 3 1/2 out of 5 roses. I enjoyed the world Amy created and felt the story had a nice blend of action, drama, and romance. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Plum has in store for the sequel. Oh, and if you think I've told you all there is to know about revenants, think again. I just gave you the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to learn about them so if I've peaked your interest, I suggest you go ahead and read the book.