Until I Die

June 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-This sequel to Die for Me (HarperTeen, 2011) will be an enormous success with established fans. The historical elements and the magic evoked by the Parisian setting work to paint a full landscape that has a deep otherworldly connection while remaining entirely ordinary in the very best way. Seventeen-year-old Kate has been welcomed into Vincent's circle of revenants, supernatural beings that die over and over again after rescuing humans, and with this acceptance comes new responsibility. She and Vincent are both hoping that he can overcome the revenant compulsion to die, a need for him that is "more enticing and powerful than a drug addiction," and thereby allow them some semblance of a normal life together. While Kate searches for a cure for his "immortal problems" (his need to die), he's out on his own secret mission and trying to make sense of a prophecy that means he might be the "Champion" of his people. Numa, the revenants' supernatural enemies, are an ever-present threat. The story's twists and turns are well paced and will have readers captivated. Plum does an excellent job of giving depth and substance to her secondary characters. Although the beginning chapters are a bit rocky and the incorporation of backstory will have readers wishing that they'd just finished the first book so they would have an easier time following along, this title is otherwise as romantic and intriguing as its predecessor.-Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2012
Another human-undead romance produces some good entertainment in this second of a trilogy involving "revenants" in Paris. These undead creatures have become mostly immortal by sacrificing their own lives to save others. Human Kate and revenant Vincent fell in love in the first book; here they fight the numa, similar but evil undead who plot to kill revenants. Alas, it actually looks like it's fairly easy to kill revenants, despite their "immortality," a bit of a flaw in the book's premise. Kate lives with her French grandparents but spends much time training for combat with the revenants, who have accepted her. She knows that she will age and die as Vincent stays young, and the two seek different ways to overcome that difficulty. Worse, it seems that a spy has infiltrated the revenant community. Plum handles the intrigue and builds tension, ending with a major cliffhanger that should compel readers to the final book in the trilogy. The suspense takes precedence over the romance as Kate follows clues, first to find more information on revenants and then to uncover the spy in their midst. Several of the characters stand out as interesting individuals, enhancing the entertainment value in the story, along with a few good action scenes. Good thrills and intrigue. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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July 1, 2012
Following [cf2]Die for Me[cf1], this second trilogy installment centers on Kate, a young American living in Paris, and Vincent, a revenant (or undead) being who must sacrifice himself over and over again to retain his immortality. It's an overly familiar star-crossed-lovers story, but thrilling action and suspense, combined with lusty romance, make this a suitable choice in a crowded genre.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)