I’m STILL reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and it looks like I will be sometime in June so I decided to go back to some of my favorite books and review them for you guys. (By the way, Kavalier and Clay is awesome. It’s just crazy long and I’m a little short on spare reading time right now.)
So, I present Amy Plum’s Revenant series: Die for Me
I read the first book about a year and a half ago, I think. The trilogy wasn’t all out yet, so I finished the books later, maybe a year ago, maybe less. I’m not quite sure. I don’t remember every little detail but I do remember how much I loved reading them. The story starts right after the main character loses her parents and goes to live with her grandparents in Paris. Her depression and isolation is powerful without being overwhelming to the plot of the story–it feels real without monopolizing what the series is about (AKA it’s not a John Green novel). Her romance with Vincent is emotional and touching, pulling the reader in in a way few romances can. And the paranormal side of the story–I’m not giving you any spoilers, but look at the titles. There’s death involved. It’s original and a little wacky but somehow Amy Plum makes it work.
(PS I just realized the Amazon synopsis kind of sucks. A lot. I’ll supplement it with this:
Girl spends her days losing herself in books in a Parisian cafe to avoid dealing with the loss of her parents. Suddenly starts to notice Incredibly Attractive Male and his Incredibly Attractive Friends. Very very very very weird things ensue. Love, death, friendship, betrayal, reader’s-heart-ripped-out-and-sacrificed-to-an-obscure-Mayan-god follow.
Bleh that’s not good either is it? I guess the book is indescribable…just read it already.)
The characters were alive and addictive in that no-you-can’t-die-again-don’t-leave-me way I love. The plot was tumultuous and captivating. The romance is heart-wrenching and incredibly sweet at the same time. The whole series has the same feel to it (I don’t know how to describe that…it’s mood mixed with tone mixed with lots of other stuff) which is something I respect after reading James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series. (A cautionary tale titled: If you want to change your writing focus, start a new series, not a new book in this used-to-be-awesome series.)
Hope you guys check these books out.
And a little bit of shameless advertising: I’m an Amazon Associate now, which means that if you guys use the links in my blog to buy any of the books I talk about, I get a (very small) portion of the costs. Think of it as a thank you gift for my recommending a book to you.
52 Letters in the Alphabet 