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

TITLE: Until I Die
SERIES: Revenants #2
AUTHOR: Amy Plum
PUBLICATION DATE: May 8, 2012
PUBLISHER: Harper Teen
PAGES: 353 pages
FORMAT: Hardback
SOURCE: Purchased
RATING: 4 stars

I’m a bit at odds with this novel. I adored it’s predecessor and although the novel was good, I am angry at it. Therefore, I will forewarn you that this review may come meaner than I originally intended. I’ll start with what pissed me off. There is only one really big thing and that is that it had a massive, horrible cliffhanger. The novel basically just stops at the worst possible moment with nothing resolved or wrapped up, except we finally definitively know who the bad guy is. For a moment, I thought I was getting used to cliffhangers because the last few haven’t made me angry enough to murder fucking kittens, but this one just pushed me over the edge. I plan on lending it to my sister and I knew parts of it were going to anger her so I made her promise not to chuck the book across the room at those parts. After finishing the novel, I sent her a message saying “Never mind, throw the fucking thing across the room”. Now I take very good care of my books (in fact when my step-sister return a book in bad condition, I literally hit her in the head with it and refused to speak to her for weeks), so it must really anger me to want to abuse it. I think part of the reason this one angered me so is that Die For Me didn’t have one, so I felt secure in the idea that this one wouldn’t either only to be smacked in the face at the end because it does.

I felt like screaming at the book. “I TRUSTED YOU!!!!!” So note to any authors reading this: please, if you intend to have cliffhangers in your series, go ahead and start the series out with one that way we know what to expect. Don’t pull this shit where the first novel is great and perfect then have to second one anger me to the point that I never wanna touch another book by you again. Okay, that’s taking it a bit far. I do actually desperately want to read the next novel, I just abhorred this ending.

Yes, Sam, I think I am.

Okay, now for the rest of the book. Beyond that ending, this book was pretty good. Kudos for Amy Plum for not falling prey that issue so many authors have where they write amazing first novels and horrid second ones. Although I don’t think this one is quite as good as Die For Me was, it’s still extremely entertaining. She could have easily taken this into love triangle territory because Jules obviously has a thing for Kate, but she steers clear of that and keeps things strictly Kate & Vincent, together forever.

The plot follows the logical next step of this story, which Kate & Vincent looking for something to help V resist the urge to die without unbearable pain. He thinks he has an answer but doesn’t want to discuss it with Kate until he is sure and since it seems to be adversely affecting him, Kate goes looking for her own answers. Everything seems silent from the numa end, no new leader seems to have emerged since Lucien’s death, but that doesn’t mean they are no longer a threat. It takes you on a ride to places you’d thought you’d see and twists in ways I’m sure most people won’t expect.

I’ve got to say that I love the characters in this novel. I like Kate and I like Georgia. I love Vincent, but I also love Jules and Gaspard. There are a few new characters added in this one, Arthur & Violette, neither of whom did I really care for. Charlotte and Charles aren’t in this one much, which saddens me because I like Charlotte. I wanna give the poor girl a hug because she is so in love with Ambrose that she can’t see straight and although I would love to see them end up together, I don’t think it’s going to.

This book will also make you laugh. I think that is what I love most about Kate & Vincent’s relationship is that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Yes, she is a human who is eventually going to die and Vincent is compelled to sacrifice himself annually to save a human life. Yes, their relationship seems doomed and they seem a bit starcrossed, but they know when to laugh about it. They know that they have to enjoy the time they have and I adore their banter.

If you enjoyed the first novel, definitely read this one.