Until I Die

 Until I Die by Amy Plum (Atom/Little, Brown/Hachette)
PB RRP $17.99
ISBN 9781907411038
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Amy Plum has followed her stunning paranormal story, Die for Me (read review here) with a second book which deepens the Parisian romance between Kate Mercier and her revenant boyfriend, Vincent Delacroix and plunges further into the mystery surrounding his supernatural world. Once again the cover is beautifully crafted and mega-appealing.

Revenants have an irresistible urge to die after saving a human life, but Kate, with her misery over her parents' deaths the previous year still fresh, finds it appalling that Vincent has to repeatedly die, even though he will slowly resurrect by the third day. When Kate decides she would rather be alone than to be attached to someone who will die over and over again, Vincent makes a vow to her that he will do his utmost to resist the compulsion. This goes against every fibre of his "unbeing", the urge equating to a drug addiction.

Vincent spends time apart from Kate in search of a solution, but it is evident that whatever he is doing is knocking him about physically. His strength is waning, he has dark circles under his eyes and mysterious bruising. He won't reveal to Kate what is the cause behind it, so Kate decides she will do her own research and investigating to come up with a better, less gruelling answer.

Two new revenant characters, Arthur and Violette, aristocrats who died in their early teens around 1500 have prominent roles in the story. They have come from their medieval castle in the Loire Valley to help the leader of Paris' revenants, Jean-Baptiste, develop strategies against the numa, the enemies of revenants. Because of their huge experience over the centuries, and also Violette's expertise on revenant history, they are very highly regarded by the other revenants. However, Georgia, Kate's sister dislikes Violette intensely and Kate is wary of Arthur. One sister will be proved right. In the meantime, Violette befriends Kate and wins her confidence while Georgia is hoping Arthur will fall for her.

Although the story opens with Kate practising defence exercises in case of a numa attack which occurs soon after, the progress of the story is fairly pedestrian for a good third of the book, although there are lots of kisses and romantic moments between the two protagonists which no doubt will delight the target age group. 

Nevertheless, interest is definitely whetted by the many questions requiring answers and by Kate's personal quest unfolding. She is unaware of how dangerous her mission is, but it is soon clear she is antagonising the enemy. She has discovered someone who could help Vincent, and the numas are aware of it.

As Until I Die heads towards conclusion, the pace is dramatically increased and readers will not be able to turn the pages fast enough. Surprises are in store and the ending confronting. I think Amy Plum has more to tell us about the paranormals of Paris.

Monster High 4: Back and Deader Than Ever

Monster High 4: Back and Deader Than Ever  by Lisi Harrison (Little, Brown Atom/Hachette)

PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 97819074410666
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

The latest book in the Monster High series is full of familiar weird characters and one or two new ones. Frankie Stein's ambition to have the RADs accepted by the Normies has at last been successful, but no sooner has this happened, Draculaura (Lala) discovers her dad is intent on splitting Salem students apart by building another high school specifically for the RADs. Lala is determined this won't happen and when she hears about a glamorous contest which will fund the winning high school, she infuses everyone with her own passion. This isn't hard, because the T'eau Dally contest also includes a chance for a couple to star in a national ad campaign, complete with glamorous clothes and photo shoots. The fight is on to save Merston High.

Meanwhile, Melody Carver is catapulted into a singing gig, which quickly leads to bigger things, upsetting her boyfriend, Jackson who had other plans for them over the coming school vacation. Granite, another member of the band, is seriously challenging Melody's and Jackson's relationship.

The time comes for Principal Weeks to choose a couple for the leadership of Merston High. Frankie is hoping she and Brett will win, but so are Cleo and Deuce and Haylee and Heath. All have been drumming up voter support and the competition has been fierce. Will it all be worth it? And will their school be chosen by T'eau Dally?

As is typical of this series, there is an overlay of gloss and glamour, the freaky and the fantastic. A newcomer, an Australian called Blue infuses the scene with Ocker slang, including the term "iced sammies" which is a complete mystery to me. And since when did prawns come from a reservoir? But then again, everything is at least slightly over the top and imaginative, including the offbeat language.

In this fourth book, I feel the plot and purpose is not as well defined as the previous three titles. It didn't capture my interest nearly as well and I find it hard to imagine the series expanding further. But it is lively and quirky, and many fans, to borrow a term from Frankie, may think it Voltage!

With the heavy focus on relationships, I think Monster High 4 is more likely to be enjoyed by over twelve year olds, however, the Mattel toys and games will no doubt attract the target age group of ten plus.

Die for Me

Die for Me by Amy Plum (Atom/Little, Brown/Hachette)

PB RRP $18.99

ISBN 978-1-907411-02-1

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

First-time novelist, Amy Plum, has delivered a gem in Die for Me, where the undead heroes, especially Vincent Delacroix, are sophisticated, elegant, noble and drop-dead gorgeous.  Set against the background of Paris, it is almost inevitable that romance and history as well as tragedy combine with this paranormal story.

Americans, Kate and her older sister, Georgia, are orphaned when their parents are killed in a car accident. Grief-stricken, they move from Brooklyn to Paris, to live with their grandparents. It is familiar territory as many holidays have been spent in The City of Light, and both girls speak fluent French. However, their grieving is expressed differently. Georgia loves bright lights and dancing for distraction, whereas Kate simply wants to be alone to read. Goaded by Georgia to join the real world, Kate decides to take her books out of the bedroom and into the café culture.  It is while sitting with a coffee at a street café that Kate first notices a group of extremely good-looking young men, one in particular, and is noticed in return. Unaware as yet, Kate has just laid on eyes Vincent Delacroix, who seems unable to tear his eyes away from her.

Soon after, while taking an evening walk by the river, Kate and Georgia witness a string of events including an attempted suicide and rescue, and a sword fight. The boys Kate saw in the café are involved, together with another couple of huge men. Frightened, the girls take off, but not before the men study them with great interest. The girls are puzzled and intrigued, but it is not until later in the story that the significance of this incident is made plain.

When Kate next sees Vincent, her destiny is sealed.  Kate’s journey to true love is a bewildering and confusing relationship with the handsome Vincent, and the slow realization that he is not merely a handsome nineteen year old, but someone from a different era who has cycles of rebirth on a treadmill of sacrificing his life for others. His friends, too, are in this position. Called revenants, they are not human, but immortals. In Kate’s words, “an undead-guardian-angel type of monster that runs around saving human lives.” Their enemies are the numa, whose mission is to destroy the revenants and anyone else in their path.

This is a dazzling novel mid-teenage girls will love. It’s beautiful cover is enticing; the romance is sweet; and sex is very much a far-horizon thought. The imaginative storyline has great impact, with a strong mix of tenderness, intrigue, violence and the triumph of true love. The publishing managers hope the detailed setting will have readers reaching for their iPads to probe the historical sites. I dare to say when the last word of Die for Me is read, a sigh of satisfaction is guaranteed.

The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide

The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide by Stephanie Meyer with contributions by Lori Joffs and Laura Byrne-Cristiano, illustrations by Rebecca Bradley, James Carey, Young Kim, Sarah McMenemy and Leah Palmer Preiss (Atom/Little, Brown/Hachette)

HB RRP $32.99

ISBN 978-1-905654-43-7

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, a publishing phenomenon, receives a further boost with the release of this companion guide. Contained within its covers is a plethora of new material: author interview/conversation, in-depth character profiles, cross-references, family trees, exciting illustrations, and so much more.  An impressive Table of Contents has the reader spoilt for choice.

The cover incorporates silver text and red and white images on a midnight background, the colour theme of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, the books in the series. However it is intriguing to see other cover interpretations and illustrations of the series featured by the many international publishers outside of the UK and USA. The artwork throughout the guide is stunning and Stephanie has also included samples provided by devoted Twilight fans. It is great to revisit those of Young Kim, the illustrator behind the bestselling Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1.

In a conversation/interview with fellow author and friend, Shannon Hale, Stephanie Meyer reveals various aspects of her writing journey which will help satisfy the curiosity of those who simply need to know as much as possible about the author and the inspiration for her works. Key Plot Points of each of the novels is an excellent tool, especially for those whose memories need to be refreshed on certain points of the saga. Of particular note are the sections on Outtakes – scenes edited out of the finished works – and Frequently Asked Questions.

This encyclopaedic reference is the final jewel in the crown of the amazing Twilight Series which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. It is a tribute to the enormous creativity and depth of its author and her passion for her story, and an understanding of what her readers want to know, relish and cherish.  Each of its 543 pages and almost 100 illustrations will allow readers to once again revel in the lives of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, protagonists in the vampire romance story of the decade.