Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Maximum Ride #2: School's Out -- Forever

 "Adventure, fighting, backstabbing and love abound" (VOYA) in this action-packed follow-up to the #1 New York Times blockbuster MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, now available in paperback. The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself." (from Goodreads)

So, we've already established that I have beef with James Patterson for getting me sucked into a whole new series. And now he goes and makes the second book better than the first! This one was all about shades of gray...characters you thought you knew made you second guess them. Is Jeb actually trying to help? Was Angel right about what she realized about Ari? The same goes for new characters: parents. Real and adopted ones show up in this book...that should be a good thing....right?! Maybe not. And what about the Voice? And finally, even Max. 

In retrospect, I should have seen the ending plot twist coming, but I totally didn't! To be totally cliche, this series is one ride that thrills me and surprises with its crazy plot turns and twists along the way. Guess I have to hang on tight and see what else Mr. Patterson decides to throw at me!


~Flo~

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

September Giveaway Week 4

Hello BookNerds! We are all so happy about how successful this month's giveaways have been - THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! 
We are now into the last week and this one will be a little bit different.  The one thing that we all have in common is the fact that we are all BookNerds at heart and there are so many book series out there that so many of us have never heard of yet.  Since I (Mary) am obsessed with book series I want to hear from you.

This is not quiet a "give-a-way" as much as a "guest reviewer". 

Pick your favorite series, one that we have not done yet, and send me the review.  I will choose the WINNER on Friday September 30th and I will put your review on the blog.

Please submit your review to: booknerdsblog(at)gmail(dot)com

I cannot wait to read them!!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways WINNERS!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest...In my book you are all winners..BUT..in the contest there can be but one...so the winner of the 20.00 Barnes and Nobles gift card goes to.............


Cassandra502


Cassandra if you will please contact me @ dirtybrit(at)ymail(dot)com
and send me your address I will get the card out to you!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Me and Maggie Stiefvater, author of Forever, at This Is Teen
Authors are my rock stars, to steal a quote from a magnet I have on my fridge and a conversation I had with the MIA Crew at the Carrie Ryan book signing. And those of you who know me know that I tend to get a little mute and tongue-tied and weird around my faves, even though I know they're regular people and all that. Anyways, this goes to explain why upon meeting Maggie Stiefvater at the This Is Teen event in Miami back in July, I decided to tell her that her books made me cry in public when I read them over my lunch breaks. To which she let me know that Forever would certainly make me cry in Burger King. Thanks Maggie.

I'd heard mixed reviews about Forever, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in. And WOW. I think it 's my favorite of the trilogy. Maggie doesn't just write scenes, or write a narrative. She writes poetry that weaves together to form a plot line. I can honestly say that I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read her next book, The Scorpio Races, and now I know I will for sure. Just to experience again the song that is her writing style.

But back to Forever. I have another confession to make. Unlike pretty much everyone else I've talked to who has read this series, I was not really a huge fan of Cole. (This even includes Maggie who told us at This Is Teen that Cole surprised her and was really fun to write.) I could take him or leave him. Eh. But by the end of this book, he won me over.

And then, at the end of this amazing book which, Maggie added an Author's Note that included this:

"Many, many readers have written me asking wistfully about the nature of Sam and Grace's relationship, and I can assure you, that sort is absolutely real. Mutual, respectful, enduring love is completely attainable as long as you swear you won't settle for less."

Ok, how much do I love Grace, Sam and Maggie?! A lot.

~Flo~

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

One Day by David Nicholls

I am going to keep this review short and sweet because I know that the movie is still in theaters and I think that everyone should go and see it.

When I began this book it was starting to feel a lot like "When Harry Met Sally" in some ways.  However, in other ways the book is a stand alone.

I love the back and forth with Emma and Dexter's relationship and I enjoy how they share so much of their lives together with each other.  There friendship had its up and downs and I enjoyed the "pop" culture references throughout the book.

Now, the ending is something that I never, never saw coming and I was a bit upset that Nicholls put it in there, but I understood that it was important for the storyline. 




Flo's Movie Review
I am a bad BookNerd. I know that in the majority of cases, the book is better than the movie. And I really was planning to read this book and then go see the movie afterward so I could make a comparison. However, I happened to be at the movies and this was the only one playing in an acceptable time frame that I wanted to see. And I haven't read the book yet. And after the seeing the movie...I don't think I will. The movie was...okay. Just okay. I do think that the book probably provides a lot more depth than the movie could hope to penetrate in two hours. I felt like we kinda knew Emma and Dexter and the other characters, but not really. The yearly snapshots provided insight into their characters, but not enough for me to feel strongly vested. Because of this, the surprise at the end didn't have what I think was the intended effect on me. I was just surprised. I think if I had read the book, I would have enjoyed the movie more because I could see the visual representations of characters I had come to know in depth, instead of looking at them for the whole story.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September Giveaway Week 3

Uggg as always I am late getting around to getting things posted, but I havent forgotten any of you. This week I am giving away to one lucky follower a 20.00 gift card from Barnes and Nobles! YAY....Ok for my part of the contest I require the following:


  You must follow our blog in order to enter.

To enter the contest, you will need to post a comment containing the following information:

Let us know what book you cant wait to read in 2012...there are so many good ones coming out next year and you might just give me some more reading ideas! You know how we all need a bigger TBR list =o)
 
  Your e-mail address or twitter name so that we can contact you if you are the winner.

The winner will be announced Sunday September 25, 2011.....

Good luck everyone!!!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways WINNERS!

CONGRATULATIONS to the following winners from last week's September Extravaganza Week of Giveaways!

The Half Life audiobook goes to ... Ricki!

The Summer I Turned Pretty goes to ... Annette!

The Girl's Guide to Vampires: All You Need to Know About the Original Bad Boys goes to ... Khyla!

Torment audiobook goes to ... Emily!

The Witches of East End ARC goes to ... ebaker!

Thank you to everyone who entered! We had a great time reading all your responses. Stay tuned for more prizes -- September's not over yet!!

Friday, September 16, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways, Day V

The Witches of East End ARC by Melissa De La Cruz

From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches (from Goodreads).  
TO WIN THIS CONTEST:  Leave us a comment telling us your favorite thing about the Book Nerds Across America blog. Don't forget to include your name and email address so we can contact the winner.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways, Day IV


Torment audiobook by Lauren Kate

Torment is the second novel in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate, so be aware when you enter the contest that you'll need to have read Fallen before you can start listening to this. The Fallen series is one that has been on my (Flo) TBR list for awhile. I read Fallen, and when I got the opportunity to listen to Torment, I jumped on it to help accelerate my journey through Luce's world.

TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Leave a comment telling us what book or series is on your TBR (to be read) list. Don't forget to leave your name and email address so we can contact the winner.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

"In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time..." (From Goodreads)

Oh James Patterson! How could you do this to me?! You know very well that I already have an incredibly long TBR pile. And then what do you do? You go and make me invested in a bunch of teenagers with crazy names like Nudge and Fang. *sighs* Even if I wanted to stop reading with this one book (which I don't!) I can't -- you left me with so many questions at the end of this book that I simply MUST keep reading to find out the answers!!

Two quick things I want to say about this book. First, I listened to the audiobook...and it wasn't just an audiobook -- it was a Production. Evan Rachel Wood is one of the most expressive (if not the most expressive) reader I have ever listened to on a book on CD. She always had a hint of laughter in her voice that made the crazy story that much more fun. It also made you realize just how much Max loves her flock. 

It's hinted, though, that something might happen with Max and Fang...and I may be in the minority here, but I'm not a fan of that! They grew up together -- they are like brother and sister! They can't start dating! Awkward!

But, yes -- this is a cute read. Though I had my doubts around the middle whether I would stick around to see the series through, I knew by the end that I would.

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways, Day III

The Girl's Guide to Vampires: All You Need to Know About the Original Bad Boys.

The good news is: He's tall, dark, and handsome.

The bad news is: He's a bloodsucking creature of the night. Not to mention arrogant, predatory, and immortal.


What's a girl to do? No worries-in this guide, girls learn everything they need to know about these romantic rogues, including how to:
  • Know when they've met a vampire
  • Avoid falling prey to a nightstalker's charms
  • Resist even the most aggressive advances
  • Protect themselves against the undead
  • Destroy a vampire-using everything from holy water to decapitation
Complete with a review of vampire books, TV shows, and films as well as accounts of real-life encounters with vampires, this book is all girls need to surrender to the night-and still make sure they're around to see another day! (from Goodreads).

TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Leave us a comment telling us your favorite vampire story and why. Don't forget to include your name and email address so we can contact the winner.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways, Day II


The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han!

I (Flo) loved, loved, LOVED this book and am super excited for the opportunity to share it with one of our readers! Click here to read our review.

TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Leave a comment telling us your favorite memory from Summer 2011. Don't forget to include your name and email address so we can contact the winner.

Monday, September 12, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways, Day I


The Half Life audiobook by Jennifer Weiner!


From Redbook’s Red-Hot Read series, a short story by the New York Times #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes and Fly Away Home.

"My life is over," Piper DeWitt thinks to herself, awaiting departure in the overcrowded International Terminal of the Philadelphia airport for an overseas business trip, to romantic Paris no less. She watched as her husband, Tosh, put his own suitcase into the trunk of a taxi the day before. He’d been telling her for months that he wasn’t happy, and though she still wants to believe it is just a phase, after a call to her mother from the Admiral’s Club, she can no longer deny that he’s left her, left their home, left their four-year-old daughter in her mother’s sole care.

Piper met Tosh when she was only twenty-two, just the way self help books said she would – when she wasn’t looking. Now at forty, she wonders how, through all those years, they’d gotten to this place in their marriage. When her flight is canceled due to volcanic ash spreading from Iceland across Europe, and when a handsome stranger offers her an invitation to share a cab, she realizes she can take a departure from her own life. And after a day of living like a tourist in her own city, she hopes she can still find her way home...

TO WIN THIS PRIZE: Leave a comment telling us what our favorite Jennifer Weiner book. If you've never read any of her books, let us know why you want to read The Half Life. Don't forget to include your name & email address so we can contact the winner!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner


For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She's even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body. 

But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become. (from Goodreads).

Ever since I read Little Earthquakes, I have been a fan of Jennifer Weiner. I love the way she writes you into feeling the depth of the emotions that her characters are feeling. If they are blissful, I am smiling for them. When things go right, I cheer. When they are conflicted, I myself feel torn. Good in Bed was no different. Weiner did such a good job expressing her Cannie's emotional conflicts that there were points in the book where I wanted to stop listening (I was listening to the audiobook on a road trip), thinking, "I can't....I can't listen to this pain..." But, like Cannie, I hung on. Like Cannie, it was because of the wonderful surprises and great friends and family (well some of the family) in her life. I cried for a good 30 minutes straight toward the end of the book. But by the end, my heart was swelling with loving life and contentment for how Cannie pulled through.

~Flo~

September Extravaganza - Week II



We are continuing our September Extravaganza with a full Week of Giveaways! Each day from Monday through Friday, September 12 - 16, we will post a different contest. Each contest day will run from 12 midnight til 11:59 p.m. Then, at 12 midnight a new contest will be revealed!

We are super excited about this Week of Giveaways and hope you will check back daily to see the different prizes you can win!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Boys in Brackets

I updated the brackets with the results of our first four matches.  Please continue to tweet your votes to @booknerdsblog.   

Click on Brackets to Enlarge

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week 1

To thank all of our WONDERFUL followers, we are giving away a $25 gift card to either Barnes and Noble or Amazon.  (The winner can choose their store of preference.)  You must follow our blog in order to enter.

To enter the contest, you will need to post a comment containing the following information:

1. Have you participated in one of our read alongs? If so, which book has been your favorite?

2. What is your favorite YA Book Series?  We BookNerds LOVE YA books. If we are missing out on something good, we want to know about it :)

3. Your e-mail address or twitter name so that we can contact you if you are the winner.

The winner will be announced Saturday September 10th.  Good Luck!!!!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

I was searching around some site that I follow through Twitter and I came across one of my favorites Tigris Eden.  It was there I saw a review called The Fallen Star By Jessica Sorensen.  After reading the REVIEW I knew that I had to read this.  I order the book immediately and could not stop reading it.

I was sucked into the world of Gemma, a teenager in a small town, with violet eyes, and who just started having feelings. However, I felt so much pain for Gemma, the way she was treated, how alone she felt and the isolation that was all around her.  Then came Alex, green eyes, and very cute.  Now I know that you are thinking that it was just like every other typical story, BUT this is not like that.  There were twist and turns throughout the book that I did not see coming: Gemma's Mom, the heartache of never have any interaction with others, the wanting to feel, and the Death Walkers.  Then, of course, Jessica Sorensen left us hanging at the very end.  Which just made me crave more!

Thank goodness for Google because I rushed to find Jessica Sorensen site.  It was here that I was please to see that Book 2 is already out AND Book 3 will be out in November 2011.  Let me tell you I was very very happy about this! I am now readin Book 2 and I will let you know the second I am done with it.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

September Extravaganza Giveaway

Not to long ago we made the statement that if we had a 100 followers on the site that there would be a surprise.  Well............

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!

The BookNerds have decided to have a whole month of Giveaways! Each BookNerd will take a week in September and giveaway something special.

Each BookNerd will have their own rules for that giveaway and each week it will be something different.  We could give something away everyday or something for the whole week.

Be sure to watch Twitter each week to see the prizes and rules.

To everyone who follows our site and our Twitter, we would like to say THANK YOU!!!!!

September Reads

A new month has started and you know what that means? It is time to announce our September Reads!

For the September read along is:  Hourglass by Myra McEntire


One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut. (This book description is from GoodReads)


The Mystery Corner read is: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo and Don Bartlett

The night the first snow falls a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity. A brilliant thriller with a pace that never lets up, The Snowman confirms Jo Nesbø's position as an international star of crime fiction.  (This book description is from GoodReads)

Movie/Book Night read is: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.



In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't. (This book description comes from GoodReads)

As always we hope that everyone joins in on the reading fun!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Amy Plum Interview

Our August read was Die For Me by Amy Plum.  When we all, the BookNerds, finished the book we could not stop talking about how great it was.  Then we got into contact with Amy Plum herself and asked if we could ask a few questions.  She was nice enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions.

1.       One of the great things about Die For Me is the way history and the arts are so seamlessly blended into the narrative. Can you tell us briefly about how you blend fact and fiction?

That was one of my favorite parts about writing DIE FOR ME. I’m an art historian (my M.A. is in 13th century Sienese painting), and, besides books, history and art are my life’s passions. So historical events and art are already there in the forefront of my mind, not needing to be researched. There is such a wealth of events and images already out there, that for me it’s like picking strawberries. I pluck the biggest, juiciest ones and weave them in with my story. It’s not like I think ahead of time “I want to include Picasso and Léger and Modigliani in Book 1”. It’s just that when I need an image, they’re all there waiting for me to choose between them.
And as for the characters’ fictional histories being set in actual history, I’m a bit of a mystic about that. I feel like my characters already exist and it’s up to me to discover them. I feel like I’m digging for their histories instead of making them up. But it does help to have done a lot of reading in history because the basis for those stories are already there in my subconscious, and I’m always pleasantly surprised when I come across something similar in the course of my research. (Such as Lucien and Ambrose. I knew who they were, and almost fell over when I found actual stories that defined them more clearly. Lucien is Philippe Henriot, and you’ll find out who Ambrose is later!)

2. We can see the parallels in this book with your background in art, literature, and antiques.  We found it very interesting that the heroine in this story had these same interests.  On the other hand, her party oriented sister became unintentionally involved with a bad crowd.  How have the arts influenced you as a writer?  Was it your intention to encourage readers to explore their own interest in the arts?
That was not my agenda going into the writing of the book. I just based Kate on myself in a very shameless manner! J They say, “Write what you know”, so I thought that with this first foray into fiction, I would imbue my protagonist with my own personality and character in order to make her as realistic as possible. However, once I began including the history and art, I thought, “Wouldn’t that be cool if I actually interested my readers in the stories and artwork and places that I’m mentioning?” My editor actually had me cut a few parts because she said it was beginning to sound like I was giving my readers a history lesson!

3. Vincent is chivalrous, well spoken, and respectful.  We are drawn to individuals like him, but they seem very far and few between in today's society.  What do you hope young readers will take from these characters?
Perhaps individuals like Vincent are far and few between today, but that doesn’t mean that we should accept less in a potential partner. I expect a lot of people. I set my own personal bar high. Maybe – subconsciously – I want to tell my readers, “You deserve someone like him.”
Then again, DIE FOR ME is fiction. I don’t want my readers to compare Vincent to their husband/boyfriend and find their partners lacking. But I do think that we can expect chivalry, good manners, a good heart, and intelligence—if that is what we’re looking for. As for saying the perfect thing at the perfect time, buying the ultimate gift that touches the girls’ heart, swoonworthy dates, and the rest...those aren’t very realistic expectations on a consistent basis. But that’s the reason we read novels with romance!

4. We loved all the extras you have on your website Amy Plum, such as a Die For Me scene from Vincent’s point of view and an interactive map of Paris highlighting important landmarks from the book. Are you planning on doing the same type of thing for Until I Die, the next book in the trilogy?
I had so much fun doing those extras. I am definitely going to do the same for UNTIL I DIE, and am hoping to go even further with a separate DIE FOR ME site with character pages if I can find the time!

5.   Where are you in the process of writing Until I Die? Can you give us any hints about this book?
I am done with UNTIL I DIE and am starting the third novel. In UNTIL I DIE, Kate and Vincent’s relationship has already begun and now they will have to figure out how to make it work with all of the hardships they will face in combining two completely different worlds. There is a lot of romance, there are some new characters as well as all of the old characters, a new evil will be faced – oh I wish I could tell you it all, but we’re all going to have to wait! (How I hate waiting!)


Please visit Amy Plum's Site where there are FAQ's, a special verison of Vincent's Point of View, and many others.  Again we would like to thank Amy Plum for taking time to answer our questions. 

We cannot wait for Until I Die!!!!!!!!!!

Die For Me by Amy Plum

Flo's Review
Die For Me is the story of Kate, a teenager who moves to Paris with her sister Georgia to live with their grandparents after their parents die. Kate finds herself drawn to a very attractive guy named Vincent, and the feeling is mutual. However, there is more to Vincent than meets the eye. Die For Me was a good book and a fast, easy read....however, it felt like I was reading Twilight revamped. Like how sometimes authors, after they have nothing else they can do with one group of characters and story lines, branches off with a companion series about the original casts' cousins or something. I mean, family of undead living together in big, awesome house? Check. Funny family member, displeased-with-being-dead family member, much older patriarch? Check. Most attractive undead family member falls for human girl and compromises family secret? Check. And on and on. There were even multiple times a variation of the line, "Thank goodness you're not dating a vampire!" was used, as if the book really needed to say, "I SWEAR I'm not Twilight! I swear!" But there were some differences, and the book comes alive (I love using puns and clever wording in reviews!) in these. First, author Amy Plum said that she set the story in Paris because it always felt magical to her and she wanted Kate and the reader to feel the same way. She succeeds. Second, I loved reading the relationship between Kate and her sister Georgia. They handled their grief differently and they had their disagreements, but they were always there for each other.  And finally, my favorite character Jules. I just can't resist a funny man charmer. Even an undead one.

Jacque:
I understand some of the similarities Flo mentioned above between Die for Me and Twilight, but this is also one of the few book since Twilight that I absolutely fell in love with.  Like Edward, Vincent is from another era and brings with him chivalry and respect.  While he thinks he is doing and saying everything all wrong, he is actually very well spoken and charming.  I enjoyed the fact that Kate was a strong character and did what she felt would enable her to persevere, which was a sharp contrast to Bella.  While I struggled with some of her decisions, I could understand why she made them based upon her recent past.  She didn't want to expose herself to any further loss or pain.

The characteristics that the revenants possessed were very original and the setting was nothing short of spectacular.  Vincent's kindred (family) each possessed such unique personalities and I enjoyed meeting each of them along with Kate.  There was just enough conflict and paranormal activity present to keep the pages turning while I longed to see how the relationship between Kate and Vincent would unfold. Now that she has earned his family's trust, I can't wait to see where things will lead in the second installment of this series.    

Mary's Review

Out of all 4 BookNerds I was the first to finish Die For Me.  I finished it in less than 2 days and this is what I have to say about it.....OH MY VINCENT!!!! I could not put this book down once I started it.  I could not stop wanting more of Kate and Vincent.  I began feeling so much pain for Kate for losing her parents and what a tragedy it was.  Then came Vincent and he was the perfect fit for Kate.  Now I did not feel the "Twilight" moment like other BookNerds; I felt that Vincent was nothing like Edward and Kate was MUCH STRONGER than Bella.  Also, with this book I felt more connected with Vincent and Kate.  There were three parts in the book where I actually cried my eyes out and there was one part that I actually had to put my Kindle down and walk out of the room to compose myself because I was so upset.  There have not been a lot of books like that for me.  The second I was done I tweeted Amy Plum and told her how much I loved the book and that I could not wait until the next one. Now I am counting down the days.

Tee's Review

Even without all of Mary's gushing about Die For Me, I knew I would enjoy this book. It has four things I love in a book....




1. An angel or in the case of Vincent, an angel like character
2. A dark bad boy
3.Gushy Romance
4.A funny sidekick character, in this case Jules


Amy Plum delivered all of them quite well in this book.  Surprisingly, I really liked the character of Kate. This is a change for me, I usually do not like the female heroine . They come off as weak and needy. I liked that Kate didn't take well to Vincent's life and what he was. Most of the YA girls in these types of books are all..." I don't care that you are a ( insert mythical being here)  or what could happen to me. I love you and I need you to protect me yada yada yada" Kate was like.." Umm no way dude, I can't handle that your this undead thing, I don't care that you are beautiful.." I liked that, but of course she gave in , but I give her kudos for trying. Now to Vincent, oh my, how can you not love him? First of all, we all know I have a thing for the bad boy, and tho Vincent isn't really a bad boy, so to speak, he has had an adventurous past. Second he has that almost angel type thing going on ( tho the whole sleeping dead thing for a few days was kinda creepy to me) and I love a Fallen boy, especially one that can hold his own with a sword. Third, he was soo romantic, I mean I swooned with the letter he wrote Kate, and her birthday surprise at the end of the book * faints*. He pulled out all the stops. So if you love the bad boy angel type that have a romantic side..this book is a definate read for you..