Love the concept...although have not read competely
348227
Waiting to find time but seems it will be a good read at least I hope so as I approach the age where I might want to know a bit on the topic.
3777869
I really loved the idea of teaching children imagery and breathing techniques to deal with emotional issues, such a great skill to share with them at a young age.  I really liked this book because of that, however the writing did not always resonate well with me.  At times I felt like it would not capture the attention of the child, and perhaps needed a bit of tweaking and a little more imagination.  I do commend the authors for a fantastic concept and it's not that I wouldn't recommend it-just a bit of tuning up.
1711096
The Good: I just love the whole premise of this series. Time-traveling ships? Existential questions? Complex characters? Its so unique and Im eating it right up. I love Nixs character because shes so grumpy and serious but damn can you root for her! And Kashmir . . . just, more Kashmir, always. Characters surprised me in many ways in this book and I loved the deep ethical and existential questions that were brought up without it becoming a total drag. I wish more people read these book because theres so much to talk about!

The Bad: Perhaps this is a side-effect of my reading experience (I couldn't sit and read through the way I wanted to), but it felt very fragmented right until the end. Lots of threads and plot points that seemed a bit confusing. It all came together in the end, but it was a bit tough to follow at times and made the reading just a little frustrating. The supporting cast of the crew wasn't as prominent in this book as in the last, and I kind of missed them, though I understand the need to reduce their role. Some characters didn't feel totally fulfilled, like Gwen, but there was enough going on that it didn't bother me too much.

Representation: This is an #ownvoices book, and representation is really well done. The main character is biracial and much of the supporting cast are POC, as well. The villains are white. This book also approaches mental illness and addiction with care and nuance, just as the first book in the series did. Theres one lesbian character who was also present in the first book, though she had a slightly reduced role in this book. I wish more fantasy books were as well-represented as this series is!

Favorite Line:

My love is a curse, Kashmir!

Id rather be cursed with it than damned without it.

Rating: 4/5!
3057021
The ladies are fun, but a little old from my perspective (I am 23).  I had a little trouble relating because of this.
Also, as someone else wrote, it is difficult to believe that the same people are continually in the right place at the right time.  When I read fiction I like to think that the story could take place somewhere, but in this case I just couldn't imagine it.
It's good if you can read fast, but if you're slower like me it drags on way too long.
3981702
I have very mixed feelings when it comes to Die for Me. On one hand, I loved everything about it - the idea, the setting, the characters, but on the other hand, sometimes it just made me want to cringe.

I recently went to Paris for the first time and I loved it. I loved everything about Paris, from the people to the buildings to the tiny little dogs that seemed to be everywhere. I even loved the dirty, disgusting, overcrowded metro system that barely made any sense. So it was really cool to read Die for Me after having just been there (literally a month beforehand). The author describes Paris beautifully and it really made me want to pull out my photos and reminisce, if not just hop on a plane and go back.

And the overall idea of revenants - it was brilliant. I love this new paranormal "creature" that the author built for us and the way she slowly teased us with information about them throughout the course of the book. It wasn't like vampires - I didn't already know everything about them. I was able to learn more about revenants alongside Kate, which I loved.

I loved Kate and her sister Georgia. They're total opposites, but they're sisters, closer than ever after the tragedy that's so recent in their life, and I loved their interactions. They fought like sisters, but loved each other and protected each other. I also really loved Vincent's large "family" - so many different characters, but they all felt fully formed and dimensional. Not once did I think any of the secondary characters felt flat.

I guess the majority of my problem with Die for Me is the romance between Kate and Vincent. Don't get me wrong - I like them together, want them together, and totally rooted for them throughout the book. There were just a lot of moments where it was too sweet and too soon, too accepting, I guess. Not necessarily "insta-love" but pretty close.

Overall, the concept of Die for Me is really awesome, and I'm impressed with Amy Plum's originality. The interesting storyline is more than enough to push me forward in the series, past the oversweetness of Kate and Vincent's relationship. If you're looking for a paranormal story with a buttload of originality, I definitely recommend Die for Me.
1105643
I find it hard to rate and review a journal, but I'll give it my best shot.  This journal is an interesting idea, which is why I said yes when the publisher offered it to me.  At first flip through, I thought wow this is pretty awesome.  A good portion of the book is dedicated to awards and lists.  These include The National Book Award, Aesop Award, Urban Lit, Harry Potter read-alikes, and Fairy Tale retellings.  I feel this section is a tad overwhelming.  There doesn't seem to be a particular oder to it.  There's also just too much information here with no real way to weed through it.  There are no descriptions, or even cover photo's.  So basically, the title has to catch my interest and then go look the book up to see if I might be interested.  I have been going through it slowly and adding books to my to-read list.
The next sections are the journal pages.  As a teen, I might have used this more.  There is a to read section to mark down all the books you discover.  I can't imagine doing this by hand anymore.  I love goodreads way to much.  There are also journal pages which I've decided to give a shot.  I've never journaled about what I read before.  But, even these seem a little strange.  There are short forms that I tried to use, but there isn't enough space really.  Every few pages there are more detailed forms that I do like.  Although, I do use the words to define section for recording thoughts.  I do really like the passages to remember section.  I'm constantly finding quotes in books and think to myself, I should write that down.  But, I find myself think there might be a better way to do this.  I would use the loaner lists.  I can't tell you how many times I've lent out books only to forget who has them.
Overall, an interesting journal.  I will use it and I think it would make an excellent gift for teens or even adults who love to read.  I just think it could be trimmed down a little and maybe the journal pages could be reformatted somehow.
4892493
Ah........ dang it man, I APPRECIATE the author's intent, I really do. I just think it doesn't go nearly into as much depth as it ought to. The idea is fabulous, don't get me wrong. The author does a great job presenting it, but it's too short. But get it anyway and read it. Don't get me wrong, it is a GOOD book!
4113582
The idea behind this novel was a great one - and the title caught my eye.
This book starts out exceedingly well as it introduces us to the main characters. There are some questions left hanging in the air that push the reader on to find the answers. I like this and it makes for good reading.
The main character, Jalen Winstone, is both likable and believable in his role. He is well-developed and the author has done well with creating a good picture of him. The descriptions of the city and the landscape, as well as the politics behind the story are thorough and well-executed.
The three main characters have great interaction, and again there are instances of questions and situations that push the reader on to find out more. Overall the characters and character development throughout the book is pretty well thought out.
What I didn't like about the book is that the plot development was lacking. Granted, there were answers provided to us as to why Jalen's sigil isn't working but this is a fairly simple plot where the characters go from one place to another and back again where a few bad things happen on the way to flesh out the story. It just didn't feel like there was much over-all point to it. I think with a little more purpose and a little more rounded plot this could have been a great story. The end was a slight disappointment as I was expecting something to happen that didn't - something the author had set up really well but didn't use which was a shame and would have made the end just that much more interesting. It just felt like a little bit of a let down.
This book has so much potential but it just wasn't fulfilled.
Overall I enjoyed this book but it didn't keep me turning the pages, desperate to get to the end. I liked it very much and think it is worth 99c. I would be interested in reading more from this author as I love the way he works with his characters.
2981485
Really great premise...3 teens and how their lives change after an EMP...
a lot of plausible scenarios...has a Christian faith underpinning
Some challenges I am having while reading the book, more than 1/2 way through...
the characters are not as well developed as I had hoped, and sometimes adult characters are a bit predictable
Sometimes each teen girl acts the same or their lines seem to me like what a dad might think his daughter would think...
but somehow is just not getting into her heart, though by reading I understand the author means well...
Sometimes it is a bit too political...
I don't know if this is the author's first novel or not, if so, a good first attempt....
My main hope is that the characters develop more as the story goes on....
One last plus is if you read this with your teen(s) you will likely have good discussion points
2404169
I was given a free copy for review.

While I liked the concept of the storyline, I wasn't too impressed with the way that it was written. There were too many jumps in point of views with no indication of a change in character, so I had to keep going back to re-read what I just ready to figure out who was "talking" or which characters' mind was being revealed. Also, when I read books, I usually feel a part of the world that is being portrayed by the author- laughing, crying, jumping for joy, deep in sorrow. With this book however, I felt no emotions coming from the characters. Sure, Karina "loved" John, but why? What about him makes her heart beat faster? Same with Jules and his past love- what about her drew him in that he eschewed falling in love again? Or, what about Karina and Jule's friendship- how did they get to the point of actually falling in love?

Overall, while I truly loved the idea of the storyline and where the author could have gone with it, I was disappointed in the lack of emotion in the writing of this book. If the author had put a little more effort into that aspect, this book would have been a page-turner for me until the end.

I wish the author good luck and hope that this review helps!
4255544
I am having a very tough time giving this book a certain number of stars.  I thought it had the potential to be one of the best books I had read.  A medium who has had contact not only with his Risen partner, but with several advanced beings giving wisdom and insight.  I was hoping to get some insight as to how he did it so I could reach my Risen loved one.

The book I found to be a bit long and laborious to get through. There are many passages prefaced by text that basically says "You're not going to understand this, but your soul will, on some level."  I sure hope so, because there was a lot I simply could not grasp. Also, there was just too much personal romance between the author and his Risen loved one.  At times it felt a little too uncomfortable listening in on their dialog.

Overall, the book does present some good and fresh ideas. The ideas on reincarnation run counter to pretty much what everyone studying the afterlife is now saying with the consensus being the vast majority of us come back to Earth many times.  The concept presented here is interesting and did make sense to me. I'm not sure if I agree 100%.  I think reincarnation is one of those things we don't need to worry too much about right now.  The important things are we are eternal beings and we will be together with our Risen loved ones again.

I think the book would be better with some editing, but overall I did enjoy it and would recommend it. It's far from an easy read though.
169211
I would cheat a little before reading.  Suggest that you read a summary of the book to  understand the settings a bit before reading.  I wish I would have done so. Once understood, the book makes much more sense.
596209
Do any new authors get the idea of a hook? a reason to keep reading? I know be-atches like this in real life, why read about one? Returned it.
3150983
I love the concept and I have already put the concept into play. Howerever, I thing the 7 hour book could have been told in 4 hours - after a while there was alot of repitition.
4043883
Maybe I'm not in my happy place, but I'm having a hard time with this read. I love the concept, but just can't get into the book...;(
4452651
I've never seen a book with this type of bilingual format before, and I must say it's brilliant! My daughter takes Chinese and I'd love to come across this style in other languages as well. Five stars for the concept and design.

The artwork is also beautiful, wonderful choice of color...very vibrant and full images captivate readers of all ages. Five stars for visual appeal

The story itself, well here is where I lost a couple stars. I love the idea for the story but personally found it didn't flow very well (I read out loud to my 4 1/2 yr old). She normally asks to hear new stories over and over every day, but even though this book is clearly visible on her book shelf she hasn't asked for it again.
3832350
ok I wanted to love this book I love this type of book but to me this author is just ok. I wish I got into her books more but I think that is just me personally. love the premise of the book