Love Reborn by Yvonne Woon

Series: Dead Beautiful (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, zombies, love, eternal life, adventure

Setting: Wintertime, Massachusetts and throughout Europe. Paris, France, the Netherlands, Germany and more.

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense. Renée

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 358 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description: “Renée and Dante are dying. The soul they share cannot sustain them both, and they're quickly running out of time.

But Renée has in her possession a legendary chest said to contain the secret to eternal life-if only they could solve the clues that lie within it. With both the Liberum, a Brotherhood of the Undead, and a team of Monitors, led by Renée's own grandfather, in hot pursuit, Renée and Dante must keep the chest safe or risk having it fall into the wrong hands.

With the help of a mysterious letter-writer called only Monsieur, Renée and Dante follow a series of clues that lead them on a treacherous journey across Europe. They seek the Netherworld, a legendary chasm where souls go to be cleansed. It's their only chance at a fresh start, but with it comes a terrible choice, one they never imagined they would be forced to make.

The third novel in the acclaimed Dead Beautiful series is a haunting story of sacrifice, loyalty, and a love that can never die.”

My Review: Love Reborn is the conclusion to the Dead Beautiful trilogy. It’s been about two years since the second book came out, Life Eternal. This final book is full of romance and adventure. Not as much romance as the first book, but way more adventure than the previous too. I really did enjoy it, but I wish I didn’t have to wait so long. So was it worth the wait? It was.

Dante tells Renée to meet him in Pilgrim, Massachusetts and she ends up at a tavern called the Old Soul. Anya, one of her classmates that went to the Montreal school is there. She also meets Theo, a young Monitor whose very good at pick pocketing. Theo and Anya both received a letter from someone called Monsieur. Once Dante shows up and finds another letter addressed to Renée with four plane tickets to Paris, they set out on a journey across Europe to find the pathway to the Netherworld.

I love all the adventure in the final book. It’s set during winter, so it’s a perfect time to read it. I like books with interesting settings, and I haven’t read many books that involve travel to Europe, so it’s like a virtual vacation to a foreign country. They start in Paris, which I’ve read a few book about. They have a map that indicates five points they must travel to.

This map was made by René Descartes. They show it to a cartographer in Paris and he gives them his theories on the locations. They end up traveling to the Netherlands, Germany and Bavaria. They climb the Alps. At every turn, there’s danger. The danger of the high court of elders following them. The Liberum that wants their map. All kinds of peril and they have their shovels and spades to protect them. At each point on the map, one of the five senses will be affected. That sense will become numbed and dull.

I like that we get to see Anya again. She’s a very interesting character and she’s Russian. She’s very helpful and reads Tarot cards. I also liked the new character Theo. Though he was secretive, he was also funny and such a cool guy. He was a big help along the way.

I feel like the ending was cut short. I’m pretty sure that this was the last book, but it felt like it could have not been. I really wish that there was more romance between Renée and Dante, but there was enough early in the story and some near the end. I did enjoy the book. It’s a pretty quick read. Definitely shorter than the previous books. It could have been longer, but it wasn’t. I am slightly disappointed. There’s been such a huge gap between each book. A two-year wait! And this is all I get?

Now that they’re all out, if you haven’t read this series, you don’t have to wait! Read them all back-to-back. If you enjoyed Vampire Academy, Die For Me by Amy Plum, Hex Hall, or books about boarding school, sexy undead boys or paranormal romance, then give this series a try.

Cover Art Review: Not as good as the previous book’s cover. The girl does not look like the main character. The photos don’t go together. The color’s kind of off, especially on the graveyard photo, The lighting is wrong.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Series: The Memory Chronicles (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi dystopian/Paranormal

Subjects: afterlife, death, love, supernatural, ghosts, angels, travel

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 281 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary/ product description: “Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).
I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.
Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.
Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This book had the most unique sci-fi-ish afterlife as its setting. And some angels, but nothing like the other angel-books I’ve read. This was kind of like the Matrix in some ways. There are these chambers that let you relive your memories or other people’s memories. Memories are currency in a way. There were some weird and confusing things, like I had a really had time picturing the hives and chambers. I just pictured a white, blank, uniform world. Like the weirdest dystopia ever. The story was still pretty good.  We learned a lot about Felicia by her reliving her memories. There’re two guys she’s kissed, Julian and Neil. Julian just so happens to be in the hives too.

Felicia has done a lot of traveling in her life. Her mom’s job with the government, an international relations diplomat (I’m not sure what the actual title was) has brought her to places like Germany, Kenya, and South America. Her dad’s a pianist and likes to travel and find inspiration in other countries. I’ve never been out of the US, so I found this interesting. And she has a friend named Autumn, who wants to be published and is making Felicia help write the book.

So there’s action, romance, a unique setting, lots of travel and 2 hot guys. And some world-building. It’s a pretty good book. I honestly did not know what to expect going in this. And I also don’t know what to expect with the sequel. I’m interested to know where Felicia ends up and more information on the angels and the afterlife. I really thought the materialization stuff was cool. It’s basically manifesting.

I recommend this book to people who enjoyed the Matrix, The Immortal Series & Riley Bloom series by Alyson Noel, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, and any YA book about the afterlife, and maybe some dystopias.

Cover Art Review: The cover almost hurts my eye to look at because of the neon red-orange and the whiteness. The girl on the cover isn’t bald like the people in the book. I just don’t like the cover, even if the design is kind of cool.

 

~Haley G