Yvonne WoonBesprekingen

Early on, I wasn't sure about the teenage-fixer premise, and it just didn't seem plausible to me. However, about one third into the book I got pulled into the story. The characters, Hana and best friend James, came alive to me, and their repartee works well here. The tension builds, especially when the reader is presented with Hana's and her family's backstory. There are very good, and realistic, supporting characters. And there's also a part of the story that's been in the headlines fairly recently, about cheating and the pressures of being accepted to a college or university, that seems to make this tale relatable. Along with all those plus elements, there's an interesting twist to the tale that makes it, in my humble opinion, a real winner. I can see why this book is a Mystery Writers of America YA Edgar nominee. I highly recommend.

A slow-moving book, much like the first one. The mystery unravels itself very very slowly, and there's no obvious plot/no real action until the second half. The mythology of the supernatural elements continues to be revealed but sadly, no elements of classical philosophy here; this one seems more like a straight up mystery. The introduction of a second love interest and potential love triangle irks me-- not necessary at all, but I do like that the author very briefly questions whether relationships should be so difficult. It seems like it's conventional wisdom that you need to work for your relationship, but if there are just so many obstacles that seem impossible to overcome, maybe it just isn't meant to be? At this point I find the whole series rather boring but may pick up the last book just to see how everything is resolved.

I only picked this up because I liked the cover and really wasn't expecting much. True to my initial impressions, this book is a fairly typical YA paranormal story. A human girl has some tragic things happen to her, enrolls in a new school, and meets a mysterious and alluring not-quite-human boy. They fall in love and then for whatever reason, discover that they can't be together.

The only interesting twist is the inclusion of classical philosophy in the mythology behind the supernatural elements. Descartes' ideas about life and death form the basis of the mythology, although the book doesn't go into much detail about it and the author clearly takes a lot of artistic liberties in fitting his ideas into her tale. Nonetheless, I thought this was an interesting approach to the YA paranormal genre, and enjoyed reading about it. I'm curious enough to read the next book in the series, and really hoping that the author will continue to use classical philosophy in the storyline.

This book was okay for me. There were things that I liked about it and things that didn’t work as well too. I have had this book on my virtual shelves for years and am glad that I decided to finally brush it off and give it a try. I did find it to be a very quick read and it held my attention until the very end. I think that this book was definitely worth a read.

Everything changes for Renée on the day that she turns sixteen. She finds both of her parents dead in the woods from apparent heart attacks and she is soon sent to live with her wealthy grandfather. He seems to be very strict and sends her to an exclusive boarding school. The curriculum at the school is a little different than she is used to but she soon excels and starts making friends. She meets Dante at school and the pair are immediately drawn to each other.

I was able to guess a lot of the big twists in this book which took some of the fun out of the story. There is a bit of a mystery around what is really going on at the school and another mystery centered around Renée’s roommate. I did think that a lot of things in the story were rather convenient. It was an interesting concept and I was invested in the story and the characters enough that I was curious about how things would work out for them.

Caitlin Davies did a great job in narrating this story. I thought that she did a great job in bringing this cast of characters to life. I loved the various character voices that she used in her narration. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no problem listening to this book for hours at a time. I do think that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would encourage readers who are interested in this trilogy to give it a try. I am glad that I read it and did enjoy my time with it but I don’t have any plans to read any further in the series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

After reading Dead Beautiful last year I was so excited to see where Yvonne Woon would take us next! The ending was a massive cliffhanger. So when I had the chance to review a copy of Life Eternal, the second in the Dead Beautiful series, I hopped on it as soon as I could.

One thing I loved about this particular book was how easily it picks up where the last one left off. We reconnect with Renée and see that life has become more difficult for her since Dante went on the run. She feels older, and less of a person. I liked seeing the changes in her since we parted ways. Unfortunately because of these changes, Renée is also extremely depressed for about the first third of the book. I didn't hate her for it. I understood it. Still, it made it tough for me to really get into the story. I wanted to shake her and tell her that life goes on, and things would work out if she just tried. What can I say? I'm an optimist.

Essentially, the first third of the book is slow. But don't loose hope! Once Renée begins to come out of her slump things get really interesting. In this installment we are treated to a brand new school in France, new characters to help Renée along, and even a new mystery to solve. The Nine Sisters are a group of scholars that some believe figured out the key to eternal life. For Renée, that means a chance to finally be with Dante. What ensues is a manic romp through France and the areas beyond. Running through dark underground tunnels, visiting graveyards, following clues, Renée does it all in the quest for true love.

I very much enjoyed the way that Yvonne Woon allows the reader to slowly uncover the mystery along with Renée. There is no way that you'll figure things out before she does. A trail of breadcrumbs is laid out beautifully, giving you little bits and pieces of what lies ahead. I honestly loved the addition of Noah to this book. Giving Renée something else to focus on, someone else to focus on, worked well with the story line. When you barely see the person who is the object of your adoration, how do you know if they are truly doing what they say they are? That is the question that fuels this book.

Although Life Eternal started out a little slow, and Renée might have bugged me a bit, I honestly did ultimately enjoy this book in the end! The ending was maddening, coming to a peak with a cliffhanger that just about made me sob. Let's be honest though, it hooked me. I'm in for the long haul! Book number three, here I come.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The description is right, it's a different look at death and life and love. It took me a long time to figure out the mysteries and they were very satisfying when I did.

The ending was sad and perfect, completely in tune with the lessons about living and dying the rest of the book taught.

I really liked it. I definitely want to read more.

(Provided by publisher)

I didn’t completely dislike this book, but the main character made me not like it as much as I might have otherwise. I did not think that there was much depth to her and she was a bit too much immature for my liking. In short, I found her to be quite annoying. After I read the synopsis of the book, I expected her to be more mature and responsible.

I also was expecting something different about the plot. It sounded awesome and the idea was good, but it somehow did not work for me. I was expecting something much, much creepier than the book actually is. Also, I found the romance part of the book to be rather unrealistic, which did not help me like the plot.

All in all, not a book that I regret spending time reading, but not one that I would recommend either.

2.5 stars actually

I got this book as a review copy via NetGalley.

The book is so surprising and original and creepy. I just loved it! And it kept me wondering and thinking about death and life as we know it. Dante is amazing, the classes are amazing, they actually taught me a thing or two like Horticulture. Did I say how much I like Dante *SPOILERS* dead or not!? I can't believe it is the author's first book, she did a great job, the cover is great but what is inside is even better! The ending broke my heart!! It is so sad!! Bittersweet!

The book is so surprising and original and creepy. I just loved it! And it kept me wondering and thinking about death and life as we know it. Dante is amazing, the classes are amazing, they actually taught me a thing or two like Horticulture. Did I say how much I like Dante *SPOILERS* dead or not!? I can't believe it is the author's first book, she did a great job, the cover is great but what is inside is even better! The ending broke my heart!! It is so sad!! Bittersweet! I can't believe that is how the book ended!! I teared-up when Dante chose Renee's life instead of his!! He is the most beautiful dead guy ever!!

Vox Sapientiae Clamans Ex Inferno = The Voice of Wisdom Crying Out From Hell.

The School's slogan, creepy or what!?
I really LOVE this book!

I really enjoyed reading this book.
I found the plot to be very original, and offered several twists and turns throughout the story.
Renee is a very interesting character. The book has mystery, suspense, action and romance.

I only wish the next 2 books were available on kindle to Canada. They are only available to amazon.com, but not amazon.ca customers. Please bring them to canada

I really enjoyed reading this book.
I found the plot to be very original, and offered several twists and turns throughout the story.
Renee is a very interesting character. The book has mystery, suspense, action and romance.

I only wish the next 2 books were available on kindle to Canada. They are only available to amazon.com, but not amazon.ca customers. Please bring them to canada

I really enjoyed reading this book.
I found the plot to be very original, and offered several twists and turns throughout the story.
Renee is a very interesting character. The book has mystery, suspense, action and romance.

I only wish the next 2 books were available on kindle to Canada. They are only available to amazon.com, but not amazon.ca customers. Please bring them to canada

reviewing this one soon

I want to start off by saying that I don't usually give a DNF (do not finish) tag to a novel. With that being said, I do want to point out why I took a chance on this novel.

1) The cover. There's something about people wearing cloaks that suggests mystery to me. And the fact that the girl is standing in an archway of some type piqued my curiosity as to why she was there.

2) The title. I thought that the book might be about some type of paranormal creature, more specifically vampires or zombies, and since I'm always on the lookout for new authors in that genre, I was intrigued.

Reading the blurb made me revise my opinion somewhat and I dove into the novel, ready to see where the author was going to go with the story.

That's when I ran into problems. The "mystery" about her parents' death didn't capture me the way I thought it would. Maybe it's because of the way the set of events leading up to the discovery of her parents felt disjointed and a tad bit unbelievable. I can understand her going into shock when she discovered the bodies but not the stuff that happened before that.

I didn't warm up to the main character, Renee, at all. She irked me from the moment I met her until the point where I stopped reading. Her attitude was grating and I felt, entirely ungrateful for someone of her age. I know she suffered a double loss. I know she was grieving, but at the age she is, she should have behaved better. I felt like I was watching a five-year-old throw a tantrum because they couldn't have their way.

The grandfather felt flat to me and beyond cold. I know that he hasn't had anything to do with her but his reactions toward her were beyond aloof.

I couldn't muster up the energy to care that she was leaving behind friends and having to move. That's when I stopped reading. When I'm that irritated with a character and the plot which didn't pull me in, I quit. I know, bad thing to do but I decided not to continue.

Would I recommend? No, but if it's your cup of tea, feel free to try it out.

Thanks to Netgalley.com and Disney Book Group for allowing me access to this title.

This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting much, but it had an original story and I really liked the use of all the different cultures and their take on the dead and burial. I've always been interested in Latin and I enjoyed that part of the story as well.

3.5 stars.

A decent wrap-up and it tied everything all together and brought everyone back in a decent way. I liked it right up until the end, when they don't remember what happened for such a long time.

That is one horrible cliffhanger! Good thing I have book 3 waiting for me. This series has a unique twist to the supernatural/death/powers thing.

Review to come!

Editttt

To see my full review go to
http://kindreddreamheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-dead-beautiful-by-yvonne-wo...

Review to come!

Editttt

To see my full review go to
http://kindreddreamheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-dead-beautiful-by-yvonne-wo...

Review to come!

Editttt

To see my full review go to
http://kindreddreamheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-dead-beautiful-by-yvonne-wo...

Check out my Review of Dead Beautiful
Synopsis
On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

When Renee finds her parents dead in the woods, her life is completely turned upside down. Her grandfather swoops in and sends her away to Gottfried Academy, a place much more than it seems. Transported from sunny California to gloomy Maine, Renee is in for a culture shock. Her classmates are a bit odd, especially Dante, the handsome, yet aloof boy who she is drawn too. As Renee uncovers the mysteries of the school, she realizes that the supernatural is all around her.

Overall, I thought the book was fairly decent. The first 2/3 of the book dragged a little and then the ending seemed rushed. However, I liked the supernatural twist. It is quite different from other books out there and an intriguing concept. The book seemed a bit juvenile for my tastes, but I think teenagers will fall in love with it.

After Renee finds her parents dead under Mysterious circumstances, her Mysterious grandfather sends her to a Mysterious boarding school where she meets the Mysterious Dante. Dante is cold to the touch and keeps going on about how they can't kiss because he's afraid he'll hurt her. I think you know where this is going.

It is well known that I will read anything that takes place at a magical school, so when I read the brief description I jumped on this book. I did not realize at the time that the book primarily around a teen love story. In some ways Renee is a typical teen heroine, but she differs in a few respects. Even though she has lived through tragedy and a huge upheaval, she embraces her new school, making new friends and throwing herself into her studies. She uncovers a mystery involve a student who died under the same circumstances as her parents and is very focused on finding the truth. However once she gets together with Dante, almost all of her conversations with her friends revolve around Dante or the mystery. To be honest, she becomes a bit of a pill.

The resolution to the mystery was actually kind of cool and very original. It has a lot of potential holes, but it was not what I was expecting at all. Despite this I don't think I will be continuing on with the series.

Net Galley Review.

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Hyperion for granting me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Though I received the e-book for free that in no way influences this review.

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renee Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renee’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renee can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.

Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

Renee Winters is your typical California teenage girl; she and her best friend Annie share all their secrets, discuss all the important details of their lives with each other, endlessly analyzing comments or looks from certain boys, what clothes to wear, etc. She loves her parents, who are both teachers. All her life they have taught Renee to be more comfortable outdoors than in, and prefer having a house that they can 'live in' rather than a place where one must always worrying about breaking anything, dressing comfortably rather than fashionably - all lessons that Renee has learned well. And life is good, almost too good in the world of teenage girls where life is usually one giant emotional roller coaster.

Her life changes in the blink of an eye - she discovers not one, but both, of her parents dead. Though the coroner eventually declares they each died of a heart attack, Renee simply refuses to believe that. Especially when she recalls the way she found them, some she doesn't have to try very hard to do, as she can't get the image out of her head.

She discovers a grandfather she has never met, is 'relocated' to his palatial estate, conveniently far from everything & everyone she knows and loves. And most surprising of all, she begins to learn all kinds of things about her own parents, especially about her mom, things that she never knew. Things she never even had an inkling of. Things like her father being obscenely wealthy.

What I Like About This Book:
Renee is a decent girl, and a well crafted character. Even after her entire world is flipped in end, she still finds the strength to keep going. And when things start getting strange she doesn't run scream but dives headlong into trying to solve the mysteries that surround her. She sticks by her new friends and does her best to support them, and protect them.

The mysteries are well developed and not transparent, with small hints and clues being dropped throughout the arc of the story, keeping the characters and reader on the same page as it were.

And then there is her romance with Dante. It is sweet, full of chivalry, longing, and more of those unending mysteries. And of course the culmination of her relationship with Dante is unbearably sweet and tender, and a perfect fit for a girl her age.

What I Didn't Like About This Book:
Oddly many of the things I liked also frustrated me. The relationship with Dante started out feeling so "Twilight-ish" I almost wanted to scream. The new girl who doesn't think she's anything special attracts the campus hottie who is a total mystery to all? So over that.

And the mysteries - once Renee figured a few things out everything else should have just neatly dropped into place for her as it did for the readers, but she seemed determined to remain in the dark about some crucial things for as long as possible. Finally, as much as I enjoyed the ending it also left me totally confused, as certain things took place that kind of seemed they shouldn't have been possible.

My Overall Impression:
If you are looking for a sweet romance, some creepy events, a few murders, and a whole lot of mystery, then this is the book for you. It is an enjoyable read, just be prepared to suspend your disbelief more than you normally would. Though the ending left me somewhat confused, it also left more than enough room for a sequel if Ms. Woon elects to do so.