Review: Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon

Title: Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2)

Author: Yvonne Woon

Pages:  392

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Paranormal 

Release: January 24th 2012

Buy the Book at: Book Depository / Amazon

Renée Winters has changed. When she looks in the mirror, a beautiful girl with an older, sadder face stares back. Her condition has doctors mystified, but Renée can never reveal the truth: she died last May, and was brought back to life by the kiss of her Undead soul mate, Dante Berlin. Now, her separation from Dante becomes almost unbearable. His second life is close to an end, and each passing day means one less that she will spend with the boy who shares her soul. Just when Renée has almost given up hope, she learns of the Nine Sisters--brilliant scholars who, according to legend, found a way to cheat death. She can't shake the feeling that they are somehow connected to her dreams, strange visions that hint at a discovery so powerful, and so dangerous, that some will stop at nothing to protect it. Renée thought she knew the truth about life and death. But there is a secret woven through history that holds the only hope for Dante and Renée. Unless they find answers soon, their time together is doomed to be cut short. 

*First reaction after turning the last page - OMG!! Miss Woon!! Not again!! you cannot end a book like that! Noooo! you! cruel, cruel author you!! Nooooooo!!*

With that said, I think I can now write my thoughts without hyperventilating again. Here I go!

A Mysterious and Dangerous Endeavor 

I absolutely adored the first book of this series, Dead Beautiful. The world of the undeads Yvonne Woon created is simply unique, and the philosophical concepts from Dead Beautiful #1 made this book immediately one of my favorite paranormal YA reads. Life Eternal, the second installment on the Dead Beautiful series, now surprised me with an interesting and dangerous endeavor that absolutely left me craving for more! 

A few months have passed since the heartbreaking ending of Dead Beautiful. Renée hasn't seen Dante during all this time, and due to the tragic recent events at Gottfrie academy, the living and the undead are not longer allowed to study under the same roof. So, by the time a new semester starts in Gottfried Academy, Renée is sent to St. Clément academie located in Montreal, Canada. Here is when I had my biggest OH-MY-GOD reaction! I still can't believe this book, a YA book, is set in Montreal! My Home Sweet Home Montreal! This is the very first time I read a book set in the place I live and I must say that Yvonne Woon did an excellent job recreating the beauty of this city. In addition, Woon added a powerful touch of mysticism to this wondrous setting, specially to the Old Port and the Royal Victoria hospital. Woon also recreated a more creepy, chilling and mysterious version of the underground city that enhance the history of Monitors as well a the mysticism of the city. 
Old and beautiful, mysterious and captivating, Montreal brights with every word of Woon's writing. So, thank you Yvonne Woon for choosing Montreal as the setting for Life Eternal! You build-up Montreal's atmosphere at its best!

I love many things about Life Eternal. I love the fact that the world building grows bigger in this book. There is a whole history of the beginnings of Monitors. There is also an old mysterious sisterhood of them and, in opposition to them, an organization of undeads called the Brotherhood. Yet, the biggest mystery remains in the theory and probability of an eternal life. In fact, most part of the book hovers around this topic from the moment Renée realizes that there might be a way to save Dante and herself from a devastating future without each other. Life Eternal lacks a little bit of action and a lot of Dante. Unfortunately, we barely see him a few times during Renée's endeavor, yet we meet new characters that are very easy to welcome. And Oh Good Lord! The ending of Life Eternal is driving me crazy, and just the thought of waiting for another year to know what happen next is tearing me apart! 

Filled with intrigue, history, chilling moments and a gorgeous setting ❤, Life Eternal is a very enjoyable and well-thought sequel to Dead Beautiful. Regardless the lack of action during the first half of the book, Life Eternal's captivating world building and torturous cliffhanger will, for sure, keep readers glued to the pages and begging for more!

❤Big thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada for providing me a copy of this book for review❤ 

Visit the author website at http://www.yvonnewoon.com/