Life Eternal - Yvonne Woon A Dead Beautiful novel - Book 2 February, 2012 - Hyperion Young Adult / Paranormal 3.5 Hoots 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. (Goodreads) Review: In the first of this series, Renée Winters is just a normal sixteen year old girl, until the death of her parents permanently changes her life. Her grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, where all things are not as they seem, and Dante Berlin captures her love. In this second book in the series, Woon’s continues to weave strong themes within the creation of a different world: the obstacles to true love; whether some people have the right to judge others because they are different; and, how children handle loss of family. Renée is confused about where her loyalties truly lie. She calls into question the roles her family, school, and friends seem to accept at face value. The mystery of the Nine Sisters creates suspense and anticipation. The descriptions in this novel are rich, providing intricate details of the various settings. While such descriptions help the reader to visualize this different world, there are some long passages that interrupt the pacing of the book. Numerous characters, who are not essential to plot or story development, force the reader to backtrack for who they are. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to full enjoyment of this novel involves the main character. Renée’s actions seem to fluctuate. One of the greatest inconsistencies involve to whom she decides to explain her plight. Sometimes the rationale for her actions is not clear, seemingly working against her best interests. Furthermore, although Renée is supposed to be limited in her ability to use her senses, there are instances where she seems to have full use of her faculties. For instance, her friendship with one of her male classmates causes her to feel warm when she blushes or he touches her hand. The subject of Woon’s book is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately, the problems of pacing, too many characters, inconsistencies in actions, and behavior detract from the wonderful story.                                                                                                                                                                               Reviewed by Lydia