Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: March 16, 2010
Pages: 336
Rating:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Put Kimberly Derting on your list. THE BODY FINDER is a must-read for any young adult reader. THE BODY FINDER surprised me on so many levels that I thought were impossible. I was recommended this book by many bloggers, but I wasn't tha intrigued by the book description, so I though naw I have better things to read, but oh, how wrong I was.

I admit that the beginning was a little slow to me and it didn't get any better, but when we finally get to the part about the killing happening the book really picked up for me. And I was at the part where I said I was going to put this down and start again tomorrow, but I couldn't. I read another chapter, and then another, and then another! And when I did put it down THE BODY FINDER was all I could think about. All night long. This book just captivated me.

Violet is the heroine in this book and she is able to sense dead bodies and find them. You think that is so cool to have that ability, but it's not so cool for Violet. In the beginning I honestly couldn't really like Violet that much. I felt a lot of the time she had the personality of a stuck up rich girl, but throughout the book I felt like she grew up and had blossomed into a very likable character. Thank god. When reading a book I have to like the heroine or it is hard for me to enjoy the book.

Jay is Violet's best friend and a total hottie. Ms. Derting, I would really appreciate it if you could wrap Jay up and send him to me, that would be like an awesome present..haha. I admit when I started the book I wasn't that into any of the characters, even Jay. I was like he is okay and he was my favorite character in the beginning. But reading on and on and on. I fell in love. Jay is devoted to Violet and so sweet. I think as normal boyfriends go, (no super powers) Jay is the most perfect boyfriend any girl could have.

I loved the relationship between Violet and Jay. So beautiful and sweet. Violet is pinning for Jay through half the book and us the readers know that Jay is in love with her, or at least I could see it and it was frustrating and funny in a way to watch this friendship blossom into love.

"What do you mean, ‘I know’? What kind of response is that?” His righteous indignation bordered on comical. He pulled her down into his arms so that his face was directly above hers. “Say it!” he commanded. She shook her head, pretending not to understand him. “What? What do you want me to say?” But then she giggled and ruined her baffled facade.

I have to say I don't know if I would like this book this much if we didn't get the Serial Killer's POV. I mean I think that just having his POV had a huge impact on this novel. If I heard there was the killer's POV before I read the book I though, UGH I wouldn't read it, because immediately I think would I even like it then. But his POV wasn't like scary or anything to me, I think it was portrayed just right that it made me excited like every time we got to see what the killer was up to.

I enjoyed this book immensely and well, I am reading Desires of the Dead now and I am equally excited to see what will happen this time in THE BODY FINDER Series.