Review: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Last Echo
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder #3
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Pages: 358
Rating:

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet's talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it's Violet's job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by "the girlfriend collector" she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new "relationship" and Violet may have caught his eye....

Why had he said all this? Why couldn't he have left things they way they were? But he wasn't finished with her yet. "It's also why I can't leave you alone."

I absolutely loved THE LAST ECHO! It was AMAZING! Kimberly Derting is an amazing author and I just can't wait for the next Body Finder book. I get so absorbed into these books that nothing else matters!

Violet joins Sarah's government group to help solve cases only special kids with her kind of ability can do. There are more kids in the group and it makes Violet feel normal because she is not the only one in the world who has these strange abilities. I loved that there was a group of kids who have abilities as well. It was a great addition to add to the story.

That's bull, Violet insisted, biting down on her lips and tasting blood. I don't feel anything. Rafe was her friend, nothing else. She belonged with Jay.

Ever since the first book in the series, The Body Finder I have been slowly loosing my interest in Jay. OMG. I'm so sorry Jay. If only Derting hadn't added such a great competitor as the other love interest everything would be great. In Desires of the Dead Derting added a new character, Rafe, who slowly has shown an interest in Violet and I love it! I love him!

Rafe is a really different kind of character. He isn't loud or have one of those total bad boy personalities either and he isn't quite like Jay either. Rafe is quiet and keeps to himself and there is still a lot we don't know about him, but we learn more about Rafe and I have to say he has got a cool gift and it ends up saving Violet quite a few times.

"I'm sorry too, V. It should've been me I should've saved you." This time when he tried to touch her, Violet didn't stop him. His hand came up beneath hers, moving so their skin grazed, their palms barely touching.

Part of me really wants Violet and Rafe to get to together, but what about Jay? I don't know! I just want things to move forward with Rafe and Violet! I'm bad, I know! But Oh, my freaking god! I love that boy!

In THE LAST ECHO, we have a great mystery/murder on our hands. My favorite part of The Body Finders Series! It's a little scary. I mean I got a little scared there while I was reading it! And the ending was a little predictable to me. All I would have to say to that is, "I knew that was going to happen. Was too obvious, especially since she got herself found out." I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen in the next Body Finder book.

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Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Title: Desires of the Dead
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Pages: 368
Rating:

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

Kimberly Derting’s Body Finder series is one of the best young adult reads that I have had the pleasure of reading. DESIRES OF THE DEAD picks up right where The Body Finder ending with Violet and Jay happily in love with each other.

Violet has some struggles in this book involving her relationship with the heart-throbb, Jay and also the possibility of others finding out about her secret.

I loved this book even more than the first book. When I flipped through page one I just couldn't stop and I didn’t want the story to end. I was so absorbed into this book that I may have forgotten to go to work, but I can’t remember. I love it when I just find a book that I can just devour like this. I was very happy with the sequel to The Body Finder.

"Oh, come on!" Chelsea complained to Violet. "Seriously? We had it all planned. You can't bail on us now. You have to come. Please, Vi, I never ask for anything." "Umm, yeah you do," Violet pointed out. Chelsea didn't bother arguing. "Okay, yeah, but come on. This is important."

In the last book, I said I had trouble liking these characters at first but they had grown on me and loved them in the end, no problem whosoever in DESIRES OF THE DEAD. I loved following these characters and have come to love every single one of them as well as some new characters.

Violet is in love with Jay and she loves teasing him all the time about her uncle because Jay now finds him godly and they respect him a great deal because of the events in The Body Finder. It is quite funny how she teases him. Violet stumbles upon a realization and there is a point where she realizes that Jay doesn’t trust her and it breaks her heart and BTW, this part in the book broke my heart. That is just how good Derting is at writing, where is able to get some emotion out of you while reading this book.

"I like to give Jay a hard time about his little man-crush on you."

Jay = non-supernatural powers! Okay I have a thing about only reading books that contain supernatural powers/liking the guy who must have supernatural powers. A guy with some supernatural powers is hot to me where the normal one is like not! But OMG. I praise Derting for creating a character like Jay that not only has no super powers, but he is normal. I find him so hot! In DESIRES OF THE DEAD we really find out how boyfriend Jay is. Boyfriend Jay = PERFECT! I wish he was my boyfriends. Jay has all the qualities you look for in a boyfriends.

We have a couple of new characters. The FBI. Really, the FBI, that’s right. And I was so absorbed in this part of the story where Violet was scared. Who wants the FBI to experiment on you like you’re some type of lab rat, I mean I would think the same thing. But there is always more to the story than just that. I enjoyed Violet’s struggle in deciding whether or not to trust Sarah Priest(FBI). Rafe was another character about her age(I think) involved with the FBI and I would love to learn more about these characters. I think the FBI part is still a little mysterious to us and I hope to get more of this in the next book.

We still get the killer POV, but not necessary the killer. We know who’s POV this is in and I loved the POV part, but I would like to not know who it was. Not knowing adds so much suspense and it excited me quite a bit, but the POV it is in was still enjoyable.

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel to The Body Finder Series and I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series. And BTW, if you haven’t already put Derting on you MUST-READ List right away. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

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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.

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