Book Review: The Body Finder

Title: The Body Finder

Author: Kimberly Derting

Series: The Body Finder #1

Published: 2010

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 that 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 the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping 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.

My Thoughts:

I had read a lot of great reviews about not only this book, but the entire series. Needless to say, I wanted to read it too! So I finally got my mind out of the gutter and bought it myself! Did it live up to my high expectations? Not really. But was it a good book? Yes!

Starting off, I think Violet's "talent" was both well-developed and well-explained. She could sense dead bodies, and she didn't come to ease until they rested in peace. I liked how Violet didn't want to play the heroin. In many novels the main character is determined to find and stop the bad guy, even if it they put themselves in danger. Violet on the other hand, was glad and content to be at home, letting the police do their job.

Jay, Violet's best friend, and also the boy she is starting to fall for, was such a great guy! He was really sweet, funny and understanding of Violet's ability. He was there to comfort her, there to cheer her up and there when she needed help. I wish I, and everyone else, could have a best friend like him! :)

All in all, a good and well-written novel with the right amount of mystery, romance, friendship and danger.

Rating: 4 of 5