REVIEW: The Body Finder (The Body Finder #1) by Kimberly Derting

 Author: Kimberly Derting

Pages: 336

Genre: YA

Publisher: Harper Collins

AMAZON: The Body Finder

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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.

REVIEW: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Violet Ambrose has inherited a unique gift, she is able to hear the ‘echoes’ or calls from the dead - both animal and human and also know who the murderer is by an 'imprint' which attaches them to the victim. She doesn’t feel a sense of peace until she knows the deceased is in their proper resting ground.

Only a few people know of her gift, her parents, aunty & uncle and her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

I absolutely loved Violet and especially the friendship she had with Jay, her feelings were in turmoil over him, he has been her best friend since the first grade, both being inseparable but she is starting to see him in a whole new light. Jay is fiercely loyal and protective of Violet, there were a number of sigh-worthy scenes between the two and I was hoping their relationship would progress beyond friendship – their interactions were really sweet. The childhood friends turned lovers trope is certainly a fave of mine.

I also enjoyed the loving relationship Violet shared with her parents, I liked that they supported her with her ability; a lot of parents are seemingly absent in the YA genre these days so their presence was a welcomed relief.

Violet not only has to adjust to her growing feelings for her best friend, but there is also a serial killer murdering teenage girls in their small town and she believes she may be the one person able to find who it is. This is probably the biggest gripe I had about Violet, she was too reckless at times, there were a few instances where she was too bold and confident and needed to take a step back and let the authorities deal with the problem; she was young and had a unique ability but there is only so much responsibility a 16 year old can take on.

I enjoyed reading from the killers POV, he was downright creepy and getting an insight into his mind was quite disturbing yet written well! I enjoyed how the case unfolded; the mystery and suspense certainly captivated my interest, there were a number of twists and turns that I certainly hadn't anticipated.

I loved the friendship Violet shared with Jules, Chelsea and Claire, they were quirky and their banter and dialogue flowed naturally.

The Body Finder was a real page turner; it is clever, well-written and engaging. I loved the main characters and can’t wait to read ‘Desires of the Dead’. Ms Derting is certainly on a winner with this series.