The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Book:  The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Release date:  March 16, 2010

Number of pages:  327

Publisher:  HarperTeen

From:  Bookstore

Summary:
"A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him."

*****

OMG!  What can I possibly say about a book as awesome as The Body Finder?  I had read reviews for it so I knew people liked it before I read it but I never thought it would be that good.  Kimberly Derting's debut novel totally blew me away.  

Violet's ability to sense the dead is unlike anything I have ever read about.  It was super creepy but I couldn't help but keep reading.  As Violet was drawn into the murders of local teenage girls the book became even more impossible to put down.  And it was pretty impossible to put down from the beginning.  The story was so fast-paced and brilliantly written.

The characters were probably the best part of the book.  The subject is so morbid but I found myself laughing at so many things in The Body Finder.  Jay was cute, cocky, and incredibly clever.  He made me laugh the most but Violet's other friends, Claire and Chelsea, were close seconds.  Claire was so clueless and Chelsea was more than happy to point it out. Of course, Violet was also great but in completely different ways.  She was insecure in everyday life but she was brave in hunting down a killer.  I liked her contradictory nature.

Overall, The Body Finder should go straight to the top of everyone's to-read list.  I can't recommend it enough and I can't wait for more from Kimberly Derting.  The Body Finder has earned a permanent place on my list of favorites.

First line:  Violet Ambrose wandered away from the safety of her father as she listened to the harmony of sounds weaving delicately around her.

Writing:  5/5

Characters:  5/5

Plot:  5/5

Ending:  5/5

Originality:  5/5

Overall:  25/25=A++

Cover:  5/5=A++

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