The Body Finder [Hardcover]

 

 

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Bear with me for a moment as I gush fanatically about how much I loved THE BODY FINDER like some crazed Twilighter who has just caught a glimpse of Robert Pattinson. I loved this book. Absolutely, totally, completely loved it. I want to, as I used to say when I was seven, marry this book. If I could, I would erase it from my memory and go back and read it all over again, just to experience it anew. And, right this minute, I would gladly give up either of my children to have another book featuring Violet and Jay to read right...this...minute.

Okay, end of maniacal gushing about how awesome this book is.

THE BODY FINDER has to be one of the most unique YA books I've ever read. It deals with a serial killer, which I've never run across before in a book marketed to teens and young adults. Since reading about serial killers is one of my favorite pastimes (no cruel jokes about my tormented psyche here, please), I knew before I even began reading the story that it was probably going to be great.

It also deals with a teen who can sense death. A sound, a smell, a feeling, a presence - somehow, ever since she was little, Violet Ambrose could find things that had died. It started out as finding dead animals, but one particularly horrifying experience at age eight had Violet discovering the body of a young girl. So far, Violet has never been overly-traumatized by her special ability. She has the full support and understanding of both her parents and her best friend, Jay Heaton, so she's never had to deal with this talent all alone.

This year, though, things are about to change.

First, she's having some definitely non-friendly feelings towards Jay. Somehow, she's begun to notice not just how funny and smart he is, but also how hot and sexy he is. The more she tries to convince everyone around her that she doesn't have a thing for Jay, the harder it is to convince herself of the same thing.

Secondly, someone is abducting and killing young girls in the area around where Violet lives. With the ability to sense not only those that have recently died, but the lingering effects of death on those that have caused it, Violet is determined to figure out who is wreaking havoc on her town. With or without Jay's help, she plans to follow her senses wherever they take her, hoping that they'll lead her to the killer so that she can point him out to her uncle, who happens to be the sheriff.

But as almost always happens in cases like this, Violet and Jay find themselves up against something - or someone - a whole lot more crafty and cunning than they could have imagined. If they're not careful, they could end up being the next victims of this vicious killer.

Okay, just a little bit more gushing. Not only is the storyline of THE BODY FINDER amazing, so are the characters and the dialogue. I have to give Kimberly Derting the highest praise for writing a story that never, ever patronizes its intended readers. I have had problems in the past with a few YA titles, due only to the fact that certain authors feel the need to tone or water down their writing, since they're not writing for adults. Ms. Derting doesn't do that - her story is scary, sexy, emotional, and downright riveting at all times; she never "writes down" to the teen or young adult who will pick up the book.

Pre-order THE BODY FINDER now, today, right this second. And please, Ms. Derting, pretty please, I'm begging you here, write another story featuring Violet and Jay. These are two of my favorite new characters, and I really, really need to read another story featuring them!!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything a book should have, romance, suspense, mystery, a supernatural ability to find dead bodies...
I was actually really impressed by this story. It was well thought out, it had a nice pace, it was written in third person (which I so prefer). The characters were easy to relate to, Violet reminded me a lot of myself at that age and the scenery was described perfectly (being from the pacific northwest myself I always love a good story that takes place in the forest here). And let me tell you the kissing scenes were hot! I had to fan myself with the book a couple of times! I can't tell you how much in love with Jay I am right now. I was really not expecting there to be a lot of romantic interaction in this book since it was about a serial killer but it had just the right amount to keep me turning those pages fast and furiously.
This book was so refreshingly different from a lot of what's out there right now. It was nice to see a book about a girl that was strong, had a good relationship with her parents, and she fell in love with her best friend. How many YA books now a days has the main character have only one parent, or divorced parents? Or how the best guy friend is in love with the main girl but she is in love with the new guy, and she just leaves her best friend high and dry? Too many to me it seems. Anyways I definitely it would recommend this book to any YA fantasy lover looking for a romantic/suspenseful read.
I give this book 4.5 out of 5

This was another quick easy read for me. I hated to put it down, even for my much needed sleep! I am a sucker for the mushy romance, so this was definitely my type of book. I liked the suspense just as much as the lovey dovey stuff though. I haven't read a whole lot of murder mystery type books before, but I must say that I loved it. We got a sneak peak into the murder's mind and it was scary. This book definitely had the creep factor that had me nervous and scared for the poor helpless girls who were murdered. My jaw dropped a few times with where I thought this book was going, then sighed with relief when I realised it wasn't the twist my mind was going after. I can't wait to get out and pick-up the next book in this series. I love Jay and Violet... her family and friends as well. I love the feelings, tastes and the overall senses that Violet felt when she came across bodies... everything was very well described. This book definitely felt like it was aimed at the hopeless romantic more than anything else, but that suits me just fine.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling mystery
A murder mystery with lots of kissing? Sign me up!

The Body Finder is a fresh and fun read. I mean, if you find murder fun. Read more

Published 14 months ago by Vanessa M. Dow

4.0 out of 5 stars Dreaming of Books Review
The Body Finder really made an impression on me. I like watching a lot of crime documentaries like Dateline Investigates or 48 Hours and this book had that same sort of feel to... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Jenny "Dreaming of Books"

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book of 2010!
***May contain Spoilers***

This book left me speechless and in the best possible way. I cannot convey to you how much I loved this book and how perfect I thought it... Read more

Published 16 months ago by Avery Greaves

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