Book Review: The Body Finder

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 them. 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 become his prey herself.

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I read so many great reviews for The Body Finder all over the blogosphere. At first I thought the title was a little weird, but then I read the summary and I knew that I HAD to read this book! The Body Finder is a thriller that has the perfect mix of the contemporary and the paranormal. It was engrossing, and exciting and sure, there was some teenage love angst but the sheer amazingness of the mystery made me overlook all cheesiness this book possessed. 

Creepy, heart pounding and unexpected are the words I would use to describe The Body Finder. Kimberly Derting is a master at weaving a perfectly suspenseful plot line. I especially liked the way she had sections from the killers point of view. It added this undertone of eeriness and unease that I LOVED. Sure it was creepy, but it added so much to the story. It sort of reminded me of The Lovely Bones and how you know who the killer is but the other characters don't and you just have to watch everything unfold. It was a great way to add more suspense and intrigue into the story and I thought it was pure perfection. And then there's the crazy, never saw it coming twist at the end! GAH! Like I said the plotting and execution of the story was amazing.

The characters of The Body Finder were also great. I loved how Violet was a really headstrong character. She wanted to find the murderer even if it was dangerous and a bit fool hardy. The one thing that did bug me about Violet was that she was pretty dense when it came to boys. Ohhh you silly fictional girl characters who are so oblivious to guys and how much they like you. Speaking of guys there was a particularly awesome guy in The Body Finder. Violets best friend Jay. He was pretty much the epitome of perfect. He was sweet, thoughtful and chivalrous and there were countless moments in this book where he was like a knight in shining armor, come to save the day! Haha but no seriously he was (minus the armor)! Why are fictional guys always better than the real ones???

I have to say that while I LOVED this book (I really did!) I was a bit turned off by the amount of angstiness between Violet and Jay. Sure they made a super adorable couple but was all that romantic tension in the beginning/middle REALLY necessary? How many moments do you need of Violet starring awkwardly at Jay's lips? And, yes, that really does happen. :P I liked Jay and Violet! I just would have liked more mystery and intrigue as compared to more angsty love issues.

Overall The Body Finders was a surprising and suspenseful thriller! The creepy/eerie mystery factor was awesome and the plotting of the story was perfect. I really liked the characters and while I did think the romance was a bit overplayed it didn't take away too much from book as a whole. I give The Body Finder 4 and a half out of 5 ice cream cones!

The sequel Desires of the Dead will be coming out on February 15th and I can hardly wait!!! I already put it on hold at the Library but unfortunately I'm number 3 on the list. Crossing my fingers that the people ahead of me are fast readers! Haha.

Julia :)