The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting {Review}

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: March 16, 2010

Source: Bought/Gifted

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 that the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent 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 Hay'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.

Holy. Wow. The Body Finder was one seriously intense read. It wasn’t about ghosts or things that go bump in the night, but it scared the pants off of me all the same. Some might say since it’s about regular killers it’s almost more scary and I’m thinking I’d have to agree.

So, anecdote time: I finished The Body Finder minutes before running out the door to catch my bus to make it to Kimberly’s signing. I was so freaked out from reading it I almost didn’t leave since I was traveling by myself and it’d be dark by the time I came home. Oh the power of authors ;]

I love that though Violet’s ability can be classified as paranormal, everything else about The Body Finder is real. Real scary dudes, real homework, real parents; the works. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t abhor paranormal or anything, but it’s refreshing to read a book that’s spine-tingling-ly creepy for real world reasons.

I like that besides her ability to sense the dead, Violet’s still a normal girl. She has homework, parents who occasionally annoy her, and a massive crush on her best friend. I also liked that she was determined to help find the killer but still knew enough (sometimes) to be careful and scares.

Sometimes I just wanted to yell at Jay and Violet to come to their senses and realize they liked each other because COME ON, everyone else could see it :P

Slightly Spoilery

I really liked that Jay & Vi didn’t dance around their relationship for the entire book. Of course I enjoy a slow burn, but I also like kissing. And boy is there lots of kissing!

End

The scenes written from the killer’s point of view had me both fascinated as well as creeped out. I found myself wanting more of them, but at the same time disturbed with myself for wanting that :P

I don’t normally put age suggestions on my reviews, but I’d definitely advise this one be read by older teens.

The Nutshell: The Body Finder definitely has the creep factor going for it, but there’s more than that too. If you’re looking for a book with a strong main character, lots of kissing, and will leave you feeling jumpy, this is definitely the book for you.

Pages: 327

Series: The Body Finder #1

Rating: Direct Hit