Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publishers: HarperTeen

Summary: 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 to be a gift. 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. 

Review: WOW! was literally the first word that rolled off my tongue right after I read the very last page of The Body Finder and closed the cover. I'm not even sure where to start with this book honestly. I read the synopsis one night as I filed through a large stack of sale books at a bookstore and was immediately impressed with the storyline. When I read first read the title, I thought maybe  it was similar to those "I see dead people" movies... but I was wrong, and in a good way! The Body Finder surpassed all my expectations of a fantastic read: the vocabulary and writing is exquisite, a thrilling storyline with a plot that will have any person on edge, and some of the sweetest and not so sweetest characters ever. 


Kimberly Derting chose to write about young girl named Violet who has a special gift for finding anything that may be deceased. My first thought was, oh my goodness, I can't even imagine a young girl going through all of this and being okay. But Violet is one tough girl, even at the risk of her own life she sets off to find a killer who has been burying little girls in which Violet finds. Her writing will have you gasping for air and yelling at the book because there are many surprises (and everyone loves surprises...right??) 

I loved the fact that Kimberly adds tidbits of the killers thoughts into the book- yes, parts were creepy, but it made my mind turn and question myself as to who the killer could possibly be. 

There is a fun romance story amongst  the frightening and suspenseful storyline that had me head over heals in love with the couple: Violet and her best friend, Jay. The author does an excellent job with portraying a young couple. Another thing I truly enjoyed was reading the dialogue between Violet and her school friends- typical high school girls- had me laughing. 


It is VERY easy to sit down and read in a days time. Don't be surprised if you can't put it down. Yes, its that good! :-) I recommend this book to anyone. I do think that some of the ideas could potentially scare a younger reader, afterall, it is about a girl who tries and finds a killer after she uncovers the bodies that he has buried, but yes, this book is great, and I can't wait to continue with the second book Desires of the Dead!