Book Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Synopsis from 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 to 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 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 becoming his prey herself.

My Rating: (3.5)

So here is the the thing. I liked—not loved—this novel. It didn't elicit any super fangirling or obsession like my favorites, but it was an interesting and fun, light read. The characters are all likable. The story was intriguing. The romance was super duper cute. The idea was unique. The only thing that really kept it from being a great and obsess-worthy read was the writing. Although the story concept itself was mature—a girl who can find dead things and a serial killer lurking around really could have been super creepy and scary—the writing often seemed distant and a few times preachy and/or cheesy. This novel is written in third person limited point of view and that probably contributes to the distance I felt while reading it. Although you get the story from Violet's angle—though you do switch to the villain’s point of view a couple of times which is interesting—you never really feel a huge connection to her as a character. You read her story, but you don’t get sucked into her perspective so you never get fully immersed in her life. It is the equivalent of feeling like a bystander. Some novels manage to suck you in and make you feel like a player in their plot, not this one. Now, now, I am not hating on this book. I said I liked it, didn’t I?

Though I only liked the book itself, there is one thing about it I kinda couldn’t help but love: Jay. Jay is one of those cute, normal guys that you know you would be crushing on if you met him and real life and he were age-appropriate…technically since he is sixteen he isn’t legal yet…but since he is fictional, go ahead knock yourself out. Seriously, the love story is so darn tooten cute! It is really the center of the entire story, so you might consider this book seriously worth reading for the love story alone, but only if you are into those cute, best friends first, perfect for each other, not really complicated, really sweet, and love stories.

So there are now two very important questions to consider:

1) Has Jay been inducted to my Hall of Book Boyfriends?

2) Will I be reading the sequel?

First question: Is Jay now in my Hall of Book Boyfriends?  … I don’t know, I don’t know!, I don’t know! Way to put me in the spotlight!

I mean he is super cute and sweet. But is that enough to get him in? Let’s just say that right now he finds himself Waitlisted. Now, now, no sad faces. It is an honor just to be considered (hey at least I haven’t put him in the friend zone!!!). There are some serious hot dudes in my Hall of Book Boyfriends! Here take a look at some of my guys—my top ranking book boos to be exact—and see for yourself just how high the bar has been set for fictional boys everywhere!:

Four from the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

Aiden from the Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

Daemon Black from the Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Jace from The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare

As you can see, the boys listed above are just that awesome and so damn good that they have spoiled me for all the others. Once you've had a taste of them, you just can’t help but comparing all the other dudes to them. I mean it isn’t Jay’s fault that he isn’t a kick-ass Sentinel like Aiden or a seraph blade-wielding shadowhunter like Will and Jace…

I will say this, Jay is certainly very crush-worthy. If he were real, I’d give him my number. (If Four were real, I’d make Chewbacca noises, face-plant the floor, get up, run around with my arms flailing in the air, bawl, roll on the ground, and finally pounce on him. It would be MARVELOUS!).

Now, on to the second question: 

This is a very important question. I am usually all up for reading sequels. My motto: don’t give up on a series unless you dislike it very strongly. Everyone deserves a second chance. So you know I don’t like a book if I decide it is not worth reading a sequel. So now, the moment of truth, will I be reading Desires of the Dead?

*Drum Roll*

YES! I will read the sequel (which is already out and about, so is the third book by the way)!

Like I said, I did like this book and I am curious about how Violet and Jay’s relationship will progress. I am also interested in seeing how Violet uses her morbidly-useful ability, I mean it sucks only being able to detect dead bodies but it can help you catch the bad guys...

So to sum things up: interesting story, cute crush-worthy dude, and an overall readable book. Pick this book up if you are bored and looking for a light, interesting, and nice read. It’s good, not great. 

Now, take some Free Samples (TEASERS) of The Body Finder:

“What are you doing here?" she asked as she slowed from a jog to a walk and placed her hands on her hips. It would take her a few minutes to get her breathing back to normal. Longer if he kept smiling at her like that.

He shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. What about you?"

She opted for the obvious and filled her voice with as much sarcasm as she could. "I live here, actually”

“I've been so worried about strange men following you around that I forgot how dangerous Homecoming Queens can be.”

“Instead, he reached out and grabbed her hand. "If it's all right right you, I think I'll keep ahold of you anyway. I don't want to be responsible for letting you fall again.”

“But he was bigger and stronger and his hands reached up behind her to the back of her head, ignoring her denials and pinning her in place. When his mouth finally landed on hers, the combination of his alcohol soaked breath and his brutish unrestrained actions made her quiver sickly beneath him …… she felt like she was going to puke.”