Gold Star Award Winner!
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"
