THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting
Book Review
Published by HarperTeen on March 16th 2010
Rating: 
After reading a lot of great reviews, I am always afraid that I will read a book with a bias, that other people’s opinions and reviews are seeping into my subconscious to the point that I misjudge a book. I try not to read reviews unless I’ve already read the books myself, but it’s just too tempting, and I always want to know whether or not a book is worth reading before I dive into it. THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting is one of those books with a lot of hype. I had heard nothing but great reviews, and I was very cautious when I started to read. I didn’t wanted to be pulled onto the wagon just because everyone else liked it. I wanted to genuinely like it myself.
Book 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 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 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.
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting. I thought that the writing was engaging and the author’s voice just sucked me into the writing. From the first page, I knew I was going to enjoy it. The mystery was alluring. I absolutely loved the chapters that brought me into the mind of the killer. I thought it was a fresh idea, hearing two perspectives of the “hunt”. But overall, I found that THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting was very predictable.
Is it because I watch a lot of crime dramas? I felt like there was no revelation in the story that shocked me. I hate to say it, but I felt like THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting was a stereotypical crime drama with an added paranormal twist. It felt to me like a recipe was used to get the final product. You add Violet, Jay, killer, innocent young girls, a dash of paranormal, and a cup full of love and you get THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting.
But it was not just the mystery that I found predictable. The romance in the book seemed pretty cookie-cutter to me as well. I have to admit, I do love the chemistry between Jay and Violet. They are just so obviously meant for each other that I can’t imagine anyone not seeing it coming. I didn’t mind that I knew just where their relationship was going to go because the chemistry between them was perfect.
Overall, I really did enjoy THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting. Though this review focused mostly on the fact that I knew what was going to happen, I really enjoyed reading how the characters got to Point A to Point B. I will read the next book in the Body Finder series, but I do sincerely hope that the ending will not be as obvious.
Other Reviews:
The Elliott Review