"The Body Finder"
by Kimberly Derting
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
Source: won from Liz Writes
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review:
Violet can sense the dead, she calls the feeling an echo. Sometimes, it's just because her cat has hunted a bird on their lawn. But then she starts to find human bodies-girls her own age. Violet thinks only she can help to find the killer responsible for these murders. Only her family and her best friend, Jay, know about her skill. Jay agrees to help her but only because he's scared she'll get into a dangerous situation without him. Jay has always been her best friend, so why is she suddenly having all these confusing feelings about him? Does she want him to be more than her best friend?
I think I'm in love with Jay. I have to apologize to all of my other book boyfriends because they will have to scoot over and make room for Jay. I am so happy to see a healthy relationship portrayed in the paranormal young adult genre. Jay was a wonderful, caring guy who treated Violet with respect and love.
All of the information about the mystery, the killer, and the bodies merged together in a blur of words, as I couldn't wait for more Jay. Then I would hang on his every word and analyze every subtle nuance of his actions. And there was a lot to analyze. Derting got all of the subtleties of new love right on the money. The author can tell miles of feelings and story with just a few words.
I am a sucker for a friends to love storyline and this is one of the best I've ever read. The romance was so age appropriate, too. The characters and their relationship never came across as too mature for high schoolers. All of the new feelings that Violet felt were so true and real when it comes to first love, especially when realizing that maybe your best friend is something more. And I loved the way that jealousy came into play for both Violet and Jay.
Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Bottom Line:This is such a fantastic love story, full of the real ups and downs of high school love. The paranormal element is a great bonus to the love story in my opinion.