Tuesday 14 October 2014

The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting Book Review

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting.




When I first came across this book, I really didn’t know what to expect, from the blurb and other reviews, it came across as a young adult, romance, supernatural, crime thriller. So i was not entirely sure how it would all pan out, as it seemed like too many themes in the mixing pot. However, it really wasn’t as I thought it would be.

From the opening pages we are introduced to Violet, a young girl who seemingly has a knack…(I say knack, as power sounds a bit action hero esque) for being able to sense and find dead bodies. Morbid?... yeah! Violet is able to sense the echoes of the dead, which call out to her to be found. We learn that she typically finds those of animals, prey if you will, which have been killed in the woodlands around her house, except for that one day, where instead of an animal, it’s a young girl found, buried…murdered.

The premise of The Body Finder, centres around Violet and her gift, which I felt was very subtle to the point it almost didn’t feel supernatural, it was not over the top or to the point of being ridiculous. It was just the right amount to almost be believable, dare I say. The secondary focus is that of Jay Heaton, Violets long time best friend. Jay knows about Violets gift, after spending their childhood together, making adventures up focused around Violets gift, developing a closer bond and relationship over the years of growing up together. The story focuses on the shift in their relationship now they are both older, and now that the girls in school have noticed the changes in Jay over the past few months. Jay is now admired by nearly all the girls in their year, and Violet is not sure how to feel about her best friends new found admiration. Thirdly, there is a killer on the loose, young girls are disappearing right off the streets, and no one knows where they are…except perhaps Violet…nobody can quite find a dead body like her, but at what cost to her own safety?

There are many twists and turns within this book, you never know where you are heading or what is next, you cannot predict what will happen on the next page. It is one of the many reasons I could not put this book down, I had to know what was going to happen next, who is the killer, who will be the next to disappear, it’s getting closer to Violets home town will it be someone she knows taken next? So many questions that you are left hungry for the answers too.

The writing style is easy to follow, it is overall an easy book to sit down and read and lose yourself in, as it is one of those gripping reads that you just cannot remove yourself from. You feel for the characters, worry for them in parts too. You follow them on this journey peeking round each corner to see what is about to happen next.

The character development is very slight throughout the book, with only slight shifts in characters actions and personalities. The one thing I lacked was greater detail on the relationship with her parents, it is there at times, but I felt I knew and felt more comfortable with her relationship with her uncle than that of her parents; they barely seemed to be around. I know this is part of a series of books and currently there are two books after this, so maybe there will be more detail and interaction with her mum and dad from there.

Overall I would recommend this book, it is an enjoyable read and I cannot wait to find out what happens as the series progresses.

I would give this a 4 out of 5 star rating.

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