The Body Finder (Body Finder Series #1)

by Kimberly Derting

Overview

The first book in the Body Finder series from Kimberly Derting is equal parts romance and mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Violet is hiding two secrets. The first is her confusing new feelings for her childhood best friend Jay. The second is her unusual ability to sense the dead...and the people who killed them. Violet has never considered her morbid ability to be a gift, but when a serial killer begins terrorizing her small town, Violet realizes she may be the only person who can stop him.

Ever protective of her, Jay agrees to help Violet, and as they search, Violet realizes she isn’t the only one whose emotions have changed. But as they fall in love, Violet is also getting closer and closer to discovering the killer...and becoming his prey herself.

The Body Finder is the compulsive first book in the four-book Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061985744
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/16/2010
Series:	Body Finder Series , #1
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	168,281
Lexile:	940L (what's this?)
File size:	415 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kimberly Derting is the author of the Cece Loves Science series, the Body Finder series, the Pledge trilogy, and the Taking series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find things they say buried in the pages of their mother’s books. You can visit her online at www.kimberlyderting.com.

What People are Saying About This

Melissa Marr

“The romance and the mystery in THE BODY FINDER were so intense that I didn’t know whether to hold my breath or scream. I did know I wouldn’t be getting anything done until I read the whole book.”

Claudia Gray

“You’ll be drawn in by the love story—and kept up all night by the suspense.”

Editorial Reviews

Derting's first novel demonstrates unusual skill in weaving together contemporary teenage preoccupations with its paranormal plot twist. Violet is starting 11th grade with a beatup Honda, a vow to get to class on time, and a crush on her longtime best friend, Jay. She's also learned to cope with an eerie skill inherited from her grandmother—the ability to hear the “echo” left behind by those who have died violently. Usually this means chucking the cat outside if it's killed a mouse, but when the bodies of girls turn up, Violet turns away from concerns about the upcoming homecoming dance and becomes determined to use her ability to find the murderer. The third-person narration views Violet and the events of the book with a removed, thoughtful quality (“Coincidence. Chance. These were the words she counted on to create a veil of deceit, to keep her 'gift' a secret”), but Violet's thoughts and words feel true to her age and personality. Short, interspersed sections from the perspective of the killer add a creepy, page-turning quality. A strong debut from a promising author. Ages 14-up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Violet doesn't see dead people, but she does hear, smell and taste them. Murderers and their victims give off psychic echoes that cause Violet to have synesthetic reactions. A serial killer plagues her small eastern Washington town, so Violet enlists the help of her best friend, Jay, to find the killer by matching his echoes with those of the victims. Complicating matters are Jay's sudden ascent to hotness and popularity and Violet's massive crush on him. Her crush turns out to be reciprocal, something that will appeal to romantics everywhere. The whodunit aspect of the novel, however, is less intriguing than the romance. Although the killer actually joins in the narration, he is not named, so readers never really have a chance to sleuth out who it might be, so readers never really have a chance to sleuth out who it might be. This makes the ending feel anticlimactic even as the murderer threatens Violet's life. Violet, despite her talent for finding bodies, is ultimately a run-of-the-mill damsel in distress, who injures herself and has to be rescued from the killer by Jay. Weak characterizations bring down this promising murder mystery. (Mystery. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

The romance and the mystery in THE BODY FINDER were so intense that I didn’t know whether to hold my breath or scream. I did know I wouldn’t be getting anything done until I read the whole book.” — Melissa Marr, author of WICKED LOVELY

“You’ll be drawn in by the love story—and kept up all night by the suspense.” — Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Stargazer

“First–time novelist Derting has written a suspenseful mystery and sensual love story that will captivate readers who enjoy authentic high–school settings, snappy dialogue, sweet romance, and heart–stopping drama. A real page–turner, this will have readers checking behind themselves and refusing to go anywhere alone.” — Booklist

“Derting’s first novel demonstrates unusual skill in weaving together contemporary teenage preoccupations with its paranormal plot twist. … A strong debut from a promising author.” — Publishers Weekly

“…several twists and turns keep the pages flipping.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

From the Publisher

…several twists and turns keep the pages flipping.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

The romance and the mystery in THE BODY FINDER were so intense that I didn’t know whether to hold my breath or scream. I did know I wouldn’t be getting anything done until I read the whole book.

Melissa Marr

You’ll be drawn in by the love story—and kept up all night by the suspense.

Claudia Gray

First–time novelist Derting has written a suspenseful mystery and sensual love story that will captivate readers who enjoy authentic high–school settings, snappy dialogue, sweet romance, and heart–stopping drama. A real page–turner, this will have readers checking behind themselves and refusing to go anywhere alone.

Booklist

First–time novelist Derting has written a suspenseful mystery and sensual love story that will captivate readers who enjoy authentic high–school settings, snappy dialogue, sweet romance, and heart–stopping drama. A real page–turner, this will have readers checking behind themselves and refusing to go anywhere alone.

Booklist

Gr 9 Up—This story begins with an intriguing and promising premise: violent deaths leave a unique imprint on the victim and the killer, and Violet Ambrose can sense them. Add in the facts that her uncle is the local police chief and that a serial killer is on the loose, and you have the makings for an exciting suspense/horror novel. Unfortunately, The Body Finder never lives up to its potential. Instead, most of the book deals with the relationship between Violet and her lifelong best buddy, Jay, who has suddenly blossomed into the junior-class hottie. Does he know that she is attracted to him? Does he feel the same about her? Is he really oblivious to all of the girls throwing themselves at him? Could they, should they, will they be more than friends? These questions are mulled over ad nauseam. And when they are finally answered, the writing devolves into near-bodice-ripper style. "She surrendered to the onslaught of his deep, fervent kisses..."; "She heard herself moan and could feel the throbbing of her own pulse flickering hotly through her veins." There is a mystery and some suspense here, but the compelling scenes are too few and far between to redeem the book. Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely (HarperTeen, 2007) and Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Take (Harlequin, 2009) are much better choices.—Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA

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