Book Review: Desires of the Dead (Body Finder, #2) by Kimberly Derting

Desires of the Dead (Body Finder, #2) by Kimberly Derting

Reading Level: Young Adult

Release Date: Available Now

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 368

Source: Received from publisher for honest review

Summary: The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found. Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life. As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

My Review: Ever since Kimberly came out with her debut, The Body Finder, I've been a fan of her thrilling storytelling. In the follow-up, Desires of the Dead, I was brought back into Violet's haunting world of hearing echoes from the dead. After a stream of never-ending calls from the hidden bodies, Violet assumed she could now enjoy some quality time with her newly tagged boyfriend, Jay. But, yet again she was wrong. If you read The Body Finder, you know Jay as the good-looking and devoted best friend. This time around, I got to experience him in a different light as Violet's boyfriend.

By eliminating the back and forth feelings between the two, I appreciated their connection more. Unfortunately, instead of Violet sitting back and enjoying what she had, she made herself a little crazy with insecurity. Jay would continually get hit on by girls, even though I honestly didn't know why. He never came off as this smoldering guy, instead I always pictured him as an adorable and sweet individual. Eh, everyone has different tastes.

Moving on, the best aspect of this sequel was Violet's stalker. Off the bat, I figured out whose mind we were diving into, however by the end, I was blown away at the unexpected reveal. Derting has this unique ability of tricking the reader into thinking one way and then hitting them over the head with amazing twists and turns. I wasn't really a fan of YA thrillers until I started this series. It brings this element of justice for all those innocent deaths, while always somehow putting Violet in the eye of danger. I might have not loved it as much as The Body Finder, but it was a pretty good continuation. I am looking forward to seeing Violet grow into a much more rounded person, with Jay by her side. All in all, it's so far a great series by a very talented author.

My Rating:
Book Trailer:

Author's Info:

Kimberly is the author of THE BODY FINDER and DESIRES OF THE DEAD (HarperCollins) and the upcoming release, THE PLEDGE (Nov 2011, Simon & Schuster). She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal place to write anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood. She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children who provide an endless source of inspiration.

For more info on Kimberly, visit her sites:

-Website

-Blog

-Twitter

-Facebook

-GoodReads