Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Hold the phone, I'm about to get super real up in here and embarrass myself - so you're going to want to pay attention:

I love A&E (the television network - and no this isn't the embarrassing part, bear with me), the home of one of my most favorite shows ever: Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal (this is it!). It was so good, but so bad (you inevitably feel bad for these little eight year olds) that I made it number one on my DVR priority list (this is a honor only bestowed on 30 Rock or Teen Mom, clearly my tastes are as varied as they are sophisticated).

Naturally, when the series seemingly stop filming and eventually went into syndication (if you could even call it that) on the Biography channel - which I do not get, but considered paying an extra $20/month just to receive - I was, obviously, devastated.

That being said, when I stumbled upon the write up for  The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, I couldn't add it to my eHolds (oh, hey, NYPL lingo) fast enough.


A gripping tale of a girl with a morbid ability that could lead her to a killer . . . and the boy who would never let anything happen to her. Sixteen-year-old Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her unusual so-called gift. While her confusing feelings for her best friend are new, she has been able to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered—and the imprints that attach to their killers since she was a little girl. Violet has never considered her ability useful, but now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Fiercely protective of her, Jay agrees to help Violet search for the murderer. But even as she's falling in love, Violet is getting closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Shockingly, it was delivered to my Kindle immediately - how was there not a waiting period to rival 50 Shades of Grey (more on this later) for this obviously epic novel? Some things I will never understand.

I really liked this booked, and although I read it in the digital form, appreciated the discreteness of the cover art. Pretty flowers + psychic abilities = an easy home run for this girl.

• Originality: 7 - Even though Ms. Derting is clearly a rabid fan of the aforementioned A&E series, I haven't read a lot of psychic YA fiction recently, so I'm ranking this a little higher (my frame of reference is, admittedly, not as large as some of yours, so don't judge!).
• Absurdity: 6 - I think the book has elements of ridiculousness, mostly in that the premise seems unlikely, but I suspended belief for A&E, I'm going to suspend it for Ms. Derting.
• Level of Paranormal Romance: 8 - Here's the thing, Violet and her bff, Jay, are googly-eyed for each other and reaaaaaally milk that whole pining thing. Both are too afraid to tell the other, until they do, at which point they can't keep their hands off each other. It's cute, if not a little PG-13 in some areas, but whatever - I'm living my love life vicariously through 16 year olds. Check!
• Level of Harry Potterness: 4 - I've said it: I love this book and it was quick read, but it wasn't anything epic in the Furthering American Literature category, so I can't rank it too high in this category - regardless, go read it!