The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: Available Now from HarperCollins

Source: Personal Collection

Synopsis:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

I read many, many postive reviews of this one before I picked it up, so I was a little concerned that it wouldn't live up to all the hype. Turns out, I was wrong. I really enjoyed this one. It's a fast-paced read with some truly surprising thrills.

Violet's a wonderful character who just wants to live a normal life, but has some completely abnormal things to deal with. What I like about Violet though, is that she doesn't see her ability as a curse. It was great to read about a character who is really embracing her differences and yet still fitting into her world. I also appreciate that her family is aware of her abilities and she doesn't have to hide it from them. She's a wonderful character who's completely down-to-earth and likable. You can't help but cheer for her.

I'm a fan of Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly series and this had some of the same elements to it, along with a similar feel. I'm always happy to find new YA mysteries and I'm even happier because there's a sequel coming. It's going to be called Desires of the Dead and is due in 2011. YAY!!

Derting has given us an amazing debut novel and has put herself into the position of being "one to watch" in the world of YA. I know I'll be watching for what's coming next.