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Book Review of The Body Finder

The Body Finder
The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Genre: Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Hardcover
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THE BODY FINDER is a frightening and disturbing debut YA novel--and I use those adjectives in the best sense. The plot is fresh, the romance butterflies-inducing, and--despite its flaws--it'll be hard to get this book out of your head.

THE BODY FINDER's unique and suspenseful plot is the driving force behind this book. In between third-person narration that follows Violet around, we get flashes into the killer's mind, which will make the hair on your arms stand on end. The paranormal element is unobtrusive enough to still keep the setting firmly planted in our world, which only adds to the suspense.

Violet and Jay are a delightful pair of main characters. Individually they're unfortunately not especially stellar: the narration felt curiously distant from Violet, despite her being the protagonist, and she seems like a real wallflower character (not just in her world, but also in the YA genre), not really doing much until external circumstances force her to change. Together, however, their connection is strong, well developed, and believable. Violet and Jay have definite chemistry going on, and it was a delight to read about them discovering their growing feelings for one another.

So Violet is a little too passive, and secondary characters unfortunately too flat and unbelievable, for me to lose my heart to this book. But if, for whatever reason, you want a book that will raise goosebumps on your skin, check out THE BODY FINDER. It's a taut thriller with a great romantic sideplot.