Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Hardcover, 355 pages

Published February 15th 2011 by HarperTeen

Rating: 4.1 Glasses

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.

I remember reading the first book last year during english class. We were playing bingo and I won some skittles as well as the honor of being the first person to win that semester, needless to say, Body Finders was amazing. So when I picked up Desires of the Dead I was expecting some awesome stuff, and awesome stuff I did find.

Before I begin, let me say that I love Jay. I could tell there was some potential with Rafe going on, but I love Jay to much to even consider it. When I first started reading it, I thought it was going to turn out like Blue Moon, by Alyson Noel, a book that I hated to the core. Some guys becomes friends with her boyfriends and messes up her life, blah, blah, blah... thankfully, it was nothing like that, well, it sorta was, but it wasn't bad.

The book is filled with just the right amount of romance and mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. I seriously had a hard time putting the book down when I got into the thick of it. However, there were some major parts of the book that I didn't like. Even though I feel like I know Violet really well, and Jay and Chelsea almost just as well, there's very little space in this novel to expand on other characters. Sure there's Mike and Megan, and their dad and everyone else in their group, but I felt like they were just there, their characters weren't as strong as I would have liked them to be. Also, I had a hard time believing her parents would be that chill. I mean, I know this is fiction, but really? I think out of all the new characters introduced in the book, Sara Priest is the most interesting and seems to have the most potential in the forth coming books.

Overall, even though I really liked the new mystery and romance between Jay and Violet, it didn't exceed my expectations nor it didn't disappoint them either. Despite its flaws, it's a great read and worthy sequel of The Body Finder.