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.
After reading (and falling in love with) The Body Finder a couple of months ago, I was absolutely thrilled to receive a review copy of Desire's of the Dead last week, but also absolutely terrified that this book wouldn't live up to my (very high) expectations.
I was stupid. In my opinion, Desires of the Dead is so much better than The Body Finder, with a story line that keeps you guessing all the way through, this book wasn't just 'gripping the edge of the seat' reading, it was 'struggling to breathe, shaking with fear' reading. I don't know what it is about Derting's writing that manages to evoke such extreme emotions, but I was either flicking through the pages, hyperventilating with fear, or gasping with shock or my heart was breaking.
This book has all of the intensity of The Body Finder and then some, causing that 'daren't blink my eyes' feeling! I felt so much for the characters!
I was wondering what Derting could do with a sequel, how could she create a new storyline that didn't echo that of The Body Finder? I needn't have worried though. Not only is the story original and fresh, but Derting builds on the characters so they become fresh themselves. I've seen a lot of reviews saying that they hated how Violet behaved in the novel, but I thought it was realistic, I can relate to her getting jealous over Jay's bro-mance, it's something many girls have had to deal with and her reactions were realistic. And Jay... Oh Jay... I still love you so much! <3. Derting does introduce a new character and I have a suspicion that he will be a new romantic interest for Violet in the sequel... (PLEASE SAY NO VIOLET! JAY JAY JAY JAY!).
Overall, Desires of the Dead was a white-knuckle, tear evoking, heart stopping rollercoaster of a book that, despite the fact that I personally hate having that much emotion at once, has made me desperate to read the sequel (not out until next April D:). I would recommend this series to anybody!
Overall rating: A+
Stand alone/series: Second in The Body Finder series (Preceded by the Body Finder)
Released: March 17th 2011 (Paperback)
Publisher: Headline
Book obtained via: Received from the publisher for review purposes
Great review! I was a big fan of Desires of the Dead, too. :) And I totally agree that I don't want Violet to have a new love interest. Nothing wrong with Jay! :)
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