The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Grace Brisbane has ruined everything for me. If you read my review of Shiver (and if you didn’t, why not?) then you’ll remember that Grace is my favorite character of the year. Quiet, sensible, intelligent: what’s not to like?

I was excited then when it seemed like the heroine of The Body Finder, Violet Ambrose, was just like my beloved Grace. No so. But more on that later.

The Body Finder has an awesome premise: a teenaged girl, Violet, has the ability to sense dead bodies. The bodies seem to emit some sort of sound, like a high-pitched whine, that draws Violet to them. Usually, she just finds the kinds of things you’d expect to uncover in a walk through the woods, you know, dead squirrels and assorted mangled critters. As a little kid she developed the habit of digging up these animals and burying them in a makeshift graveyard in the garden behind her house. Then, one day, during a walk in the woods with her dad, Violet hears a louder than normal cry and as she moves closer to the sound she crouches down and begins digging. A moment later - you guessed it - Violet uncovers a real body, the body of a little girl.

Shoot forward several years; Violet is a relatively happy high schooler (are there any really happy high schoolers?) whose biggest problem is her lifelong best friend, Jay. It seems that, over the summer, Jay has grown from a goofy little kid into a seriously hot guy. This transformation is not lost on Violet and she is now torn between her new-found attraction to Jay and her overwhelming desire to preserve their friendship.

So who has time to find dead bodies? Happily, Violet clears her head long enough to hear their cries. While out on a lake with Jay, Violet hears the familiar call. She assumes it’s just an animal, but she is compelled to move closer and closer to the sound. A missing teenaged girl is dead in the water.

It’s the beginning of a very busy season for Violet: a serial killer is at work in the area around her home. The calls from the dead come in fast and furious. Happily for the police chief (who happens to be Violet’s uncle) killers appear to emit a sound of their own, and Violet is on their trail.

What’s not to love? Well, I did like The Body Finder - a lot. But I think I had big expectations for Violet. I wanted her to be as serious and smart as Grace, and instead, I found myself annoyed at the completely empty interactions she has with her friends. But then I guess that’s why I don’t want to teach high school.

Overall, The Body Finder was based on a very interesting idea and Violet wasn’t completely repulsive. Grab yourself a copy and see what you think.

LAME FACTOR: I need to give it a 1 out of 5. Come on, kiddies. School is for making something out of yourself, not for making out.

YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: If you have your parents conned into believing that they can trust you to close your bedroom door with a boy in there, don’t let them read this book.

BRAIN POWER: Eh.