Book Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
Source: Personal Copy
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

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. – Goodreads

Review:
Note to self: The next time a Kimberly Derting novel rolls around do not start reading it right before bed. You won’t get any sleep because you’ll be too busy absorbing every word. Maybe after you’re done with the book? Honestly, don’t count on it. At that point you’ll be working on getting your heart rate back to normal after the fast pace and excitement of what you just read. It’s safe to assume that sleep will come later — way later — after you attempt to write a review at 3:48AM…and fail because your brain is still mush. Once you accept that a review will not be happening at that hour, maybe then you can crawl into bed for some shuteye.

After the excellence of The Body Finder, I was nervous to see if Desires of the Dead would live up to its predecessor. I think it did! The mystery, while perhaps not on the same level of creepy as the one in The Body Finder, had my attention 100%. It threw in a few twists that kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until almost the very end. I hate when I figure out a book’s mystery early on, so kudos to Derting for weaving a great one!

Fans of the Jay and Violet relationship will not be disappointed by their heightened relationship. Their progression is so great to watch and I got a real sense of their love for one another. The mystery is what keeps me reading for 95% of the time, but Jay and Violet make up that other 5% and let me tell you: there are hearts in my eyes.

Finally, the book introduced a new subplot that I imagine will play a bigger role in upcoming sequels. I’m excited for it! It will certainly bring new things to the table and I’m intrigued by a certain addition to the character list. Is a love triangle brewing? I’ll be waiting to find out!

Desires of the Dead was a fantastic read. If you haven’t dived into this series, PLEASE DO!

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