Desires of the Dead: Blog Tour

Character Interview with Mr. Ambrose (Violet's Father)

What were your thoughts and feelings when you first learned of Violet's gift? How do you feel now?

I’ll admit that when I first found out Vi had inherited her grandmother’s gift, it made me sad. Who wants their daughter to bear a burden like that? But after a while, it just became a part of who she was. Now, it’s hard to imagine her without it.

How do you feel about Violet and Jay's relationship? What advice would you give them?

When it comes to Jay, I trust her completely. I know she has made some questionable decisions when it comes to her ability, which I will always worry about, but I’ve always felt better knowing that she has Jay. My advice for them is very fatherly advice: Make smart decisions.

What scares you most about Violet's gift?

Honestly, pretty much everything. When she was finding animals in the woods, it was something I could deal with, but now, I’m not so sure...

Do you regret letting Violet be used by the police/FBI for her gift to catch criminals? What are your fears associated with her collaboration with them?

I’ve always known that Vi would have to make a decision about her ability someday; I just was hoping it would be much later in her life. It scares me, but I have to support her choices. That’s what family is all about.

What are your hopes for Violet for the future?

A normal, happy life…with no dead bodies.

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About Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting:

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.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting [Review]

Written by: Kimberly Derting.

Published by: Headline.

Format: Paperback.

Released: 11th November 2010.

Rating: 4/5.

Official synopsis: "Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies – or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints that attach to their killers. Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift, but now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer – and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling in love, Violet is getting closer to discovering a killer...and becoming his prey herself."

I have to say, when I first got this book, I was kind of worried about whether or not I'd like it. I'm not really a big fan of romance paranormal books, and I've already been converted to Maggie Stiefvater and didn't know if it'd happen again. But The Body Finder proved to be a very very pleasant surprise.

I loved it. The story. The characters. All of it just appealed to me. From start to finish, I didn't once thing "this is naff". And as far as I am concerned that's a good book! I loved the plot as a whole. Violet being drawn to the murdered by, what she calls, echoes. This book is hugely clever and very very entertaining!

The writing is beautifully crafted and styled. It reads really nice and smooth. ReadingThe Body Finder kind of reminded me of watching a film. It was such an effortless yet brilliant read!

I cannot recommend it enough! You seriously need to read it! I'm sorry that there's really not much more to say! It's just too brilliant for words! I couldn't believe how much the book changed my mind after my initial thoughts!

(Also, I should say, that I adore the cover. It's so cool and stands out for sure!)

My thanks to Sam at Headline for my copy! :D

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting: Review

The Body Finder

By: Kimberly Derting

 

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

"A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him."

My Review:
I can't even tell you how excited I was to get a finished copy in my mailbox from HarperTeen. I did a happy dance all over my living room. I read the first few chapters on HarperTeen's website and I was hooked. 

Kimberly Derting did a lot of things right with this novel. It was engaging, suspenseful, and just a tad creepy.  I liked that Violet didn't have this secret that she was trying to cover up, like in other paranormal novels.  Her family knew about her ability, and so did her friend, Jay.  They were all there to support her and help her as she learned what she was supposed to do with her ability. Just like a normal family would act. Or at least I like to think so.

I especially loved reading from the point of view of the serial killer. It added a very interesting flavor to the book and certainly added to the suspense. I think for the most part Kimberly nailed the psyche of a killer. It was very believable. My only complaint is that I wanted to see more of his thoughts. I know, I must be really weird or morbid or something, but sometimes I thought the book went too long without checking in with the killer.

There were so many awesome and wonderfully crafted passages in this book. I wanted to share one of my favorites:

She reached in again, this time not to dig, but to sweep away the thin layer of dirt to get a better view of what lay beneath.  She had captured her father's interest, and he leaned over her, looking into the shallow hole.

Violet worked like an archeologist, carefully sifting and brushing across the top of her discovery, so as to not disturb what might be buried there.

She heard her father gasp at the same time she recognized what she had uncovered.  She felt his strong hands reaching for her from behind, pulling her firmly by the shoulders away from the fresh dirt and gathering her into his strong, safe arms... away from the sound that was calling to her...

And away from the girl's face staring up at her from beneath the soil.

Now, about Jay and Violet's relationship. Some aspects of it I could really sympathize with. One of my most significant crushes of high school was on my best friend. We liked each other on and off for most of high school, but couldn't ever quite connect and gave it up... Anyway, while the does-he-like-me-like-I-like-him was believable, it did get a little old. I found myself wanting a lot more of the suspense and drama of the murder and less of the suspense of who Violet was going to go to homecoming with.  And, I was really bothered by Violet and Jay using other people to make each other jealous. Even though the people they were using were not the nicest of people. Still, it seemed a little sleazy to me.

Also, I felt like there was a surprising amount of profanity in the book. Generally, I just overlook it, and it doesn't bother me. For the most part I was able to do that with this book, but there were a few times where it really interrupted the flow of the story for me and it would have seemed more natural just to leave it out.

This was a fantastic book. I saw on Goodreads that there is going to be a sequel. I'm definitely going to pick it up. I think there is a lot more than can be done with this story, and I'm anxious to see where Kimberly takes it.

Book-A-Likes: The Mark by Jen Nadol, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

My Rating:

 4 Stars!

Profanity: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Sexuality: Moderate
Violence: Moderate