Review Comparison: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Review Comparison: The Body Finder

Review Comparison is a feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews.

Click here to read previous Review Comparisons.

Click here to suggest a book for a future Review Comparison.

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature:

See Scoot Read: 10 out of 10 
All of Everything: 5 out of 5  
Daisy Chain Book Reviews: 5 out of 5  
Books for Bears: 5 out of 5  
The Book Cellar: 4.5 out of 5 
In the Closet with a Bibliophile: 4.5 out of 5 
Books for Company: 4.5 out of 5  
Books of Amber: 4 out of 5  
Rainy Day Ramblings: 4 out of 5 
The Book Vixen: 4 out of 5  
Bookworm1858: 3.5 out of 5  
Mindful Musings: 3 out of 5  
Muggle-Born: 3 out of 5  
BookAHolics Anonymous
Buried in Books

An additional review:
Annette's Book Spot: 4 out of 5

Please click on the links to read their full reviews! 

Conclusions

Reviewers were almost unanimous in liking the chapters told from the killer's point of view. Most reviewers also liked Jay, Violet, and the presence of Violet's parents in the story.

Feelings were mixed on the pacing and the balance of the romance with the mystery: Some felt the romancing was too overpowering and slowed down the plot, whereas others loved the romance and felt the pace was consistent and swift.

The majority of reviewers were surprised by the ending and the killer's identity, but at least one saw the ending coming ahead of time.

 

General: Writing, Pacing

Balance of romance and mystery:

• "I would have preferred less of the romance and more focus on the paranormal" (Bookworm1858)
• "...what I got was more of the tale of a budding high school romance with just a bit of action thrown in the mix" (Mindful Musings)
• "...there were a few times where the story lagged. The first half of the book moved a little slow, especially since the majority of the focus was on Violet's feelings for Jay...[and this] becomes overbearing at times" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "The mystery part of the story was the best part" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "A lot of the focus was on Violet and Jay's relationship...I found that this slowed the mystery part slightly, however I don't think it took away from the story" (Books of Amber)
• "...though the muder mystery aspect of the book sometimes seems to take a back seat to [Violet and Jay's] developing relationship, I was pretty OK with that" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "...the relationship between Violet and Jay...takes a very front seat in this book (and I hope continues into the second book)" (Books for Company)
• "...a perfect blend of romance, suspense and mystery" (The Book Cellar)
• "Derting did a wonderful job of keeping the story balanced. It was half romance and half murder-mystery" (Books for Bears)
• "It has suspense, romance, more psychological tension in it than any other novel I've read recently that I can think of for YA" (Buried in Books)
• "...the perfect blend of mystery, danger, paranormal-ness and romance" (See Scoot Read)

Paranormal ability

• "The overall idea of the book also caught my attention immediately" (Mindful Musings)
• "The paranormal (and mystery too) aspects of this book were fantastic" (Bookworm1858)
• "I would have liked a touch more information on the workings of this ability" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Violet possesses an unique and interesting paranormal gift" (The Book Vixen)
• "...completely original, unlike anything I've ever read before" (The Book Cellar)
• "I liked the sheer uniqueness of this idea" (All of Everything)
• "...a different twist of what we've come to expect from paranormal fiction plots" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "...it was interesting...to read how Violet described each death echo" (All of Everything)
• "It was interesting to read...the way each of the dead had a specific sound to them, or as [Violet] calls them echos" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "The description of the way her ability worked was beautiful, lowering the creep factor of being able to 'sense dead bodies'" (Books for Bears)
• "...a novel concept. I also appreciated the way the author incorporated almost all the sensory inputs into Violet's ability" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

Writing/Pacing

• "...very good writing style" (Mindful Musings)
• "Kimberly Derting provides and extraordinary, fresh voice in the paranormal genre" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...send chills down your spine and put goosebumps on your arms..." (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "The author has a great writing style; she kept me engaged the entire way and I never once lost interest" (The Book Vixen)
• "...the writing was engaging and the author's voice just sucked me into the writing" (Muggle-Born)
• "The writing was simple and believable" (Buried in Books)
• "The first pages really grab you" (Books for Bears)
• "...didn't put it down until I was done with it...I loved it from start to finish" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "You won't want to put this book down once you start" (The Book Vixen)
• "...an original story that will captivate readers from page 1" (The Book Cellar)
• "...thrilling and exciting...will keep you up, late into the night, glued to the pages" (The Book Cellar)
• "It draws you in and keeps hold of you literally to the end" (All of Everything)
• "[The author] kept the suspense going all the way up to the very end" (The Book Vixen)
• "I could not put this book down!...I was hooked from page one and the story kept me on the edge of my seat until the last paragraph" (See Scoot Read)
• "I liked the edge of your seat, heart pounding scenes; the surprise twists and the dramatic ending" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "There was just enough information without any overload" (The Book Vixen)
• "...a total page turner...fast-paced" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "...maybe a little slow to begin with but it picked up rather quick" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...this book starts in quite a calm way...not long after the action picked up quickly and I was totally engrossed in this book!" (Books for Company)
• "Once the book hits midway the action picks up with some scary scenes that are edgy and frightening" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "I found that the pacing for this story was fairly average" (Books of Amber)
• "...just didn't move fast enough" (Mindful Musings)
• "...I saw the ending coming pretty early on in the book, which made me lose interest" (Mindful Musings)
• "I didn't figure out the ending to this one" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "I had a fun time trying to guess the killer, and let me tell you I was wrong" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "Time and time again, we think we have solved the puzzle, only to turn another corner and realize we were no where close...keeping us guessing until the very end" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "The mystery was alluring...but overall, I found that the whole book was very predictable...stereotypical crime drama with an added paranormal twist" (Muggle-Born)
• "...one of my favourite books of 2010" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "I couldn't find one thing wrong with this book except that the sequel isn't sitting in my hands right now" (Buried in Books)

Characters

General:

• "I also had a hard time connecting with the characters...they were a little flat and a little overly stereotypical" (Mindful Musings)
• "The writing flows and the author does a nice job with character development" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "There's great character development, not just with the main characters, but with the secondary characters as well" (The Book Vixen)
• "[I liked that] both her parents were involved in some way...even her uncle was" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "They [the parents] were protective of her, something not often seen in YA novels" (Buried in Books)
• "I found the relationship with her parents an interesting one which felt very thought through" (Books for Company)
• "I liked the fact that Violet's parents were present and active in the story" (Mindful Musings)

Violet:

• "I was so proud of her for using her power even when it was hard for her or when her family/friends worried about her" (Bookworm1858)
• "Likeable" (The Book Vixen)
• "...relatable and fun...smart, strong...had a pleasant voice" (The Book Cellar)
• "I loved the character of Violet...brilliant backstory...funny...strong, and determined" (Books of Amber)
• "...a great female protagonist...she stays true to herself" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "Violet was an awesome character not to whiny like most" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• I felt like I really knew Violet but I didn't understand why she was so insecure" (Buried in Books)

Killer (no spoilers!):

• "I also really enjoyed the chapters told from the serial killer's perspective- they were terrifying but it was different" (Bookworm1858)
• "...incredibly haunting, dark and gritty. It's seriously disturbing and eerie..." (The Book Vixen)
• "...really added to the story...very creepy" (Books of Amber)
• "...creepy and intense, but also really intriguing...thrilling" (All of Everything)
• "I REALLY liked how [the author] included short chapters from the serial killer's point of view" (Mindful Musings)
• "...helped to build up suspense and interest" (Mindful Musings)
• "...certainly adds a chilling aspect to the book...left me feeling spooked and sent shivers down my spine" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "The most genius aspect of this novel is what Ms. Derting has created by adding the thoughts of the murderer" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "These sections were especially terrifying and suspenseful because you never know who the girl is as he stalks her" (Books for Bears)
• "I absolutely loved the chapters that brought me into the mind of the killer. I thought it was a fresh idea, hearing two perspectives of the "hunt"" (Muggle-Born)
• "It really adds to the mystery...Kimberly did it great" (Books for Company)
• "...gave the book a terrifying note of realism...disturbing and fascinating...provides plenty of chills" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

Romance

• "I thought it was a bit too steamy for YA although still technically clean and it was boring" (Bookworm1858)
• "The romance in the book seemed pretty cookie-cutter to me as well" (Muggle-Born)
• "...I felt the relationship in this book changed too easily" (Books for Company)
• "...their relationship was so dang adorable...their interactions are effortless and fun to read" (All of Everything)
• "I loved the scenes of Violet being jealous of the other girls throwing themselves at Jay-hilarious!" (Bookworm1858)
• "I loved the way the pair bickered and joked with each other" (Books of Amber)
• "I do love the chemistry between Jay and Violet" (Muggle-Born)
• "Violet and Jay are officially one of my favorite couples now. I adore their balance of best-friendship and romance" (See Scoot Read)
• "I admired the special bond of friendship that Violet and Jay share" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...swoon worthy and a total sweetheart" (The Book Cellar)
• "Derting's descriptions of Jay are simply mouth watering...total hottie...a really nice guy too and very protective of Violet" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "...[makes] us wish we were Violet and on the receiving end of [Jay's] thoughtful nature and kind heart" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "...we should all have a Jay when we are in high school. There would be a lot less therapists in the world with more Jays in the world." (Buried in Books)
• "Talk about protective. He was a life saver" (Buried in Books)
• "[I] straight away fell in love with Jay" (Books for Company)
• "It was easy to ascertain why Violet felt the pull of physical attraction. Jay is loyal and fiercely protective of Violet" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...a scrumptious love story that will make all who read it, melt" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "I loved the romance...it was 100% believable! There was a build-up to the romance, making readers wait for it to happen" (The Book Cellar)
• "Her relationship with Jay was one of the best parts of the novel" (Books of Amber)
• "My favorite aspect of the book though, was the relationship between Violet and Jay" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "I liked [Violet's] relationship-and how it developed-with Jay" (The Book Vixen)
• "I'm a big fan of best-friend-turned-soulmate stories in general, but this one was one of the best I've read in a long time" (Books for Bears)

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