Kimberly Derting

The first book in the Body Finder series from Kimberly Derting is equal parts friends to lovers romance and paranormal mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Violet is hiding two secrets. The first is her confusing new feelings for her childhood best friend Jay. The second is her unusual ability to sense the dead...and the people who killed them. Violet has never considered her morbid ability to be a gift, but when a serial killer begins terrorizing her small town, she realizes she may be the only person show more who can stop him in this young adult thriller.

Ever protective of her, Jay agrees to help Violet search for clues. As they hunt for a killer, a task filled with supernatural suspense, they realize their emotions for each other have changed. But as they fall in love, Violet is also getting closer and closer to discovering the killer...and becoming his prey herself.

The concept is compelling. A girl who can sense the resonance left by the dead, gets caught up in a local murder mystery. It had the perfect blend of paranormal and "whodunnit" that had me turning pages from the beginning to the end.

The book included a surprisingly good romance. The type where the characters already had a history of companionship and you could see and feel their draw to one-another throughout the book. It was based on connections and experiences without any insta-love trope in sight. I have to say that the drama may have played out just a little too long but when considering the overall pacing at the end of the day, it was still one of the most delightful ones I’ve read, especially when concerning that this genus is not my favorite. Maybe the next book will contain more mystery and magic and less emotional drama, but I do have to bear in mind that it is a YA book, so it’s probably just "par for the course".

I also liked that the main character wasn’t a total idiot. There were one or two questionable decisions, but for the most part she handled the situations shrewdly.
I don't read many YA books, at least not on purpose:) but I do really like this author. Her approach to the story and her sometimes rather dry sense of humor translates perfectly into her books. If you want a fun mystery infused with a cool paranormal magic on top of a compelling romance, then this is a great book. show less

The Body Finder starts out with an intense scene of a young Violet finding a body. It helps get the reader into the idea of what Violet has the ability to do, which is sense bodies, hence the title. Right from that one scene, I was locked into this book. Violet Ambrose is a standout female main character. Some authors write their heroines to be either mucho macho or far from it. Violet was a nice mix of both and that made me love her. She was innocent yet strong willed, caring yet capable of show more telling lies. She knew what she wanted but she didn't just assume she could get it or go after it just to prove she could have it. She's very likeable. Who's even more likeable?! Jay Heaton, Violet's best friend. He was absouletly perfect. So many young adult books these days focus on the swoonworthy bad guy, and while I don't mind that one bit, it was nice seeing the nice guy win out. He was kind, sarcastic and charming... did I mention good-looking??? I found myself rooting for the two of them, and cheering them on. The romance in this book is just about perfect too. Not too much, not too little. I don't think there's anything in this book that I would complain about. The mystery kept me intrigued and the suspense near the end was nervewracking and exciting. It has everything that I look for in a YA book and am so very happy that I read it. I borrowed a copy but I will be getting my own soon so that I can add it to my favorites shelf. I've read a lot of 5 star books this year, but this goes right into my top 3.

I recommend this to everyone who can handle some murder and dead bodies. Other that that theres nothing too sexual besides some awesome kissing scenes and one minor alcohol scene.

I even emailed Kimberly gushing about how much I loved this, which was a first for me.

If you haven't read this yet, then you should!!! show less

Sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew has a fight with her dad on the way home from a softball game, and insists he let her out of the car so she can walk the rest of the way. The next thing she knows, she wakes up behind a dumpster and it is five years later. She hasn’t aged a bit, but everyone around her has, and clearly time has passed for them even if it has not for her. Her boyfriend and best friend are off at college (and they are together now), her parents are divorced, her mom is remarried, show more and her dad seems to have gone off his rocker. Her only ally is her former boyfriend’s adorable younger brother, Tyler, who now looks a year older than Kyra, and who of course always had a crush on her. But Kyra’s "new" life is fraught with danger and mystery, nothing is what it seems to be, and except for Tyler, she doesn’t know who can be trusted.

Discussion: I like Kimberly Derting, although this first book of a new series displays some of the same flaws as her "Body Finder" series, such as an unrealistically perfect boyfriend. In addition, the science fiction/paranormal aspects are dangerously close to being over the top. Yet, in spite of these recurrent shortcomings, Derting has a talent for building suspense into the action that keeps you turning the pages. She also does a good job here of exploring Kyra’s emotions as she finds her whole life and even her identity turned upside down.

Evaluation: This book has an interesting premise, and the author a challenging job to make her plot conceit believable enough to be scary rather than something that only causes eye-rolling. I am intrigued to see how she continues this story in future books. show less

It was bound to happen. The paranormal genre has capitalized on vampires, werewolves, the Fae, gods and goddesses, witches, mermaids, time travel, psychics, angels, demons, and more. It was only a matter of time before someone added aliens to the line-up. Cue Kimberly Derting’s The Taking.

However, before one rushes to judgment, Ms. Derting never explicitly states that the force behind the bright lights and those taken and returned truly are aliens. A reader may believe just that based on show more theories passed around throughout the story. However, Kyra never discovers the truth, and so readers can only speculate on what that truth is.

Sure, there are some faults with the story outside of the possibility of alien abduction. The love story is odd and slightly unnecessary. There is a sweetness to it that is lovely to watch unfold, and the instant attraction and heat make for a pleasant distraction. However, their relationship does nothing to further the story. Every action of support Tyler takes for Kyra could easily happen among friends and not young lovers. That being said, this is the first book in a series. There could be a very important reason that Kyra and Tyler’s relationship has to be so serious almost instantaneously that will reveal itself in future books. In fact, one can hope that this is the case. Otherwise, it becomes just another example of a female heroine that must have a male by her side for protection.

The action, however, is quite exciting, albeit a little theatrical. It is fast-paced and does not leave much time for the plot to bog down into the truly absurd. The romantic elements may be a stretch, but everything that happens to Kyra upon her return fits with the few questions to which readers have answers. If readers can accept the entire premise of the story, they will have no problems delving into the individual scenes and situations Kyra and Tyler face and ignoring the more melodramatic moments.

As preposterous as the idea may be for readers, The Taking is very appealing. The unresolved mystery about Kyra’s disappearance and return remain interesting as each answer raises more questions and possibilities, especially around Kyra’s powers – both known and unknown. The story takes an unexpected twist towards the end which serves to magnify the speculative possibilities. Because of the unfamiliar premise, the distinct lack of concrete answers, and the myriad of questions that arise based on the last chapter, The Taking piques readers’ imagination and curiosity and gives them just enough to keep wanting more. show less