Review: The Essence - Kimberly Derting

I knew who whispered inside my head. Sabara.
She was still here.
Living inside my body.
Taunting me.

Seventeen-year-old Charlaina, overthrower of Queen Sabara's brutal regime, is now sovereign of Ludania. While seeking to bring equality to her previously divided country, Charlie also struggles to adjust to the responsibility thrust upon her. Not everyone is happy with their new Queen - a burgeoning resistance to Charlie's rule is rapidly gaining momentum. And external enemies are not the only ones Charlie must contend with. Though it has been months since her demise, Sabara's influence is far from over. The evil queen's Essence has fused with Charlie's psyche and is viciously fighting to overpower her. Pushed to the brink of exhaustion, can Charlie perform her royal duties, combat Sabara's influence, and face an ultimate betrayal?

The Pledge Series:
The Pledge
The Essence
There will be a third book in this series but the title and release date are currently unknown

Visit Kimberly Derting's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed the first book in Kimberly Derting's dystopian fantasy series and I've been looking forward to reading The Essence for a year now. I have to admit that it's been so long since I've read The Pledge that I was a little hazy on the finer details of what happened in the story, I knew I'd enjoyed it and I remembered the main plot but I had trouble remembering who all of the minor characters were and was a little worried that was going to reduce my enjoyment of the next book. That is one of the hazards I'm finding now that I'm reading so many different series and having to wait a whole year between each instalment, especially since I, unfortunately, no longer have time to reread series before I start the latest book. Thankfully in this case Kimberly Derting did a great job of jogging my memory about the important things and within a few chapters I was fully sucked back into the world she has created.

Charlie is now the new queen of Ludania (after winning against Sabara at the end of the last book), she has been ruling for several months and is determined to bring about equality for all of her citizens. Where people were previously separated by a class system and not even allowed to speak the same language she has decreed that everyone must speak the common language and people will be allowed to do whatever jobs they would like. While this has gone down well with the people from the lower classes it hasn't been a popular move with those who think they are above the rest of the citizens. There has been a lot of resistance and the protests are becoming more and more troublesome. Charlie isn't only faced with trying to keep the peace within her realm though, she must also face meeting the rulers of the other kingdoms and see if she can gain important allies for herself and her people. It quickly becomes clear that someone is working against her but it is hard to know where to turn or who she can trust. As if that wasn't enough to deal with Charlie is also fighting an internal battle, Sabara wasn't completely destroyed and a part of her is buried within Charlie, fighting to take control.

You have to admire Charlie for the changes that she is trying to make within her country, she wants all of her people to have the same opportunities and she is determined for make that happen. This makes her incredibly popular with half of the citizens but resented by the rest. A change that big isn't going to happen overnight and she has many enemies who want to make sure she doesn't succeed. I enjoyed seeing how she interacts with the people around her and how she struggles with people treating her as the queen. She is used to being a normal girl and hates having people bow down to her but it is something she knows she will have to get used to. It was also interesting to see how she reacted to the rulers of the other realms, she seems to have made some interesting allies but you have to wonder how much of what people are saying to her is really the truth and how much is them just keeping her onside while they work out how they can use her.

One thing I did find a little disappointing was the fact that we don't see that much of Max in this instalment. I understood why that was the case but I missed the budding romance between him and Charlie because I love them as a couple. I was a bit worried that we might be seeing the beginnings of a love triangle with a new character who is introduced but it didn't go as far as I feared it would and I have high hopes for more of Max and Charlie in the last book of the trilogy. The Essence is a great story and a book that fans of The Pledge are sure to love. I'm now going to spend the next year looking forward to the final instalment!

Source: Received for review from Allison & Busby in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
Escapism from Reality
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Foyles 2nd Creative Voices Event & Afternoon Tea with Kimberly Derting - 12th May 2012

Neil from Foyles introducing the authors

A couple of weeks ago I was very excited to be invited for afternoon tea with Kimberly Derting thanks to Headline and Allison & Busby. Before the tea Kimberly was making an appearance at Foyles for their second Creative Voices event so of course I jumped at the chance of attending the event to get the chance to see the other authors who would be there - Cat Clarke, James Dawson and Tanya Byrne.

Kimberly Derting, Cat Clarke, James Dawson & Tanya Byrne

Kirsty and I made our way to London early so we could meet up with Sammee for lunch, I can't tell you how much I love having time to catch up with my blogging buddies. One of the best things about blogging has been the awesome friends I've made! We were all understandably excited and a bit hyper so we made our way to Foyles early to make sure we got good seats. Before the event started we had a chance to chat with some of the other bloggers who were attending the event and some of the lovely publicists I've met over the last couple of years.

After an introduction from Neil it was time to hear from each of the authors.

Kimberly Derting

First up was Kimberly Derting who told us a bit about both of her latest releases The Last Echo which is the third book in her Body Finder series (you can read my review here) and the first book in her new dystopian fantasy series The Pledge (you can read my review here). I'm a massive fan of Kimberly's writing so if you haven't read any of her books I'd definitely recommend them! The Body Finder books are about a young girl called Violet who has the unusual ability to find dead bodies, each body has an echo - a taste, a smell, a colour or even a sound - that Violet can detect. The echo is also left as an imprint on the victim's murderer and Violet uses her ability to help the police hunt serial killers. In her new series Kimberly has created a unique dystopian world where the class system isn't just about how much money you have or the jobs your family do. The class you come from also controls the language you speak and it is forbidden to even look at someone from another class if they are speaking in their own language. Main character Charlie has the ability to understand all of the languages, even though she has never been taught them, but she has always been warned that it is vital to keep her power a secret. If anyone discovers what she can do it would be the death of her but where did this ability come from and what will it mean for her future?

Cat Clarke

Next up was Cat Clarke talking about her second novel Torn (read my review here) which was published in the UK earlier this year. I first met Cat back before she was a published author and couldn't have been more excited when her debut novel Entangled (read my review here) was published last year. Torn is a fantastic novel about a group of teenagers on a school activity holiday in the wilds of Scotland. When some of the students decide to get revenge on one of the popular kids who has made their lives a misery things go horribly wrong and they are left to face the consequences. Nothing will ever be the same again but they all deal with their guilt in very different ways. Torn was one of those books that really makes you think, the scariest thing was how realistic it felt and you could easily picture something like that happening in real life!

James Dawson

James Dawson's debut novel Hollow Pike (read my review here) was one of my most anticipated reads of 2012 so I was incredibly excited to get a chance to meet him! I'm telling you now he was one of the funniest authors I've ever met and I absolutely loved listening to his reading from the book. James decided to read out a scene where there is a fight between two of the main characters Laura and Kitty, this isn't just an argument - it's a proper bitch fight with hair pulling, scratching and even a tumble down the stairs - so it was a great scene to listen to, especially as James got really into it and even gave the characters different accents! Hollow Pike is a fantastic book that tackles the difficult subject of bullying and does it with honesty and realism. I wish there had been more books like it when I was a teenager who was being bullied horribly on a daily basis because it would have been nice to have felt less alone. I really can't recommend the story highly enough.

Tanya Byrne

Last but by no means least was debut author Tanya Byrne who was talking about her book Heart-Shaped Bruise. Now this was the only book mentioned that I haven't read yet but after listening to Tayna's reading I've definitely added it to my wish list! Heart-Shaped Bruise sounds like an emotional and heart breaking read and I'm looking forward to picking it up.

After all of the authors had spoken about their books and answered questions from the audience there was time for a book signing and we got to have a quick chat with them all. Here are a few more pictures I took at the event:

I'd like to say a massive thanks to Neil from Foyleswebsite to keep an eye out for future events.

After the Creative Voices event finished it was time for us to make our way to Drink Shop Do (visit their website here) for afternoon tea. Luckily we had Hannah & Lynsey from Headline to help us get there or I'm pretty sure I'd have ended up getting lost. It was a bit like being on a school trip as we all negotiated the underground trying to make sure that nobody was left behind! I have been to Drink Shop Do before and I have to say if you're ever in London & looking for somewhere a bit different to go then it's well worth a visit. The afternoon tea was fabulous but they also do all sorts of themed evenings that look like a lot of fun.

Nom nom nom!

We were well and truly spoilt with sandwiches, scones and sweets washed down with tea of course. Have you ever heard of cherry bakewell tea? I hadn't but it tasted delicious & was exactly like drinking a bakewell tart!!

Sammee, Kirsty, Kimberly Derting & me

It was wonderful to have a chance to chat with Kimberly and find out more about her plans for future books. She was very careful not to give us any spoilers though no matter how hard we begged her to lol. I was really shocked that Kimberly remembered writing a guest post for my blog way back in 2010 when she was promoting The Body Finder! She wrote a fab post about how her (male) cat ended up being given the name Princess Beachball and has been having a bit of an identity crisis ever since! You can read the post here if you're interested.

We had an absolutely fabulous time chatting about books, authors and life in general along with eating way too many sweets! I got a little bit addicted to the strawberry licorice straws lol. I'd like to say a massive thank you to Kimberly Derting for taking time out of her holiday to spend the afternoon with us all. I'd also like to say a massive thanks to Sam, Hannah & Lynsey from Headline and Chiara from Allison & Busby for organising the event and inviting me to go along.

Who Was There:

Cat Clarke - Website

James Dawson - Website

Kimberly Derting - Website

Tanya Byrne - Website

Neil - Foyles

Sam, Hannah & Lynsey - Headline

Chiara - Allison & Busby

Andy & Dan - The Pewter Wolf

Kirsty - The Overflowing Library

Leanne & Sue - District YA

Michelle - Book Club Forum

Sammee - I Want To Read That

Review: The Pledge - Kimberly Derting

Seventeen-year-old Charlaina knows she has exceptional but perilous powers.

In the far future, in a land controlled by an aged and ruthless queen, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. Even acknowledging a member of the ruling class while they are speaking their native tongue is punishable by death. Charlie can understand all languages, a secret she must protect to stay alive.

When she meets the alluringly handsome Max, who speaks in a language she hasn't heard before, she is intensely attracted to him. Max believes that Charlie is the key to something bigger and he pledges to protect her. But as war descends, can she trust him?

The Pledge Series:
The Pledge
The Essence
There will be a third book in this series but the title and release date are currently unknown

Visit Kimberly Derting's website for more information

Review:
I'm a massive fan of Kimberly Derting's body finder series so I couldn't wait to pick up the first book in her new dystopian fantasy series The Pledge. I wasn't disappointed and I think if anything I'm going to like this series even more than the body finder books. My main disappointment was the fact that I'm going to have to wait a whole year to find out what happens next!!

Kimberly Darting has created a unique dystopian world where people of different classes all speak their own language. There is a universal language spoken by everyone but people of the lower serving classes are not allowed to even look at people from the higher classes when they are talking in their own language. In fact just glancing in their direction could be enough to earn you the death penalty! This is a matriarchal world but rather than being a kind and benevolent queen Sabara is more of a tyrannical dictator. Not everyone is happy with their current ruler and the resistance is gaining more backing but can they really make a difference?

At seventeen Charlie has a very big secret to keep, she can understand all of the different languages spoken in the realm - something that should be impossible as she should only be able to speak Parshon the language of the vendor class she was born into and Englaise which is the universal language. Her parents have always told her how important it is to keep her ability a secret - after all if anyone finds out about her it could lead to her death - but it isn't easy to listen to people insult you in a language you shouldn't understand and pretend you haven't heard them. I really liked Charlie as a main character, she is smart and brave but most of all I loved the way she looks out for her younger sister Angelina - the two of them have such a close bond and Charlie is like a second mother to her. Angelina is such an adorable character that you just want to pull her out of the book so you can adopt her!

When Charlie first meets Max she is drawn to him because he speaks a language that she has never even heard before. She is immediately curious about who he could be and where he has come from. Although attracted to him I like the fact that she doesn't trust him straight away, she is wary of his intentions and he has to earn her trust and respect as she gets to know him. I enjoyed the romance that develops between them and am looking forward to seeing more of them as the series continues. I really liked that we got to see parts of the story from Max's point of view too, in fact I would have liked more chapters from his perspective!

We have been introduced to a great selection of characters that I am looking forward to learning more about (particularly Xander, Angelina & Brooklyn). The story is fast paced and kept me hooked from beginning to end and this is a very promising start to the series. I would definitely recommend the story for anyone who enjoys either fantasy or dystopian books, The Pledge straddles the line between the two and contains unique world building, fun characters, hints of magic, romance and more than a little action.

Source: Received for review from Allison & Busby in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle

Review: The Last Echo - Kimberly Derting

IN THE BEGINNING
Violet's morbid ability to sense echoes from the dead led her to uncover dark murders and long-buried secrets. The only people she told were her supportive parents and boyfriend Jay.

NOW SHE CAN FINALLY BE HONEST
Violet hopes that working with a special investigative team will give her the chance to actually save lives - or at least catch more killers. But the instant connection she feels with mysterious partner, Rafe, is both confusing and unsettling, and their unique bond creates tension with Jay.

IN THE END, ALL THAT'S LEFT IS AN ECHO
When she discovers the body of a student murdered by 'the collector', Violet is determined to solve the case. With her own relationship on the line, Violet doesn't realise that the serial killer is looking to add to his collection, and that she may have caught his eye.

Will the next life Violet has to save be her own?

The Body Finder Series:
The Body Finder
Desires of the Dead
The Last Echo
There will be a fourth book in this series but the title and release date are currently unknown

Visit Kimberly Derting's website for more information

Review:
The Body Finder was one of my favourite books of 2010 and I have been a fan of Kimberly Derting and this series ever since I read it. It shouldn't come as any surprise to hear that I have been eagerly waiting for this book since I read Desires of the Dead last year. Considering the lengthy wait and my high expectations it would have been easy to end up disappointed but I'm happy to say that The Last Echo completely blew me away and was by far my favourite instalment to the series so far! Kimberly Derting hit the ball right out of the park with this one and I have no idea how I'll survive the wait until the final book of the series next year!

As The Last Echo is the third book in the body finder series I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review will already have read the first two books. Therefore this will include spoilers for the previous books but will remain spoiler free for The Last Echo - don't say I didn't warn you if you choose to carry on reading!

Violet has been through a lot since we first met her, she has helped track down several murderers and almost been killed in the process. She has seen more dead bodies than anyone would ever want to see - especially considering she is only 17 years old - and she has been recruited by an FBI agent to work on a special psychic task force. Yes, it has definitely been an interesting year for Vi! Luckily she has a supportive boyfriend Jay who has always known about her abilities and her family are there to stand by her. On the downside she is about to face her toughest adversary yet and things will never be the same again.

Violet has always kept her abilities a secret so it is strange for her to be working with her new team and she finds it hard to trust them at first. I really enjoyed getting to find out more about Sara and Rafe along with meeting other team members Krystal, Sam and Gemma. They all have slightly different abilities and I'm enjoying discovering just what they are capable of. Violet feels guilty that her powers are only useful after a murder has been committed, her ability to sense the echo left behind on both the killer and the body doesn't offer much help trying to stop a crime from being committed in the first place. Some of the others are able to sense things before they happen and Violet wants to find a way to use her gift to stop future murders. Their latest case against a serial killer dubbed as "the collector" isn't going to be easy though and he has his sights set on collecting one of their own.

I found myself slightly frustrated that we don't get to see more of Jay in this book, I absolutely love him and think he and Violet are made for each other. He has always been such a good friend to her and he is incredibly romantic, the kind of boyfriend any girl would want to have! I was pleased to see that most of the time they are together things are going better between them than they were in the last book though. While I like Rafe as a character and desperately want to know more about his abilities I am frustrated that Violet seems so drawn to him and I really hope that she doesn't end up ditching Jay. I can see why Violet feels able to share things with Rafe that she is wary of talking to Jay about but considering how Jay has been there for her for so many years I think he understands her better than she understands herself! I think I'm just a little bit fed up with the whole love triangle thing as it seems to be occurring in almost every YA series I read. At least it isn't done too heavy handedly in these books though.

What I love most about this series is the mystery. Kimberly Derting always includes short chapters from the killer's perspective and while they are always creepy I think she outdid herself this time around. Scenes in The Last Echo

Source: Received for review from Headline in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting

VIOLET AMBROSE'S SECRET IS OUT
Violet has a curious gift: the ability to sense the echoes emitted by murder victims. Only her boyfriend Jay and her closest family know. But when she locates the body of a missing boy sought by the FBI she puts herself firmly on their radar.

NOW SHE'S BEING WATCHED
As if dealing with regular calls from the FBI isn't enough, threatening notes are being left on her doorstep, and she feels disturbing echoes around the home of Jay's new best friend. Violet needs answers fast...

WHO CAN SHE TURN TO?
Violet should feel closer to Jay now he's moved from best friend to boyfriend, but she hasn't told him what's worrying her. She tells herself she's protecting him, but is their fledgling relationship strong enough to cope?

As Violet faces her fears alone she uncovers dark truths that lead her to danger...

The Body Finder Series:
The Body Finder
Desires of the Dead
The Last Echo
There will be a fourth book in this series but the title and release date are currently unknown

Visit Kimberly Derting's website for more information

Review:
Violet has the ability to detect echos left behind by murder victims, the same echos that are carried around by their killers. This has always been a closely guarded secret known only by her family and her best friend (and now boyfriend) Jay but it now looks like someone else has found out. With the FBI constantly asking questions and someone leaving threatening notes for Violet she has a lot on her plate. But why is she finding it so difficult to turn to Jay for help?

I absolutely loved The Body Finder so was really looking forward to reading Desires of the Dead. I'm still fascinated by Violet's abilities and I thoroughly enjoy Kimberly Derting's writing style, she has a great way of building suspense but I'll admit I wasn't as shocked by the ending as I was when reading the first book, I'd actually figured things out fairly early on which was a shame because I was really hoping I'd got it wrong.

One of my favourite things in the first book was the romance between Violet and Jay, it is so refreshing to come across a couple who have known each other for years and slowly come to have deeper feelings for each other. Jay is just as swoon worthy as ever - in fact I think he was even more adorable in Desires of the Dead and I love him more than ever! However, I found myself disappointed by Violet's attitude for a lot of the book. She absolutely refuses to talk to Jay which just didn't make sense to me - he has been her best friend and the person she could always turn to forever so it annoyed me that she wouldn't trust him now when she needed him the most. I felt quite sorry for him and almost reached the point where I wouldn't have blamed him for giving up on her. She did manage to redeem herself by the end though so I have high hopes for the pair of them in the future.

What I really enjoyed most was the FBI involvement, I don't want to say much for fear of spoilers but we are introduced to some interesting characters (I'm particularly curious about Rafe!) and I can't wait to see the effect that certain events have on Violet in the next book. Although Desires of the Dead didn't quite live up to my expectations I would still recommend the series - The Body Finder was one of my favourite books in 2010 and the series is unique in the YA paranormal market and well worth picking up. If you're a fan of the first book you don't want to miss the new developments in Desires of the Dead and I will be among the first in the queue for the next book!

Source: Received for review from Headline in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

NEW Winner: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting + Swag

Since I didn't hear back from the first winner I've picked a new one with the help of random.org and I am very happy to announce that the new winner of  The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting along with a signed poster, stickers and a Body Finder wristband is:

Claire (From Cem's Book Hideout)

Congratulations Claire!  If you can email me at sarahsreviews at ymail dot com with your address details I will pass the information along to Headline so they can send your prize out to you.  If I don't hear from you within 48 hours then a different winner will be chosen.

I'd like to say a massive thank you to Headline for allowing me to host this giveaway for them.

Winner: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting + Swag

With the help of random.org I am very happy to announce that the winner of  The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting along with a signed poster, stickers and a Body Finder wristband is:

Kirsty (From The Overflowing Library)

Congratulations!  If you can email me at sarahsreviews at ymail dot com with your address details I will pass the information along to Headline so they can send your prize out to you.  If I don't hear from you within 48 hours then a different winner will be chosen.

I'd like to say a massive thank you to Headline for allowing me to host this giveaway for them.

*** Note 29th Nov - since I didn't hear back from Kim a new winner has now been chosen & announced here ***

UK Only Giveaway: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting + Swag NOW CLOSED

* UPDATE - THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED - Winner announced here *

A GIRL WITH A MORBID ABILITY
When a murder is committed it leaves a unique echo... on both the victim and the killer.  Most people are unaware of these echoes but Violet Ambrose has always been able to sense them.


A SERIAL KILLER ON THE LOOSE
Now Violet's town is in the thrall of a serial killer the echos of the local girls he has murdered are haunting her.


AND THE BOY WHO WOULD NEVER LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO HER
The only shining light is Violet's best friend Jay.  She's started falling for him and his fierce protectiveness gives her hope that he may feel the same...


With the police at a loss, can Violet use her ability to stop the killer of is she in danger of becoming his next victim?

The Body Finder is released in the UK on 11th November

Visit Kimberly Derting's website for more information

I'd like to say a massive thank you to publisher Headline for offering a copy of The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting to giveaway to one of my UK readers.  I really enjoyed this book - you can read my review here - and am really excited to be able to host this giveaway.  Headline are also including a signed poster, stickers and a Body Finder wristband so I'm actually rather jealous that I can't enter the giveaway myself!

This is the US Trailer for The Body Finder but I thought you might like to watch it

Giveaway Details:

• Headline have offered a copy of The Body Finder, a signed poster, stickers and a Body Finder wristband for a lucky UK winner.
• You don't have to be a follower on my blog or Twitter to enter (although of course I'd love it if you were LOL). 
• You can get extra entries by spreading the word but that isn't required
• You can also get extra entries by commenting on my review of The Body Finder here or Kimberly's fab guest post about her gender confused cat here (again this is not required)
• To enter please fill in the form below
• You have until 22nd November to enter the giveaway and I'll announce the winner on my blog soon afterwards.  The lucky winner will then have 48 hours to email me with their full address details or another winner will be chosen.
• The books will be sent to the winner by Headline so the winner will have to give permission for me to pass on their address.

UK ARC Review: The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting

A GIRL WITH A MORBID ABILITY
When a murder is committed it leaves a unique echo... on both the victim and the killer.  Most people are unaware of these echoes but Violet Ambrose has always been able to sense them.


A SERIAL KILLER ON THE LOOSE
Now Violet's town is in the thrall of a serial killer the echos of the local girls he has murdered are haunting her.


AND THE BOY WHO WOULD NEVER LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO HER
The only shining light is Violet's best friend Jay.  She's started falling for him and his fierce protectiveness gives her hope that he may feel the same...


With the police at a loss, can Violet use her ability to stop the killer of is she in danger of becoming his next victim?

The Body Finder Series:
The Body Finder
Desires of the Dead
The Last Echo
There will be a fourth book in this series but the title and release date are currently unknown

Visit Kimberly Derting's website for more information

Review:
For as long as she can remember Violet has been able to sense echos from creatures that have been murdered, echos that are also left behind on their killer.  The echo can come in many forms - a sound, a vision or even a taste - and Violet feels compelled to track down the victim and give them a proper burial.  Luckily her finds are usually animals who have been killed by predators but she did make a much more sinister find when she was only 8 years old.  She is supported by her family and her best friend Jay who are all aware of her strange ability and with their help she has been able to cope with the things she has seen.  At the start of her freshman year things get a lot harder for Violet, she has feelings for Jay that go far beyond friendship and isn't sure how to deal with her emotions.  Even worse than that is the fact that a serial killer is at work in her town targeting young girls.  With the police struggling to find leads Violet is determined to use her ability to track down the killer but is she just placing herself, her family and her friends in danger or can she actually help?

I have to start with how much I enjoyed reading The Body Finder, it is up there with my favorite reads of the year & I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel Desires of the Dead.  It is hard to believe that this is Kimberly Derting's debut novel and she has definitely earned a spot on my list of must read authors.  The story is a great mix of romance and mystery with Violet's abilities adding a unique twist to the paranormal genre making it unlike anything else I've read before.

Violet is a likable character right from the beginning and I found her very easy to relate to but my favorite part of the book was probably the romance between her and her best friend Jay.  I have to confess I like the mysterious bad boy as much as the next girl but it's become such a common theme in YA paranormal stories recently that I found it a refreshing change to read about a relationship developing between friends.  Violet and Jay have been best friends since they were 6 years old, they spend all of their time together and know each other inside out.  The new feelings they are developing for each other catches Violet unprepared and I loved watching her process her emotions.  Jay is one of my favorite male characters, he is sweet and caring but he is also protective and completely hot.  The banter between him & Violet had me laughing out loud and I loved the fact that they both give as good as they get.  Their relationship is backed up by a long shared history and that really adds depth to the story.

The mystery is well written and has a couple of surprising twists that left me on the edge on my seat in places.  I found it interesting having some of the chapters told from the killers perspective - those chapters were very creepy to read but weren't too graphic in detail which I was grateful for.  I would recommend this book for all fans of young adult paranormal stories - get hold of a copy today, you won't regret it.

Source: Received for review from Headline in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:

If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Author's Animal Antics - Kimberly Derting

Author's Animal Antics is a new regular blog feature here at Sarah's Book Reviews where I'm very excited to have some fantastic authors come and chat to us about their pets.  I'm thrilled to introduce the lovely Kimberly Derting as my guest today...

**************************************************

So we have this cat, and let’s just say that “it” is a little confused.

Our cat started out like any other cat: cute, small, cuddly, and utterly adorable. As a matter of fact, he really wasn’t meant to be our cat at all. I actually got him as a gift to give to my mother for her birthday. I had it all planned out, the cat would stay one night at our house and I would surprise my mom the next day with this wonderfully thoughtful gift. Um, big mistake, because it only took a night for my youngest daughter to fall in love. Completely, madly, and totally in love with him, um…I mean her.

Princess Beachball

Let me explain.

My daughter, who was only five at the time, had decided that this cat was most definitely a girl cat! Despite what the pet store told us, and what biology pretty much confirmed, she was convinced that this cat was in fact “a girl.”

Okay, so we humored her. Fine, the cat was a girl, so what? It’s not like we were breaking the law or anything by letting our daughter think that her new cat was a girl. The cat would never know the difference, right? Well, here’s the thing with girl cats: they get girly names. And in our house, the kids get to name their pets whatever they want, so of course these names will sometimes begin with “Princess,” as in….wait for it…. Princess Beachball. Yeah, you heard me, and now this boy-kitty was shackled with the name Princess Beachball…for life.

Do you know the worst part about having a cat named Princess Beachball? Calling for him. I’m sorry but there is simply no way to call out “Princess Beachball!” without getting strange looks from the neighbors. To this day, my husband refuses to call the cat. Of course he says it’s because he’s trying not to embarrass the cat in front of the other boy cats, but come on, we all know he’s the one who’s really embarrassed.

Abby with Princess Beachball

And to top things off, the “beachball” part of his/her name became like a self-fulfilling prophecy, because this cute and tiny kitten grew (and grew) into this large, and dare I say it, very beachball shaped (and gender confused) cat.

Poor kitty.

By the way, our daughter is nine years old now and still doesn’t know. ;)

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Thank you so much for visiting today Kimberly!  Kimberly Derting is the author of The Body Finder which has already been a huge success in the US and releases in the UK on 11th November.  The Body Finder is a fantastic start to a new young adult urban fantasy / paranormal romance series, I'd highly recommend reading it if you are a fan of these genres (I'll be posting my review and a UK giveaway later today thanks to Headline).  I can't wait to read Desires of the Dead when it releases next year!

Find out more about Kimberly and her work here - Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Myspace

For more information about the Author's Animal Antics feature click here

Sneak Peak: The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting

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.

If you're a UK blogger like me then you've probably seen all the buzz about The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting since it released in the US earlier this year.  I've been wanting to get my hands on this book for ages and I'm sooooo excited that we're now finally closing in on the UK release date - 11th November 2010!

The Body Finder is the first book in an exciting new series - for more information about the book and it's sequel Desires of the Dead you can visit Kimberly Derting's website but why don't you check out the US book trailer below first:



Are you as excited as I am yet?  Do you still want more?  Well you can read a sneak peak of the prologue & first 2 chapters HERE you can also check out Kimberly's page on The B Word website for more information.

I'm very happy to tell you that Kimberly is going to be making an appearance in my Author's Animal Antics feature on October 21st with a lovely guest post about her gender confused cat Princess Beachball (you'll have to read the post to find out more!).  I'm also going to be hosting a giveaway thanks to the lovely Sam at Headline so make sure you check back in October so you don't miss out.

If you've been lucky enough to have already read The Body Finder please leave a comment to let me know what you thought of it.  Make sure you leave a link to your review if you've posted one as I'd love to read it!