Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

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.

Review:

Ever since reading the spectacular start to this series, I've been dying to get my hands on more Jay and Violet stories. So, when a copy of the much anticipated sequel landed in my mailbox one rainy Thursday, I was nothing short of ecstatic. Luckily, Desires of the Dead proved to be a worthwhile companion to The Body Finder, because not only is there more more mysteries and romance in store for Jay, Violet, and us readers, but it took great new twists and turns!

Desires of the Dead begins a few months after The Body Finder ended. Violet and Jay's relationship is stronger than ever, and Violet hasn't heard the echos in a while. Though, one day she hears an echo that leads her not only to the body of dead little boy but the unwanted attention of the FBI. Even worse, another person is attempting to play the game of cat and mouse with Violet, and Violet's relationship with Jay is falling to pieces with the addition of two new students to their group of friends. So, who will she turn to when everything begins to spin out of control? And will Violet and Jay get over their differences? Only time will tell in this highly anticipated sequel to The Body Finder.

One of my favorite parts of Desires of the Dead was Violet and Jay. Violet is a girl who is fierce, smart, and loyal, a girl who has your back time and time again. I especially love the way Violet continues to use her abilities to find the dead and their killers to good use, even thought it puts huge emotional impacts on her and her relationships with others, because I feel that this shows how great of a person Violet is and how quick she is to sacrifice herself for others. Adding to this, Jay is yet again swoon-worthy in this addition because of the way he nearly always proved to be the picture-perfect boyfriend. Though, I have to admit, I did like seeing the bad sides of Jay and Violet's relationship in this sequel because it made it seem more even more realistic and true to life.

Furthermore, I loved the new mystery Kimberly introduced in Desires of the Dead, because not only did we yet again have the perspective of the "bad" person but it provided so many great twist and turns to the story. I seriously had no clue how this one was going to end until the very last chapters, and that is a very good thing, in my opinion!

Lastly, Kimberly Derting's writing was nothing but fabulous in this addition! I loved what she did she did with character and plot development in this.

In all, Desires of the Dead is no where near sophomore slump, in my opinion, and I simply can't wait to read more by Derting, especially if the said story involves Violet, Jay, and the gang.

Grade: A-

Desires of the Dead will be released February 15, 2011!

Source: Unsolicited review copy sent by publisher