Brad About Books: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Read from April 17 to 18, 2013

DEAD SILENCE
Published: April 16, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 389 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: The Body Finder, #4

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't started this series.

Read my reviews for previous books in this series:

The Body Finder • Desires of the Dead • The Last Echo

Dead Silence is a fantastic finale to an epic series. I'm so sad it's over! But I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

This series is one of my all-time favorite series ever. They're so easy to dive into, and the storyline is always so captivating! And Dead Silence was no exception. I was emerged back into this world immediately. Kimberly Derting has made another stellar novel, because Dead Silence is eerie, terrifying, enticing and absolutely stunning! Right from page one, I was scared senseless - and man, these books take you on a wild ride! If you're craving fresh and original supernatural books in your life, The Body Finder series is a must read!

If you don't know, this series is told through two POVs - our main character, Violet's, as well as a hidden, unidentified person that doesn't get revealed until the end of the book. Oh my gosh, this POV was the most freakiest! It was so brutal and haunting and terrifying! This person's mind was so twisted and dark - Derting has a way of stringing words together that made me have chills! And I adored it.

And the character development was outstanding. We've come along way with Violet from the first book, and she has grown and matured so much, and it's obvious by Dead Silence. Jay, Chelsea, the entire ensemble did an amazing job as well. There was never a dull moment in this book, and this series has managed to get better with each book! I don't see how in the world this could be done, but Derting made it possible. This series was wonderful, and I'm going to deeply miss it.

Overall, Dead Silence is a remarkable conclusion to a mind-bending series. Woven with suspense and nail-biting-tension, I can't recommend this series enough!

M Y   R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Read from June 8 to 10, 2012

DESIRES OF THE DEAD
Published: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 355 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: The Body Finder, #2

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.

Desires of the Dead is an electric sequel that surpasses the first book. Kimberly Derting has created another fantastic book.

What I loved the most about Desires of the Dead was how we got to explore the echoes and Violet's ability even more. It was very eerie in the first book, but in this sequel, it turns super awesome and definitely a hooking point of the book. And the relationship between Jay and Violet and how it grew was always tremendously great. It was really great to see their relationship evolve from what it was before; I appreciated how the author mixed that in.

And the chapters that weren't from Violet's POV were great as well. Fresh and definitely creepy, I always got shivers and goosebumps from those chapters. They literally scared me! And it doesn't hurt that they were titled after the Seven Deadly Sins. But the person who's point of view we get from those chapters really spooked me out {towards the end of the novel the most}, and Derting did a great job at weaving together a lush and vibrant new character.

I'm a sucker for murder mysteries, and Desires of the Dead is an excellent one. It was definitely hard to put down, and it's super cool when a sequel is even better than its predecessor. And the ending freaked me out! Oh my gosh! I was biting my nails and on the edge of my seat the entire last bit of the book, and I absolutely loved it!

Overall, Desires of the Dead is an excellent sequel that leaves a mark on YA literature. This is a series not to miss.

MY RATING