Author - Kimberly Derting.
Rating - Five Stars.
Theme Song - "All Around Me" - Flyleaf.
Synopsis - "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 since childhood, 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 that 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; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer— and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself."
In one word I would have to say that this book is nothing but suspenseful. There was never a point in time where I felt like I could actually take a breath. There was never a dull moment. This book is full of intensity and beautifully written by Kimberly Derting. She's created such a unique world for her equally unique and well constructed characters. The balance between love, hate, life and death is foreboding. The tales are disturbing and cruel but the love represented was the epitome of beautiful.
The main characters name is Violet Ambrose, she's a highschool student with a morbid ability. Violet is a great character that I feel you can relate to even though she has such unrelateable tendencies. Ever since Violet was little she's been able to not only sense the dead but seek them out. She's physically and emotionally drawn to the dead, but more specifically those who have been murdered. The first time Violet became aware of her powers was during a walk in the woods with her father. Violet began to smell and feel things that kept her on edge. She began to follow the scent to the source of the power. That's the moment Violet found her first body. Violet felt as if she absolutely had to follow her senses, or the impulses wouldn't stop. As a child, Violet was disturbed by what had happened but not traumatized. Her ability is as much apart of her as the rest of her body. The book starts with Violet in high school, years after the first incident. All incidents after that had been minor, animals here and there, sometimes at the hands (paws) of her own cat. See, the killer carries around the imprint of their kill and vice versa. Violet even built a makeshift cemetery for those dead in her backyard. With Summer ending and school starting back, she begins to realize that she has feelings for her best friend, Jay. So, not only is Violet carrying a huge secret, she's being eaten alive by these new found feelings for someone who has never been anything but her best friend.
Jay Heaton is the most incredible, yet normal high school boy I've ever encountered in a book. I've read a lot and I come across a lot of amazing guys, but they're usually older, some sort of supernatural being or immortal. Jay is the essence of everything you'd ever want your boyfriend to be. He's the sweetest, most geniune and compassionate person. He's always there for Violet, no matter what. He and Violet have basically been attached at the hip since they were little, most people recognize them as a package deal. Jay is so protective over Violet and doesn't let her ability effect them. He understands her, is supportive toward her and doesn't ever question anything besides her safety. He's playful but mature. As Jay has gotten older and really grown up, Violet begins to realize that her heart races a little more around him. Violet goes out of her way to try to change her own mind about her feelings regarding Jay, but instead all they do is grow stronger. It also doesn't help that all the girls at school have seemingly noticed Jay's transformation too. Violet tries so hard to act like the attention they give him doesn't bother her while deep down inside it's tearing her apart.
On top of all that, while Violet and Jay are on the lake one day, Violet becomes aware of a prescense tickling her senses. Once Violet explores it, she finds another body. Everyone is shaken up but slowly coming to terms when another girl goes missing. The town soon realizes that there's a serial killer in their midst and everyone begins taking extra precautions. With Violet's uncle on the police force, Violet feels safe enough to use her power to either track the killer down or find another body. With major objection from Jay and her parents, in the end everyone finally agrees to let Violet see what she can find. Violet comes up with nothing until she goes out to one of the girls grave's and realizes what her echo is. Violet is taken on such a sensory overloaded journey that she knows if she were to see the killer, there'd be no doubt in identifying him. That doesn't come up again until another girl goes missing, a girl that Violet had seen the night before. While Violet was out partying with her friends Chelsea, Claire and Jules, the very girl they ended up having to search for paraded around the party intoxicated and making a fool of herself. The next day a search party was set up and Violet jumped at the oppurtunity. Violet couldn't imagine sitting back and not doing anything when the possibility of what she could do was endless. She stumbled across not only the killer, but another site where he had a body hidden. The guy is arrested and admits to everything except the last kill.
With the killer found and in jail, everyone began to relax. So, when Violet decided to go for a run that day she had no idea that someone else would be following her. Violet had no clue what was about to happen and only escalate from there until the final crescendo. This is where I have to stop because if I continue there will be far too many spoilers. Let's just say that the ending is the kind that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The thing I loved so much about this book was the way that everyone was portrayed. The character and relationship building was fantastic. I wont talk about what happens to Violet and Jay because I'd never want to spoil it. Read it and let it all unfold in front of you. The relationship between Violet and her family, between Violet and Jay, and between Violet and her friends is so wonderful to read. It's the most amazing mixture of fear and wonder.
the second installment "Desires of The Dead."
Follow Kimberly Derting on Twitter: @KimberlyDerting
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