For Violet finding the dead was nothing new, however the dead bodies usually consist of murdered birds, rabbits and other small animals that had all been killed by other animals. So stumbling across the murdered body of a girl, a human, teenage girl was a shock for eight-year-old Violet. And when at sixteen Violet again discovers a murdered girl, things become very interesting and very dangerous very quickly.

But as much as Violet is consumed by thoughts of the dead, and murderers, she is also distracted by her best friend Jay. She and Jay have always been best friends, ever since they were six-years-old they had been inseparable, however over the summer something had changed, at least it had for Violet and now she finds herself wishing for something with Jay that is more then just friends.

The Body Finder is a new paranormal series that is funny, frightening and very sweet. Both a compelling thriller and a tender love story, these elements of a murder mystery and young love combine successfully to create an exciting paranormal story with a strong and likeable heroine. Violet's world may be one filled with the dead however it still manages to capture a heartfelt story of an, almost ordinary, sixteen year old girl. ( )

Vi has an unusual talent for sensing the bodies of living creatures who have died a violent death. Since her childhood she has buried a host of creatures from the surrounding woods and once, when she was 8 years old, she discovered the body of a young girl. Only her immediate family and best friend, Jay, know of this supernatural sense.

Now Vi is seeking a serial killer before he kills again and trying to deal with her new and unfamiliar feelings for Jay.

This was an interesting premise for a supernatural power I've not heard of before. The story was simply written and filled with teenage angst as Vi struggles with her feelings. I did enjoy the story and may move on to others of this series. ( )

Okay, so I didn't fall in love with this book right away. For awhile, I thought I was going to rate the book 2, maybe 3 stars. However, about 2/3 of the way into the book, it became really good, and it definitely got boosted to 4 stars.

I loved, loved, loved the relationship between Jay & Violet. I thought it was really sweet =) I loved how protective he was of her, not in the "she's a girl so she can't take care of herself" way but because he genuinely cared for her.

The character of Chelsea made me laugh. I loved her sarcasm =)

It did have a hint of Mean Girls in it though. The character of Claire reminded me a lot of Amanda Seyfried's character in the film. And there is the mention of a Queen Bee.

I loved the plot as well. I've never read anything like it. I like the way the author brought together the elements of suspense, crime, romance, and paranormal. They all blended very well.

I'd definitely recommend this book. It does take a long time to get going, as I've said before, but once it does, it definitely drags you in! ( )

I would gave to say that this was a really good book. As I read I was always kept on my toes, if Violet will be the next one caught or who the killer was. This also was a sort of insight into how it would be like if anyone were able to find the dead and at the same time feel that someone has killed someone else. ( )

Okay, not gonna lie--I was really excited to read this book. Until I started reading it. The prologue was promising, but everything fell off at the first chapter. It started with that rambly, boring way you're not supposed to start a book: the main character woke up and went through her daily getting-ready-for-school routine. So yes, we heard four or five times that she wanted to crawl back under the covers, that she didn't want to go to school, and then we got one of those weird self-descriptions of herself. Apparently everyone in her school has long, straight hair, and hers is long and curly. Or wavy, or something. But it wasn't what the masses had, so of course even though she's an individual who doesn't want to go with the masses, she wishes she had straight hair.

Yes, it's realistic, but no, readers don't care. It's boring.

Actually, I learned a few more things about what not to do in my own writing:

1) Don't use italics. It's not worth it. It makes the readers feel like the author thinks they're stupid. (And "The Body Finder" uses a ton of them.)

2) Don't resolve anything in the middle of the book, even if it's just a subplot. It means the story is losing momentum.

3) Don't rely on crime dramas for your research. Readers will be able to tell, especially if they watch too much TV (like I do).

4) As long as you have a good premise (and "The Body Finder" has a fantastic premise), it's not a big deal how bad your writing is. If you have a good premise and are persistent, you can get your story published.

So no, "The Body Finder" wasn't a complete waste of time. Just incredibly disappointing. ( )