Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Summary:
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. (from book jacket)

Review:

I really liked The Body Finder, so when I heard that there was going to be a sequel, I was super excited. I thought Desires of the Dead was a great continuation of series, and added a whole new element to Violet's world.

Desires of the Dead follows The Body Finder in that Violet is still finding dead things, animals and humans, alike. However, in this case, she is discovered by the FBI after leaving an anonymous tip about a body. The FBI calls and are interested in her talent, but it's obvious that even they might not know what exactly Violet can do. I liked the addition of this special subdivision of the FBI into Violet's world; I think it sets up nicely for future books and allows Violet to use her ability for good.

Violet and Jay are still dating in Desires of the Dead, and I loved their relationship. Jay is a great guy, and it was nice to see him care for Violet. There were points in this book that their relationship bordered on melodramatic, a specific time occurs after they have a fight. Both Jay and Violet are depressed and Violet misses school, which I thought was slightly ridiculous. Regardless, I still liked reading about them, even if I wished Violet would open up to and talk to Jay more. She's very secretive at times, though I can't blame her because I might be the same way.

In addition to Violet being pulled towards dead things, she also seems to have a stalker, which seems ominous but ends up not being the central conflict. I liked the the parts of the book that dealt with newcomer Mike and his family; there was a nice twist in regards to his mother's disappearance.

Overall, I enjoyed Desires of the Dead and think there's a great set-up for future novels. GoodReads states that there are plans for two more books, which I will definitely be reading.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2011/HarperTeen/355 pages.