Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.
When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.
Kimberly Derting once wanted to be a “foxy lady trucker” but changed her mind when she took 7th-grade journalism and discovered writing. She hasn’t looked back since.
She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.
Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.
These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com
Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com
AHHHHH I WANT THIS BOOK NOWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST FINISHED LAST ECHO. THIS IS GOING TO DRIVE ME CRAZY UNTIL THE BOOK COMES OUT. AND I LIKED HER THERAPIST. IS SARAH EVIL? DOES SHE KNOW WHATS GOING ON? WHAT ABOUT RAFE? UGHH I REALLY LIKED THEM AND HOPE THEY'RE NOT EVIL GOSH!!!!!!!! -STAY SPECIAL
I WANT MORE OF RAFE. MORE RAFE please~ Just him. I don't want to ruin the perfect couple JayxViolet so Find Rafe a partner or better yet make a book with Rafe's point of view. Then him falling in love. yeah that'll be so much better.
EDIT RELATIONSHIP. It has always been the focus of this series even if I wanted this to be more of a crime fictional story it always ends up there.
I was really expecting so much of this last intallment but was disappointed after reading it. The epilogue didn't even make up the loss~ what happened to the other characters? They've all been left out. Err I'm really not happy.
Rafe and chelsea? Ok let's give them the the chance. Jay and Violet? They're are so long over their relationship as bf-gf they could just get married now. Gemma? This IDK
I should say 400 pages book is not enough to end their story. O_o
Dead Silence is the latest installment in the Body Finder series and my favorite book since the first one. Violet has been trying to deal with the aftermath of the kidnapping and what she had to do to survive. She is haunted by an ever-present music-box tune that she hears in her head. The imprint that she can't escape from. Still, she goes on and tries to find normal in her life, but when two new students show up at White River high school, Violet is constantly reminded that she is different, special, and has an uncanny ability to sense the echo's of the dead.
I love how easy it feels to slip back into this world again, like I never left. But I don't know how Derting does it. I'm completely addicted to her world which I find very strange since these kind of books aren't typically for me. I tend to favor paranormal books cause, well, it's not real. But Derting's twisted psychos? They totally could be which scares the bejesus out of me. And yet, when ever another one of these books lands in my greedy little hands I can't help but jump right back in this dark, eerie and morbid world filled with death and echo's and imprints. Of seriously unhinged minds and the length they will go to achieve glorified-craziness. But these books are also filled with the sweetest, hugest grin-splitting romance that I ever did read. It truly is one part mystery, one part romance and all parts amazing.
~Violet has come a long way in this book. I've always had my ups and downs with this character. I love her but sometimes I have a hard time with how she constantly pushes away the people who care about her. But she finally comes together in this book, trusting and opening up and finally owning who she is and what she can do. Despite the fact that Violet has always had a very morbid life, a life that would harden most people or drive them insane, and yet Violet remains strong minded and strong willed. She isn't some damsel that needs to be saved. She has a good heart and has a fierce determination to help people using her abilities. But it's when she finally recognizes that she doesn't always have to do this alone and that people will and want to help her is when I saw this character really grow and mature into someone I can be proud of. ~Jay is still absolutely incredible and amazing. He's still hopelessly devoted, still a knight in shining armor and still a bit whipped, but ya know what? I wouldn't change him for anything. This is Jay in love with Violet. His best friend and the love of his life and it shows in ever sentence and scene and that makes him so undeniably perfect. I lived for those moments. And I'm happy to say that we got a lot of those moments which totally makes up for the last book. ~Now for Rafe? He's not a bad guy and apart of me always knew that, but it still didn't stop me from giving him a glaring-gaze every time I saw him. To be fair, he didn't do anything wrong in this book. In fact, he actually did something for Violet that was pretty dame amazing, but it doesn't change the fact that I still don't like him even thinking about coming between Jay and Violet. Still, Rafe is good people and I like what he brings into these stories.
In each book Derting cunningly creates a psychotic mental-case as our villain. So far we've had a Hunter, Stalker, Collector and for this book I can only refer to him as the 'Father'. And dammme is this guy out of his flippin' freaken mind. This is the part where I always struggle to read and expect the nightmares that will surly follow, but it's still the best part of these stories. It's where your completely lost in the moment scared out of your ever lovin' mind and you can't wait to see what will happen next and scared to see what will happen next at the same time. Derting definitely knows how to masterfully bring in the disturbingly messed-up and has us gripping the pages for dear life.
Bottom line, I really loved this book. It's deeply creepy but it also delivers some of the best Jay and Violet moments that fans will sigh and swoon over. I heard that this is the last installment in the series, or at lest for now. But I can't really see this being the end. The ending left us on a good note, but it didn't have the closure one would expect in a final hurrah. There is still enough room for one or even two more books which in my opinion would be great. I'm just not ready to let go of these characters and this world yet and here's hoping neither is Derting. Till then, I still have these four books to re-read when ever I need a Jay fix and I'm looking forward to seeing what Kimberly Derting comes up with next!
Meh, not bad. I sort of enjoyed Dead Silence but I was also bored and annoyed by it — particularly the plot, the heroine, the love triangle and the repetitiveness. The writing, secondary characters and pacing were decent enough.
The storyline wasn't gripping. It was the same old, same old:
1. Violet finds a dead body or two using her powers (she can sense 'Echoes' — every murderer and murdered person has their own unique smell, sound or visual echo). 2. Violet then gets emotionally involved and whines about her life. 3. The sadistic killer goes around killing other people. 4. Violet can't help but investigate the dangerous killer. 5. It all ultimately culminates in a life and death situation and leads to Violet whining some more.
The story wasn't horrendous but it was fairly similar to the previous three books in the series and that hindered my enjoyment. I would have preferred it if someone in Violet's family had been murdered — as it might have been interesting to see Violet's reaction.
I did like that Violet found out more about her powers through her grandmother's journals — those parts were the most engaging as they revealed quite a lot, and mirrored Violet's own experiences and actually helped Violet get rid of her own 'Echo' (having to listen to the same musical piece 24/7) — which she had ever since she killed her kidnapper in the previous book. I wanted to know more about Dr Lee, and the potentially shady people Violet and her team were working for — it was just touched upon and that was disappointing because that particular plot arc was more engaging than the main must-find-the-serial-killer plot.
Violet's whiny and 'woe is me' attitude grated on me. I guess I could understand some of what she was feeling since she was almost murdered in book 3, but I was irritated at the amount of times she moaned and how she thought that no-one 'got her' and how she acted like she was all alone… Her parents, her boyfriend and her friends were all amazingly supportive and loving yet she still whinged about how hard she had it. I was also pissed at her keeping secrets for no good reason… I didn't understand why she couldn't open up to Jay, her parents and Rafe… When they've always been there for her. Everyone around her deserved more. All Violet did was feel sorry for herself, she had the perfect family and friends yet she wasn't satisfied by any of it.
The side characters were great — especially Jay, Chelsea, Gemma and Violet's uncle/parents. I was intrigued by Gemma's character but I wish they'd been more of her and the rest of Violet's psychic teammates instead of paragraph after paragraph of Violet monologuing about her dull feelings.
The romance between Violet and Jay was sweet… But I wanted Violet to stop moaning about Rafe. She was with Jay and she said she loved him but the silly cow kept getting confused about her feelings for Rafe. I wouldn't have minded some confusion in the beginning but at the end she was still all over the place. I can't blame her too much though because Rafe was fucking with her feelings. Rafe was just slimy. He kept flirting with Violet when she told him she was with Jay and wasn't interested in him. Did that stop him from fucking with her head? No. Not only that, Rafe then started to get all cozy and touchy-feely with Violet's BFF, Chelsea. WTF?! He was all over Violet screwing with her feelings and getting her all confused, and then later he was all over Violet's best friend. Who does that?! What a douche! Why did he mess with Violet's emotions to only get with her BFF?! He could have had the decency to move on with someone that wasn't Violet's best friend.
I was annoyed that Violet was supporting Grady, the guy that had once been rapey towards her. Yea, he was falsely accused of murdering a family and was going through a tough time but that didn't excuse his previous rapey tendencies. Grady nearly raped Violet yet she was feeling sorry for him, defending him, worrying about him and reaching out to him. No, just no. She should have kept her distance, he didn't deserve her emotional support. Why did Violet have to be such a Mary Sue and be all forgiving and compassionate towards him?! He's rapey scum! He didn't deserve Violet's sympathy but oh no heroines have to be forgiving even to rapey fuckers! Heaven forbid them hating or even disliking someone that was rapey towards them. Ugh.
What was up with Chelsea saying she saw an angel at the end? Did she see one? Or was she hallucinating? It came out of nowhere and felt unresolved.
Is this last the book? Because a lot of stuff was still up in the air — the people Violet and her team were working for, Violet and Dr Lee's antagonistic relationship, Violet's feelings for Rafe and Rafe/Chelsea's relationship. I hope there's another book, this one didn't feel like a last book in a series, it felt rather unfinished.
The books in this series have been pretty formulaic. Each contains Violet's struggles with her power, with a main murder mystery plot; they've been good, but after awhile they do get generic. That hasn't stopped me from reading them, however.
The murder subplot has been the weakest part in all of these books, and it is no different here. If anything, it's worse. The mystery is weak, the author can barely make the connection to Violet's life, and it feels more and more of a suspension of disbelief to see how Violet and her friends at the agency uncover bits of clues and follow the plot. As usual, Violet stumbles upon a body, but it's a far, far stretch for me to read about how it relates to the story.
I usually like Violet's character, but there's only so much TSTL one can take. She's usually a level headed girl, but really, after all the danger she has faced in the past, after barely surviving several murder attempts, she still insists on endangering herself and going after the murderer? Not the wisest choice to make. Furthermore, I can't believe I'm the only one bothered by her annoying posse. I've had it up to here with the protagonists' annoying friends. They're loyal, sure, but as previously demonstrated, they're not exactly the best sidekicks in the case of emergency. Involving the most annoying and overbearing one in a murder case? Not the wisest decision, Violet.
Another underlying plot in this book is the mystery of the agency and how it came about, as Violet reads her grandmother's diaries and discovers that she was in a similar situation. That mystery was also brought to an unsatisfying conclusion, and I am not at all happy at how quickly the author tried to tie the threads together. I think this is the last book in the series, and it definitely feels like the ending was thrown together just so there would be a resolution. I'm pretty disappointed in this book and how it ended.
WOW..Kimberly Derting can definitely wield an amazing story. Sometimes when you read sequels..they fall short of the first book..THIS IS NOT THE CASE!!! Each of Kimberly's Body Finder book are equally amazing!! Needless to say I was hoping and praying I received this ARC because I have been obsessed with this series from DAY ONE!!
Violet is one of my all-time favorite characters. She faces death on a daily basis and is still so strong and determined. She wants to use her "gift" to help others even though she knows it could possibly cause her pain and suffering. She goes through so many trials and tribulations and still is an amazing heroine.
Jay....What can I say about Jay! He is AWESOME!! He is everything a teenage girl could want in a boyfriend. He is handsome, funny, dependable, strong, and protective. I absolutely LOVE their relationship! Their interactions and romance is one of the main reasons I love this series! The description of their romance is so awe inspiring and wonderful. I feel as though I am living each moment with them...
The "cases" that Violet has to assist with in this book are filled with horror and pain. They are such deep stories and to the point of being graphic but this only adds to the story. This makes the story more real and vivid.
I also loved how Kimberly wrote in more involvement with Violet's friends and family. This made the story more real and emotional. The introduction of her grandmother and her story just made me yearn for more. I cant wait to find out where Kimberly takes this story... I just completely loved this book in the series. Even though the first book has a strong place in my favorites list..This one goes right up there with it. I turned pages late into the night and could not put this book down. I love every aspect of this book and Kimberly's writing. She is truly a genius in the young adult category and I plan on reading each and every book she writes.
So needless to say I definitely recommend this book!! 5 Stars!--If I could give more I WOULD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I'm not going to lie. I was a little disappointed with that ending. I mean, it would have been fine if there was another book. But no it was the end of the series. I just don't get that. Like why did it build up so many questions on the last book of the series and then not really leave a satisfying conclusion?
Despite that, I really enjoyed the book. I loved every book in this series and I'm so happy I decided to read it. It was an interesting and unique premise and I'll be looking into more by this author.
I really enjoyed the previous books to the Body Finder series so I'm pretty certain I'm gonna love this one. Am I the only one who's kinda hoping Violet and Rafe get together? I mean, don't get me wrong. I LOVE Violet and Jay together - their chemistry is pretty amazing - and sometimes Rafe annoys the hell out of me but I think they'd be good together. Obviously, Violet's softening Rafe so that's good. If they don't get together that's okay -it's not gonna be a big heartbreak. Rafe still seems kind of stuck on Sophie. I would hate to see him alone, though. Maybe he'll hook up with Gemma, whom seems to be vying for his affections with Violet ('cause I'm not convinced she's belligerent to Violet just 'cause she "reeks of death"). Anywho, I can't wait 'til this book comes out. Gonna be sad when the series are over but that's the good thing with owning books. You can read 'em over and over again to your heart's content.
Am I the only one who cant wait till April 16 ? OH GOSH ! words can not express on how much I LOVE THIS BOOK <3 and I was devastated when I finished reading The Last Echo, I was SO happy to find out that there Is another one!!! WOOP WOOP <3
its always been one of my favourite series and i am soooo sad that its now ended. I love reading about these characters so reading this was bittersweet.
Each time round, we get a cool mystery and this time round its about a family that has been brutally slaughtered. This made me think of loads of horror films that i have seen and i love how great Kimberly Derting is at creating creepy atmospheres. The murders gave me the chills and and i really enjoyed reading about the mystery.
Jay is the love of my life. I wish he was my boyfriend. I love him sooo much and was soo happy that he was in it more, as i was disappointed by the lack of him in the last one. Jay and Violet are just perfect and i love seeing them together.
Despite loving Jay so much, i have to admit that Rafe is my guilty pleasure. He just has this charisma and this pull and i just swoon when he shows up. I cant help but like him even though i wouldn't want Violet to cheat on Jay EVER! I kinda want a spinoff about Rafe so he can get a shot at being happy and we would get a book full of his awesomeness.
Chelsea is one of my fav characters and i was glad that she got a part in the plot this time round. She is soo funny and just makes the book more enjoyable. She is obsessed with Rafe in this one and it was quite funny to read about.
There is more stuff about Dr Lee and you found out the background to it but there wasnt actually that much about them. I wanted to find out more about them so that would be my only complaint.
I m gonna finish off by begging Kimberly Derting to plz plz plz write another book. I m not done reading about these characters and will miss them thoroughly. plz dont make me suffer this way!!
I have yet to let it sink in that this is the last of the series *sobs* I get to be part of the blog tour, so full review and blog stop will be up April 3!
**********updated review*************** It’s finally senior year for Violet, and the last thing she’s thinking about is school. The recent event of her kidnapping resulted in Violet developing her own imprint that haunts her every minute. And it’s sure not helping her mental health when a fellow classmate and friend is being accused of murder.
Dead Silence raised the level of creepy with the twisted point of views from “The Killer”. I thought the past Body Finder books’ killers were scary, but this was something else. This particular killer developed a loyal following with young adults among his group. What I loved, and was completely creeped out by, was the possible reality of the situation.
Violet is still the same head strong gal that I loved since The Body Finder. As she gets bolder so do the risks she takes to protect those she loves. Speaking of those she loves, Jay continued to be his sweet self by being the rock that Violet needed through the madness. And I loved how Violet’s family was consistently present and involved in her life. What I will always love are the fleshed out supporting characters of this series, especially the people from The Team, like Rafe. He is my favorite and everyone can go home. No, I’m kidding because I love them all SO MUCH and will miss all the characters dearly.
I loved Dead Silence, and everything and everyone in it. As much as I loved Dead Silence, I didn’t feel like this was THE ending. But Dead Silence did nicely wrap up at nicely at the end though. It is still just as amazing and incredibly written as the other books in the series, and I highly enjoyed it.
A 2.5 rating for me. Very similar to the other books in the series, but the vagueness of the ending suggests there’s more to come and we were left with so many questions. Anyway, Violet continues to be stuck in her romance dilemma. She clearly is attracted to Rafe and yet likes having Jay around. Nothing very new here. The story follows the same pattern as previously. Another killer, whose voice we hear, is going about their business and Violet ends up learning about them and trying to catch them. She makes stupid decisions and takes unnecessary risks. It’s amazing that the number of injuries to those around her is so minimal!
Yet another series comes to an end. This one, however, I'm not so sure, given how open the end was. When I finished it, I did not have the feeling that the series was over. If it's not over, I don't know if I'll keep reading it. The first book was pretty good, with an intriguing premise. However, the structure of the books has not changed: each book has a different killer, who is caught at the end thanks to Violet. As for a plot arc, I didn't feel it was developed enough, as it only became clear in the third book.
Violet is a very frustrating characters. Throughout the book (and the series), she constantly makes the same mistakes, and that becomes annoying. While I understand (but do not accept) that the echoes compel her to find the body, there is absolutely nothing compelling her to find the killer herself. And she constantly goes after the killers, often endangering herself in the process. In this book, however, she does not endanger herself, but a friend. And that's something I really don't like seeing: friends paying for the main character's mistakes.
As for the romance, again, Violet makes a lot of mistakes. It's almost as if she's taking Jay for granted, wanting him to always be there for her, but without really making him a part of her life.
Furthermore, I felt that this book, instead of answering questions, raises more of them. And that's the main reason why it doesn't feel like the final book in this series. However, this book was published six months ago, and I couldn't find out whether or not the author is planning a sequel.
Like the previous books, there are some chapters showing the killer. This killer was not as creepy as the one in the previous book. Both of them were insane, but this one didn't come across as being as cruel as his predecessor. Therefore, his chapters were not that exciting.
This was a good ending to the series. Although, I will agree with others that the ending was left open. So hopefully the author plans to write more at some time. It was nice that Violet got to read her grandma's journals. She got to see how it was for her and her gift. Thankfully Violet has found a man that will accept her and her gift. I'm glad that it was Jay. I really liked him. He was always there for her when she was in trouble.
This is the fourth and final book in the series and even though I really enjoyed aspects of it - the story seemed very recycled from the first 3 books (V finds a body. V tries to track down the killer. V does really stupid things that puts her life and the lives of others around her at risk. V promises not to keep secrets from Jay. V keep secrets from Jay).
Also, as a final book in the series there was just not enough closure. I have read an article with the author where she said she thinks there was closure - but then you have most of the fans going WTF? A case where the author probably needs to listen to the readers occasionally. Also, fans are CRYING out for Rafe's POV, yet the author says she may do a spin off with Chelsea....yeah...no thanks. Not the most likable character and not one you have been building up over say 3/4 of the series.
Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed this series. I liked the writing. I loved that Jay and V were tight from the very first book and never in doubt (Unlike most other books on the genre). I loved the paranormal crime/murder mystery aspect. I wanted more closure though. Who runs the organisation? Why are they threatening Violet? Why are they all linked to the circle of 7? Where does Rafe go from here? What about the girl living with Rafe and his sister? (she is WAY more interesting and a better match for Rafe than Chelsea). For that I am taking off 1.5 stars. Closure for the final book in the series the author says.....I think not.
Annoyed. That is the dominant feeling after finishing this. I can't say it is worst thant the others. But the ending as a supposed series ender did not work. that was a cop-out ending that left way too much unanswered on so many levels. A bit darker overall than pervious books, a sinister feel from multiple directions added a bit of an edge. The near/semi love-triangle between Rafe/Jay and Violet was bothersome, unresolved and felt only haft explained. Like, the author wanted to have it but didn't want to. Was she worried about unsetting fans that either love or hate them? WEll now I am annoyed because a side wasn't chosen. Guess it is a good thing I am not a fan. In the end, this series was very mediocre at best. Overall, I likely would not recommend. I think there are other books of a similar vein that are better.
Another fantastic book in The Body Finder series! This series rocks! I never seem to tire of them.
At a Glance:
Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder Series has been, and continues to be, one of the most entertaining series I've ever read. Just like in the books before this, Dead Silence is thrilling, suspenseful, nerve-racking, and, quite-frankly, disturbing. But in the best possible way.
Cover:
I do like the covers. I'm not sure that they really tell what the story is about, but they are pretty and different, which I like. I also LOVE that they've stayed consistent.
Suspenseful and Gruesome:
These books are filled with suspense. One of the best things that Kim has done in this series is writing from the killer's point of view. This might have been the most twisted of all the killers so far. There are things in this book that seriously made me cringe and shiver. It was pretty gruesome.
Love-not-triangle:
Violet and Jay are seriously one of the cutest couples in YA. With the introduction of Rafe, there was the potential for a little drama, but I wish this had either been pushed farther, or not even hinted at. It was like there was an almost love triangle, but no one really believes that Rafe has even the slightest chance, so it just made Violet seem kind of jerkish, like she wanted Rafe to like her, but she didn't want him. I don't want you, but I don't want anyone else to have you either.
Heroine:
Oh Violet. When will you learn? I do really like Violet a lot. She's (for the most part) really smart. She's completely committed to taking care of everyone around her, no matter the cost. I like that she can put the puzzle pieces together, and she's ready to take on the dangers she comes in contact with. Things were tough for her in this book, but she never gave up, and I love her for that.
Hero:
Violet doesn't need no stinking hero!
Favorite Supporting Character:
Rafe. Rafe. Rafe. There's just something so mysterious about him. I really wish that we had more time with him, and could delve into his life more. Part of me, as horrible as this is, wants Violet to ditch Jay for him. I KNOW! I'M AWFUL!
Something I loved:
I absolutely love the mystery, and seeing things from the killer's pov. I seriously get a little scared of Miss Kimberly Derting. What exactly is going on in that mind of hers?
Something(s) I hated:
Nothing.
Cliffhanger?
There wasn't a cliffhanger, but I didn't feel like the book felt completely wrapped up either. It feels a little too open. I've heard this is the last book in the series, but it doesn't seem like it.
Moral of the Story:
Don't make friends, and if you do, don't take them to clubs.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, yes, yes! And if you haven't read this series yet, DO IT!!
Did my friends like it?
Yes, I've been giving this series to my friends, and Kit's friends, and they've ALL loved it!
Will I buy/keep it?
I will keep my ARC (for loaning) and buy a hard cover.
Book Doppelgangers:
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Clarity by Kimberly Derting, Crash by Lisa McMann
Ranking:
In order of how much I liked the books, because...why not?
The Body Finder (#1) The Last Echo (#3) Dead Silence (#4) Desires of the Dead (#2)
I really don't want to be writing this review! I've been a colossal supporter/advocate of The Body Finder series, and I absolutely adore Derting to death. That being said, I have to be honest and share my candid thoughts in my reviews. Dead Silence felt like a repeat of the other three books in the series. The same sort of psycho, the same love dilemmas, and it was the same meek, confused Violet- only this time even more infuriating, if possible.
It wasn't really that Dead Silence was much worse than the other books, it's just that I'd read it all before. The series is becoming a tad too repetitive for me. I love Jay and Violet together, but if splitting them apart for a while would have created more tension and resulted in a higher level of investment among readers, then do it!
Violet was one of the reasons I didn't end up enjoying this book. Her doing reckless, stupid things, I'd grown to accept over the previous books- it was just part of her personality. In Dead Silence I'd thought that the whole love triangle with Rafe, her and Jay would be over, but even after Jay saved her freaking life repeatedly, and was the epitome of a perfect boyfriend, she still had mixed feelings towards Rafe- a part of her wanted him for her, and her alone. Those of you who've read the book would know what I mean when I say she was being totally selfish; I felt so bad for Chelsea. Throughout the whole novel, I just kept thinking: why do Jay, Chelsea and also Rafe even bother putting up with her, when she clearly doesn't appreciate them or make an effort? I guess that was the main factor that bugged me nonstop, and made it hard for me to just sit back and enjoy the action.
The plot was exciting and tense, but I'd read it before- three times to be precise. It was the typical crazy-ass baddie with a messed-up past who hunted innocent girls. The chapters from the antagonist's point of view were interesting and insightful, I'll give Derting that much. In Dead Silence, we learn more about the lunatic and his past than we ever have before, which makes it that much more thrilling. However, the connection between Violet and the killer is done very sloppily, to the point where I couldn't see the correlation for the life of me; it was almost like reading two separate stories that just happened to coincide at the last second.
Violet finds her Grandmother's journal in Dead Silence, and discovers some really useful information about echoes. Too bad it was not at all relevant to the main plot, eh? One thing that was super interesting about her Grandmother's stories, however, was what we found out about the 'agency'. As Violet learns more about who they are and digs deeper, the more suspicious she gets. I was yearning for some sort of revelation or a big bang that all the stories seemed to be leading to, but there was none. The ending was disappointing and anti-climatic; I feel like Derting could have developed on the Agency's mysterious past, and really 'squeezed' it way more than she did.
I don't know if I'll pick up the next book in the series (if there is one)... but the other three books have been very well-written and enjoyable, so maybe Derting will redeem herself in the fifth book. I certainly hope so, because if not, Dead Silence is an inadequate, sour conclusion to the otherwise highly entertaining series.
From the beginning to the second half of the book, I was pretty sure that I didn't like the book. It was very slow, boring and especially because Violet's attention were too focused on Rafe than Jay. Even though she kept saying in the end that Jay was the only one for her, the one she kept thinking about was Rafe or how different Rafe was from others, how secretive Rafe was, how Rafe kept things to himself, how Rafe had a soft side that only she saw....it went on, but in the end, she'd say, "It didn't matter. She had Jay." If she really cared about Jay as much as he did for her, Jay should be the one whom she kept thinking about constantly, not RAFE or any other guy. Besides, she even felt guilty when Jay held her hand in front of Rafe. I mean, what kind of girlfriend would feel guilty if her boyfriend held her hand in front of another guy? She didn't want to be responsible for hurting Rafe's feelings? Puh-lease, don't flatter yourself, Violet? I was very much frustrated throughout the book. When Rafe was treating Chelsea differently other than being annoyed by her, Violet didn't like that either. It was so obvious that she had feelings for Rafe, probably a little more than she had for Jay, and I mean, I get it. She was only seventeen and no seventeen year old girl should only like one boy for the rest of her life only to get married with him or something. It was also very natural that she had a crush on another guy who was like the polar opposite of the guy she had known her whole life and had fallen in love with. But the least she could do was to be honest about her feelings and let Jay go. It wasn't fair for either of the guys and I was so frustrated with her. Most of the time I was thinking about giving it up or skipping the chapters ahead to get it over with. The mystery part of the book wasn't that interesting either. It was like two stories were being told in this book. In the Last Echo, I at least felt sorry for Cain because he was looking for love. In The Body Finder, I was shocked when I found out about the killer having a partner. But in this book, I was just bored. I was neither interested or freaked out by the killers. Even her Grandma's journals sounded a little bit more interesting than what was going on in Violet's life. The only upside of the book was that Jay was involved in the crime that Violet solved in the end. Personally, I really liked this book when I started reading The Body Finder, and I still liked Desires Of The Dead, but the rest of the books went downhill. I'm just sad that it turned out that way because I was really starting to like this series.
Spoiler free for the full series. In this series Kimberly Derting has created something very different. Violet has a very unique ability and through the books it has come in very handy while still putting her in intense danger. There have been some twists and turns along the way as she learns more about it and things in her life change. But one thing there always is is a killer. And Kimberly Derting has cleverly inserted his/her POV in interspersed chapters throughout the novel. This not only gives us an idea what he/she is doing, but also why (not that there's ever a real good reason why) and it keeps us on the edge of our seats as we wait to see how it'll all play out. There's some pretty horrific scenes and some very intense moments but even though I scare easily this is one series I'm glad I didn't miss.
While there's a lot of intense and scary stuff going on, there's also a romance. This romance bloomed in the first book and continued through out. This is a best friend turned boyfriend situation and since the romance happened so soon in the series I was quite sure that something would happen to it. While I'm not going to spoil things for you and tell you the end result, I will say that I was pretty satisfied with how things ended up. There's a person who did enter the picture who I really want a HEA for as well and while there's a hint of it in the this book, it's left where Kimberly could easily do a spin off featuring that character. {I'm going to watch interviews and see if there's any mention of that being a possibility. I do know she says this is probably the end of The Body Finder books, but a spin off is a tad different and I have my fingers crossed!}
I have had a lot of fun on Violet's journey and enjoyed getting to know her, her friends and her family. I would gladly join in if the series was continued or a spin off series started. I love these books!
Violet now carries her own imprint... and it's a constant reminder of what she's been through. All plans to live a normal life are gone as key players on the team that Violet works for refuse to let her go.
Dead Silence picks up shortly after the end of The Last Echo, with a gruesome murder. And when someone she knows is a suspect she finds herself trying to find the real culprits.
I love Derting's writing and this series is probably my favorite from her. In the past I've been a bit frustrated with Violet... she was closed off even to those that care so much about her, but in this book we finally see her opening up and letting people in and help her cope with her skills.
I think what helped her was realizing she isn't alone - Violet has a journal that her grandmother kept and while reading through it she finds that they have many similarities and she finds that the team she works with isn't the original. This totally added another layer of mystery to the overall story arc and I can't wait to get some more answers about this in forthcoming books.
Of course there is Jay, one of my favorite book boyfriends because he's so wonderful to her. But I also love that we got to see some more of Rafe in this book. (Don't hate!! I like him... I just don't like him for Violet LOL).
The beginning of this story will have you turning pages nervously trying to figure out when everything is going to go down, and Derting doesn't disappoint in the action category. The story is fast paced and riveting.
If you haven't started this series yet, now is the time! You're going to love the uniqueness of these book plots and you're definitely going to fall in love with the characters!
OH MY GAH! This series is tearing me apart. In case you haven't noticed from other reviews, I have cover issues. I know, I know- the whole "don't judge a book by it's cover" deal. But there are SO many books that I want to read, and I really count on the cover to pull me in. Long story short, I'm a very late reader to this series. I read the Body Finder about two months ago, and breezed through all 4 books within a week and a half.
First, I love that so much of it takes place in and around the Seattle area. I always love it when books are set in places I live at, or places I know. You can't help but feel more connected to the story right? So many of the places around this area are absolutely perfect for this series. Eery, creepy and mysterious.
Dead Silence picks up with Violet still hearing the echo she was left in from The Last Echo, the third book in the Body Finder series. in addition to the now constant echo ringing in her head, she picks up an echo coming from a house on her way to school one morning, only to end up at a house with a murdered family inside. The weird thing? One of the bodies doesn't have an echo.
Violet discovers some of the history behind the mysterious government team she's a part of, there's more of the traditional YA quasi-love triangle business with Rafe and Jay, and of course there's a mystery to get to the bottom of. I loved the introduction of her Grandmother's journals but I wish there was more to them- more to show us about the history behind the team, and who is higher up the chain. But, I have hope that there will be more to this amazing series!
Between dealing with her echo, trying to find her place with the team and the members, and maintaining her relationship with Jay, Dead Silence is a eery read that kept me entranced from beginning to end.
To be honest, I’m kind of hard to decide how many stars I will give to this book. I feel the plot become repetitive to previous books. But it also has different things from its prequel that I liked.
I liked the description of the murdered, it was gruesome but it isn't as creepy as The Last Echo , which I think is the creepiest among the series so far. I also found the bad guys' names already revealed in half of the story while in first three books a little bit before the end of the story. It didn't make any different to the story since I still don't know who they are but somehow it makes me connected to them and feel less mysterious than other antagonists from previous books. And I feel the ending was too easy, at least it was easier than other Violet's stories, and Violet and her friends being in the same place as the killers was too coincidence for me.
Yet, I liked Violet - Jay relationship, they are going stronger here. In The Last Echo, I was worried there will be a love triangle when Rafe come to the story. I still feel it here but now I think it's one of author ways to attract me to keep waiting for next story. I really hope there won't be any love triangle in this story, not between Violet and Jay. But I do hope Rafe has his own love interest that (maybe) already introduced here. And I loved grandma Louise part. It gives more background to Violet's life. And the idea that she experienced similar situation as her grandma is a good way to introduce and continue her story. Because I'm sure this isn't the ending of her story. She still has more stories to come.
In the end, it is a good book with good story but my favorite still The Last Echo .
(Source: I own a copy of this book.) This is book 4 in the body finder series. Violet is now coming to terms with her own imprint, and it hasn’t been easy. The dead still want to be found though, and this time Violet finds a family of 3 all murdered. But where is the missing member of the family? And why does one of them not have an echo? Who killed the family and why? Why doesn’t one of them have an echo? And can Violet learn to live with her own imprint?
This was a bit of an odd end to the series, mainly because it doesn’t feel like an end!
Violet continued to be naïve, and downright stupid at times in this book. It seemed that she had learned nothing from her near-death experiences, and continued to go around hunting down serial killers all on her own, and thought nothing of randomly wandering into murder scenes.
The storyline in this was okay, and was a bit different to that in the previous books. This time, the bodies that Violet found weren’t buried, and there was more of an on-going investigation happening. This book was also different in that Violet wasn’t actually a target for the killer this time! I found Violet’s handling of her own imprint interesting, and I did get sucked into the story at points, but for the majority I felt a little bored though. I don’t know why this was, but I felt this way with the previous two books also, so maybe it’s just me.
The ending to this was a little odd. It really didn’t feel like an ending at all, as very little was tied up. I wouldn’t have expected there to be so much more ground to cover, and so many more things to explore when the series has finished! It all just seems a little incomplete, as if the author is keeping her options open in case Violet wants to re-emerge at some point in the future. Overall; an okay story, but not much of an ending. 6.75 out of 10.
First let me say that I write this review with tears in my eyes because I so did not want this series to end. I really enjoyed this series from the very beginning and I could not put the books down when I bought them. Causing me to stay up way past my bed time and be grumpy in the morning when I went to work. Kim has done a FABULOUS job with this series and I need more series from her.
Violet what can I say about my girl Violet..... Lord she has coma a long way and she never ceases to amaze me when it comes down to things. No she may not like it but she is there every step of the way and no matter what needs o get done she will do it. In Dead Silence Violet thought she would have peace in her life. She has comes to terms with ability to feel the echoes and she is starting to learn to block them so they don't bombard her every step of the way. I think the hardest part for her was the imprint of the echoes killers but she is learning to deal with it.
That is until she gets an imprint herself and she has to live with it. She has to relive the kidnapping over and over again. Lord can she get a break yet?????????? All Violet wants is a normal life to do normal things and maybe she and Jay can do normal things.But life will never be normal for her because she soon finds out that the special investigative team is not going to let her go and to make matters worse she finds out that someone close to her will be accused of murder and she will have to figure out who the real murderer is and help that person find safety. She will fight to protect the ones she loves at all costs. What will happen to her? Will she be able to protect everyone? This was a great ending to a great series.