Reviews

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

erinarkin20's review against another edition

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4.0

Review to come.

michellesantiago's review

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4.0

I feel there's going to be a spin-off series. There's gotta be! Dead Silence feels too open-ended for there to not be a follow-up. Full review coming soon!

Full Review (originally posted 4/13/13 on Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks):
The three previous books in the Body Finder series were very enjoyable and after the ending in The Last Echo, I was so excited to read Dead Silence. It did not disappoint!

Dead Silence explored the history of Violet's ability and I liked learning more about that. It certainly answered questions I didn't even know I had. I really like the snippets from her grandmother's old diaries and getting a glimpse of her life and her connection to Violet's present. It is also evident in this book how much Violet's character grew in the series.

Like in the previous books, Derting lets us readers see through the eyes of the killer and this guy and his followers were skin-crawlingly creepy but pathetic at the same time. Whenever I'm reading the chapters seen through the killer's POV, I feel like I'm watching a gruesome Criminal Minds episode. There were some really horrifying and shocking moments that were more violent than the what the killers did in the previous books that leaves you at the edge of your seat.

Of course, amidst the creepy stuff there's the romance. I love the best-friend-turned-into-boyfriend (there's nothing more romantic in my opinion) trope so from the beginning I loved Violet and Jay together. There were some bumps in their relationship throughout the series (e.g., their big fight in Desires of the Dead, the Rafe thing, etc.). There were more Violet and Jay scenes in this book than there was in the Last Echo, which made me happy. However, I think there's still some unresolved feelings between Violet and Rafe. But despite the connection between Violet and Rafe, I think she will always choose Jay in the end--they're soul mates and are incomplete without the other.

But oh, Rafe. I didn't want to like him in the beginning because I didn't want anyone to get between Violet and Jay but I couldn't help liking him anyway. And there was a hint that there might be something there between he and... wait for it...
SpoilerChelsea
! You're probably like, "What?!" Yeah, you're gonna have to read the book.

Well, I think Rafe deserves some happiness and I think the ending was open enough that the author can do a spin off series featuring Rafe.

This book and the series overall were great reading--it has a lot of stuff going for it that keeps me flipping the pages: mystery, romance, humor, psycho killers, just some good ol' fashioned drama... There's really nothing bad I can say about it. The writing is straightforward and very readable. I highly recommend the Body Finder series (you do need to read the books in order to enjoy the series) to everyone!

scarletcorset's review

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5.0

(re-read 10/8/15)

**5 STARS**

Even better the second time around (if that's even possible). This book was such an amazing finale to this series. I was only a little disappointed in the ending, but that's just because I desperately want more!!! I would give ANYTHING for just ONE more Body Finder book...

Overall, I am so in love with these books and feel such an intense attachment to them. Easily one of my all-time favorite series ever. I have a strong feeling I'll be re-reading this series once again very soon...

bestofjess's review against another edition

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4.0

I am so very very sad to see this series end. I loved it all. I feel like some series (ahem House of Night) should have ended after the first couple of books but some deserve to go on forever and it pains me to think that this will not be one of them.

Vi and Jay are probably one of my favorite YA book couples. I love the way he loves her, unconditionally with his whole heart. I have loved watching the relationship grow and look forward to imagining their future.

Back to the book:

While not as heart-racing as the previous book, I found this one to be compelling. The mystery of center had me waiting for more. I love the POV swaps between Vi and the killer. As with all of the Body Finder books I adored it all!

meganlollman's review against another edition

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5.0

Oh Kimberly Derting, you just kill me! :D

I absolutely love these books. Kimberly has been my favorite author for years, ever since I finished the first Body Finder book. I even had the pleasure-and unbelievable experience-of meeting her this year at the RT 2013 in Kansas City. This book is fantastic. I love the characters so much and the suspense and pacing of the book is just flawless! The relationship between Jay and Violet is something I could read for ages. They are just so perfect together! Easily my favorite book couple I've encountered so far.

If you love action, mystery, suspense, humor, paranormal, and great characters and great relationships you really need to add this series to your to-read list!

cegleston's review against another edition

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4.0

What can I say, I absolutely love this series and this book was no different. Violet and Jay are still the cutest couple Ever!! Rafe was still infuriating to me, only because I hate that he interferes in Violet and Jays relationship. And I loved that Violet has come to terms with her ability (in a way, and thanks to some help from a certain someone). Can't wait to see what next!!

in_tw1ne's review against another edition

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3.0

I just finished reading Dead Silence and am now left wondering if this is really the last book. After all, Ms Derting definitely ended this book with a huge opportunity for more. There are plenty of characters and storylines she can explore and branch out on, like Rafe and whether he'd finally hook up with Chelsea (although I'm not entirely comfortable with this pairing since I'm 45% RafexViolet, I still want Rafe to be happy).

Anyways, about Dead Silence. It's a good novel, I like the story and the characters. Although I do feel like it's not enough in a way, it's lacking. There wasn't much that happened, except for her discovery of the bodies, and finding out about her grandma. But this isn't as heart-racing as the previous book when she was kidnapped by that weirdo guy and even though
SpoilerChelsea was in danger by almost dying, which was the beginning
it was very brief and seemed easy to get over and guess. And when I read in the summary that someone close to Violet was suspected of murder it added to the suspense and mystery cause I quickly thought it would be Jay, one of her friends, her parents or even her Uncle Stephen only to read that it was just
SpoilerGrady, who sexually harassed her before and who (not to be mean) I didn't really care about)
was slightly disappointing.

I did like how her relationship with Jay is still as strong as ever, her relationship with her Uncle and how Gemma, who's usually mean to Violet showed a hint care. The echoes and imprints are still fascinating. I just really hope that there was more on the Circle of Seven and (if it's not too much to ask) an explanation as to who it really is behind the Center. And more on the members of the team; Krystal, Sam and Sara.
But there is always a possibility for a next book. Hopefully.

maybeicanbesaved's review against another edition

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4.0

I was hoping for more between Violet and Rafe. Sigh.

And I don't like this Rafe/Chelsea thing.

kamc_48's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

hollylash's review against another edition

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3.0

Let's be honest here, The Body Finder series is what you read at the beach for creepy lulz and heavy-handed romances. I came to care for Violet, Jay, and Rafe through the last books and was excited to get the next.

So what did I think of it? Eh.

Usually, the books have a central catch-the-killer story and while this did have it with Evan, it seemed almost like an afterthought. Much of the book is sent discovering things about Violet's grandmother, Dr. Lee's role, and the way Violet feels towards Rafe. Alone, these things could have made for a great, compelling read but combined with the needed catch-the-killer, neither story gets what it deserves. I didn't get the full story behind the Circle of Seven or its connection to Violet's team and I felt like I should. I wish Derting wouldn't have tried to cram so much into one novel.

While I like Violet, I didn't love her. She's prone to lots of moments of emotional-ness (is that a word? I just made it a word.). For example, Chelsea and Rafe are growing closer and Violet is having these conflicting feelings. There is a way to make this endearing and realistic, but here, when it's already established that Violet would move mountains for Jay, it feels forced. While Rafe obviously has feelings for Vi, I never thought she reciprocated those feelings and her having jealousy over him moving on really turns me off her character.

She was awesome in the end when she told Dr. Lee to pop off.

I did like how Derting didn't let what happened in the last book leave Violet unaffected. It was a truly traumatic experience and I'm glad to see it expressed rather than swept under the rug.

Also, I love the other kids with the powers, Rafe and Gemma especially. I wish we had seen more of them and their mysterious connection to the Circle of Seven.

Overall, a decent read. Nothing to write home about but also nothing that made me see red.