A review by hollylash
Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
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.
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.