The Body Finder Review

Title: The Body Finder

Author: Kimberly Derting

Release Date: March 16, 2010

Rating: 

Synopsis: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers. 

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. 

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.  (From Kimberly's web page)

I could NOT put this book down!  Kimberly weaves a romantic thriller that had me hooked from the start!  I was totally drawn in by Violet and her "gift" and how she had dealt with it throughout her life.  Some people might have a problem with Vi and how she handles things with Jay.  I know as I was reading it I was doing a little bit of yelling going HELLO! But looking back I think it shows more about how Vi deals with her gift than it shows her as a clueless girl. Outside of the love story, Violet is a very strong character, she handles he gift with amazing strength that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to.  She has accepted who she is and isn't looking back asking what if.   I also enjoyed Jay as a character.  I think he's one of those guys readers can rally around.  He's a solid foundation for Vi as a friend and works well has the story's love interest.

I liked that Kimberly mixes in the point of view of the mysterious killer.  I think this brings amazing depth to the book and makes it an even more intense and thrilling read.  This extra POV really makes The Body Finder stand out from other YA novels.  I applaud Kimberly for taking this step and her editors for leaving it in!  

The Body Finder is the first book of a series and I'm looking forward to book 2, Desires of the Dead!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Cover News

Cassandra Clare announces that the full cover art for Clockwork Angel will be show to the world on March 18!  This is what she posted on her blog:

For authors, getting the cover of your book in your inbox is one of the most exciting and terrifying parts of the process — authors don't decide what their cover looks like, so it's sort of the equivalent of being assigned your brand new house by lottery — someone just dumps you in a car, drives you around for a while, and finally comes to a stop in front of a house: "Here's where you'll be living for the next six to ten years! Hope you like it!"

Fortunately I have been lucky with covers so far and liked them all. By far my favorite though is the beautiful cover for Clockwork Angel, which I am very much looking forward to showing you all . . .

Next week! On March 18th at 10:00am, Entertainment Weekly will be revealing the Clockwork Angel cover reveal at http://shelf-life.ew.com/ At that same link, you will also find a link to a Clockwork Angel sweepstakes giveway: 25 winners will receive a signed ARC of Clockwork Angel months before the book's actual release date!

We're excited!!!! And good luck to all those who decide to enter!

Trailer Thursday - The Sky is Everywhere

This week's Trailer Thursday is...

(click the book cover to order)

Learn more about The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson on her official web page.  You can also read the first two chapters by clicking HERE. 

Chat About YA Books!

Our affiliate Fallen Archangel is hosting a chat tomorrow night about all things YA.  Everyone is welcome!  They are going to be talking about many different aspects of YA, so I hope you all stop by!

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This weeks WoW....

I just started reading this series but my friend wanted me to post this one as our WoW.

Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine

A new chapter in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires saga.

Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big- time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs-which means Michael will have to enter the human world. For this, he's been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael's all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell...

Prom Nights from Hell Review

Title: Prom Nights from Hell

Author: Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, Kim Harrison, and Michele Jaffe

Release Date: April 2007

Rating:

Synopsis: In Prom Dates from Hell, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), Lauren Myracle (ttyl), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty) and Kim Harrison (A Fistful of Charms) take bad prom dates to a whole new level -- a paranormally bad level. From vampires to grim reapers to a creepy update on the classic three-wishes-gone-terribly awry tale "The Monkey's Paw," these stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux can. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.--BarnesandNoble.com

Ok, my prom was pretty lame. But at least my date wasn't a zombie, or a vampire. And while my date may have been all hands, at least he wasn't the grim reaper, nor did he chase after some demoness. These delightful tales of prom nights gone wrong remind you that there are worse things than going to Prom stag, like showing up in a roller derby dress. With a perfect blending of humor and the paranormal, you are sure to get a tingle down your spine. For me, my evening curled up with this collection of short stories from acclaimed YA authors was certainly more entertaining than my own prom night.

Escaping The Tiger Review

Title: Escaping the Tiger

Author: Laura Manivong 

Release Date: March 9, 2010

Rating:

Synopsis:When you're so skinny people call you Skeleton Boy, how do you find strength for the fight of your life?

Twelve-year-old Vonlai knows that soldiers who guard the Mekong River shoot at anything that moves, but in oppressive Communist Laos, there's nothing left for him, his spirited sister, Dalah, and his desperate parents. Their only hope is a refugee camp in Thailand—on the other side of the river.

When they reach the camp, their struggles are far from over. Na Pho is a forgotten place where life consists of squalid huts, stifling heat, and rationed food. Still, Vonlai tries to carry on as if everything is normal. He pays attention in school, a dusty barrack overcrowded with kids too hungry to learn. And, to forget his empty stomach, he plays soccer in a field full of rocks. But when someone inside the camp threatens his family, Vonlai calls on a forbidden skill to protect their future—a future he's sure is full of promise, if only they can make it out of Na Pho alive.

(from BN.com)

This is a great and very age appropriate book looking at life in a refugee camp.  This is a book that is both educational and entertaining at the same time.  Laura does a great job of drawing you in to the horrors, the love, the relationships and the hope that all collide for Vonlai and his family while they are in Na Pho. This story is even more touching when you learn that it was inspired by Laura's own husband's journey from Laos to the US in the 1980s.  The book includes a great afterward that talks a little about Troy's (Laura's husband) story and the inspiration for the book.

It always amazes me how stories of great heart break are also stories of great hope. Vonlai and his family live through some very touch situations but their hope for a better life and Vonlai's dream of seeing the buildings that touch the sky keep them going to make it through their time at Na Pho.  This book is a great tool for class rooms talking about current affairs as well as history.  This is a very universal story about hardship and hope and how people survive every day in refugee camps around the world.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It was a nice change of pace to read a historical fiction YA book.  It's also a topic that's not addressed very much so it was nice to learn a little more about post-war Asia.  Most people know about Vietnam and Korea, but the story of Laos is sometimes lost to history, so I applaud Laura and Harper Teen for addressing this subject and I am looking forward to see what Laura is writing next!

Beautiful Creatures 2 has a Title!!!!

From BeautifulCreaturestheBook.com:

Some secrets are life-altering…

Others are life-ending.

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS the anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is coming on OCTOBER 26, 2010!

Check the Beautiful Creatures Ning on Friday, March 19th for the exclusive cover reveal!

Tell us what you think of the title!  

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

This week my teaser comes from...

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev


If you ever loved my mother, tell me how to get to Sedna's kingdom. She promised to open the portal to you."

"It was a lie."