The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting Book Review

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
(HarperTeen, Hardcover, March 2010)
Rating:

Dead bodies seem to call to Violet Ambrose. Ever since she was little and uncovered the body of a teenage girl in the woods, Violet has been able to find dead bodies--mostly, squirrels, mice, cats, and other woodland creatures. Their "imprint" calls to her, through colors, smells, and noises. Violet has learned to deal with her ability, but when a serial killer starts murdering girls in her town, Violet can't escape the horror. Even worse, it looks like the serial killer is targeting Violet.

The Body Finder is one of the most exciting, original fantasy books that I've read in awhile. The novel is full of suspense and descriptive passages. Violet's ability to see/hear/smell imprints comes across as spooky but also beautiful. Here's a passage from the beginning of the novel. Violet and her friends are enjoying a lazy summer afternoon at a lake when Violet feels the pull of something dead and sees what looks like the sheen of an oil spill in the water.

"Multihued light seemed to be radiating up from beneath the water, centered among the reeds, and then diffusing outward as it reached the surface. Violet had never seen anything like it and she knew that the spectrum of light was defying its very nature by behaving in that way. It could only be one thing. There was something dead down there....The vibrant light continued to play off the waves from below, fading into a fine, colorful mist as it broke through the surface of the water and vanished into the air." (pp. 61-62)

The characters in Kimberly Derting's novel are well-written and believable. Violet agonizes over school, family, and her sudden crush on Jay, her best friend. Quite frankly, it was nice to read about a family that was supportive for a change. When confronted with Violet's gift at an early age, Violet's dad believes his daughter instead of shipping her off to a psychiatric ward. He acts like a parent figure and allows Violet to live a relatively normal life. The book also has an incredibly sweet and touching romantic element, for those of you who are romance fans. In the acknowledgments of the book, Kimberly thanks her editor for helping her to "polish The Body Finder into something that sparkles." And sparkle it does. The plot is creative, the characters fully developed, and the writing compelling. And make sure to keep your eyes open for the sequel which will be published in 2011 and titled The Desires of the Dead.

House of Dance Contest at Beth Kephart's Blog

Beth Kephart is having a contest over at her blog.  Tell her your definition of dance and two lucky winners will get a paperback copy of her fabulous book House of Dance.

And speaking of fabulous books, Beth just received some great news about her upcoming book The Heart Is Not a Size.  Stay tuned to this blog for some more Heart related posts as we get closer to it's release date on March 30th.

Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont Book Review

Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
(Atheneum, Hardcover, March 2010)
Rating:

When 16-year-old Sydney finds out that she's pregnant, she has no idea what to do. So she keeps it a secret from everyone but her best friend Natalie. Sydney thinks that she just needs time to decide what to do and how to tell her mom. Then her mom enrolls her in a six-week canoe camp in Canada and Natalie invites herself along. Sydney has to make the biggest decision of her life on this trip and Natalie's opinions aren't helping.

In my review of Nina de Gramont's first novel Gossip of the Starlings, I said that she perfectly captures what is like to be an adolescent on the verge of adulthood. The same holds true for this novel. Sydney is forced to grow up when she finds out that's she is pregnant. The juxtaposition of Sydney's upcoming decision and the carefree world of summer camp illustrate the two worlds that Sydney is straddling. Natalie's desire for Sydney to keep the baby sets up a nice pro-life/pro-choice debate, but it also serves to show how friendships change as we grow up. I thought this novel had great character development, a thought-provoking topic, and a unique setting. I'm excited that de Gramont has ventured into teen literature and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Cybils Young Adult Fiction Finalists - a Round-up of Reviews

I'm currently in the process of reading the seven Young Adult Fiction finalists for the Cybils award and am really enjoying them. All of the books that I've read thus far deal with major ISSUES, like alcoholism or suicide or abuse. In order to combat the heaviness, I've been reading light, frothy, non-Cybils books in between. This helps me clear my head before moving on to the next book. Unlike last year when I read over 90 nominated novels as a first-round panelist, this year I only have to read seven so it's nice to be able to take my time and savor each book instead of feeling like I have to rush immediately into the next one.

Enough about my reading style though...I promised to post other bloggers' reviews of the finalists, since I can't actually review any on my blog until after the winner has been announced. Below are reviews that have come to my attention in the last week. If you've reviewed one of these books and you're not on this list, leave me a comment and a link to your review and I'll add it. (p.s. I have no idea if these are positive or negative reviews. I didn't read them before posting because I didn't want other reviews competing with my own thoughts as I read these books.)

Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney
Reviewed by:
Sarah at YA Librarian Tales
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings
Alea at Pop Culture Junkie
Norah at TeenReads

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
Reviewed by:

Sally at Reading Junky

Karilee at Not So Closet Geeks
Ed at YA Books Central
Emily at EmilyReads

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Sophie at So Many Books
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings
Jocelyn at Teen Book Review

How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford

Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Erin at Forever Young Adult

Sally at Reading Junky
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Reviewed by:
Sarah at YA Librarian Tales
Sarah at Green Bean Teen Queen
Shelf Elf
The Book Muncher

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Priya at Book Crumbs

Megan at SimplyMegan
Sally at Reading Junky
Miss Erin
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Jenny at Forever Young Adult
Priya at Book Crumbs
Megan at SimplyMegan
Sally at Reading Junky
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books

My 2010 Book Wishlist

A new year means tons of great new books. Here are some that I'm looking forward to reading (and buying) in 2010.

The Heart Is Not a Size by Beth Kephart (already read and loved!), Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, Every Little Thing In the World by Nina de Gramont (already read and loved!)

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong, Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (already read and loved!)

What's on your 2010 book wishlist?

A note about buying books...
Between my job and this blog, I get a ton of books for free, but I also buy a ton of books. I've already read three of the above books in advance reader copy form. However, when those books hit the shelves, I will buy at least one copy of every one. Why? Because I love books and I think it's important to support the authors of my favorite books. As Beth Kephart recently said on her blog, "I believe in books, and I will pay to keep them coming." Of course, this also means that I'm doing a good job of keeping the bookshelf manufacturing companies in business, too. :)

Favorite Books of 2009

One of my favorite things to do in January is to look back at some of the best books from the previous year. Below are some of my favorite reads in 2009...

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Last year, my blog resolution was to read 200 books. For the second year in a row, I am proud to say that I read over 200 books. This year, I am not going to set a reading quota; instead, my goal is to read more diversely. In addition to the young adult books you see reviewed on this blog, my list of 200 books was filled with adult fiction and a handful of non-fiction. In 2010, I want to read more non-fiction and I also want to work towards my goal of reading all the Man Booker Prize winners. Usually I read 2-3 of these a year, although in 2009 I only read 1--The Gathering by Anne Enright, a thoroughly depressing book.

However, when all is said and done, my only real New Year's Resolution is to pet my cat more. ♥
Em's Favorite Books of 2007 and 2008

Well, hello there

I've been hibernating.  This is one of my favorite times of year, plenty of evenings spent reading by the fire, lots of beautiful holiday decorations to admire, and the joy of spending time with family and friends.

Here are a few of my favorite holiday treats that I'd like to share with you...

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I read this book every year around Christmas.  Nothing gets me more in the holiday spirit than the story of little Sarah Crewe and her brave adventures.  My copy is from 1987 (cover image shown) and has held up amazingly well.  The pages are yellowed and the jacket shows lots of love.  Last year, I decided to start collecting copies of this book.  Any cover, any condition, any age.  But when December rolls around, I always pick up my original copy to read. 

Peppermint

Every fall, Ghirardelli makes their delicious Peppermint Bark chocolate.  It's got a milk chocolate bottom with a white chocolate topping, chock full of tiny peppermint pieces. Yum!  Another holiday favorite is Candy Cane Lane Tea from Celestial Seasonings.  Full confession - I scour the grocery stores in November and stock up on this tea so that I have it all year long.

Grand Illumination in Colonial Williamsburg

At least once in your lifetime, I recommend going to Colonial Williamsburg for Grand Illumination, which takes place the first Sunday in December.  Not only are you greeted by caroling colonials, hot apple cider, and hundreds of fun shops, there is also a huge fireworks display to celebrate the lighting of candles in the windows of Colonial Williamsburg's buildings, shops, and homes.

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

(images taken from Ghirardelli and Celestial Seasonings and about.com)