Way Back Then… On A Friday

Goodreads Description

I know your secret...

Stacey's junior year at boarding school isn't easy. She's not the most popular girl at school, or the smartest, or the prettiest. She's got a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, and an even darker secret that threatens to ruin her friendships for good. And now she's having nightmares again. 

Not just any nightmares – these dreams are too real to ignore, like she did three years ago. The last time she ignored them, a little girl died. This time they're about Drea, her best friend who's become the target of one seriously psycho stalker. It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. 

Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies – the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacey's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered. There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacey turns to the one secret weapon she can trust – the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. 

Will Stacey's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?

My Review

This book is the first in the series. I read this quite a few years ago but whenever I am at the bookstore and see it on the shelf, I smile. I adored this book back in the day. It is different, simple and yet it kept my attention. I found myself reading this late into the night because I wanted the mystery to be solved.

The characters are enjoyable but not really anything special. They are the type of characters you would expect to find in a young adult novel of this variety.

I found the nightmares that Stacey experiences throughout the novel to be extremely interesting. The connections between the nightmares and what was happening in the plot was well done.

The mystery behind everything definitely kept me hooked. With that being said, if you are looking for a quick and enjoyable read, this book is for you. There are three books after this one and I highly recommend reading those as well if you enjoy Blue is for Nightmares.

Way Back Then Wednesday

Hey all! I was at work today and got to thinking about how I wish I was able to post more reviews on this blog. I tend to work almost everyday so finishing a book sometimes takes me longer then I would like. This puts the brakes on being able to write a new review so you see my dilemma.

The idea behind 'Way Back Then Wednesday' is a chance for me to still be able to reach my goal of one review a week. Every Wednesday, I will be choosing a book from my Goodreads 'read' list that I finished quite some time ago and posting a review. That way, I can post reviews more consistently and still be able to read in my free time. I will be posting reviews of books I am reading currently as often as I can.

Without further ado, here is this Wednesday's 'Way Back Then' review. Enjoy! :)

Goodreads Description

Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. Something Borrowed is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend.

My Review

I picked up this book at my local library when I was attending high school. To this day, I still do not know what made me pick up this book. I am usually more into young adult books, and this books characters were much older then what I was used to. Well, back then, 30 seemed old. Now that I am 23 I feel a lot differently!

However, I am very happy with my high school self for picking up this book and giving it a chance. I absolutely love this book and the movie is pretty good too! I found myself relating to Rachel throughout much of the story. I was always seen as the 'good girl' out of my group of friends, really quiet, let people walk all over her, didn't think I was deserving of what I wanted, etc. Rachel struggles with all of these issues as well throughout the novel so I felt very connected to her.

Darcy.. oh Darcy. I could not stand her. She drove me crazy. She comes off as very materialistic and all about what she wants. I thought those feelings might change as I continued reading, but they didn't. I felt a little sorry for her as events transpired, but I was always rooting for Rachel's happy ending.

I liked Dex… for the most part. I just wish he would have had more of a backbone earlier on. He's alright for the most part.

One thing that I found funny about this book is that the way that its written actually messes with your mindset about cheating in a relationship. Most people, including myself, firmly believe that cheating under any circumstances is wrong. However, as I was reading 'Something Borrowed', instead of scolding Rachel for developing her relationship with Dex, I was cheering her on. This blew my mind.

This book shows just what people will give up for their friends. It also shows that sometimes you have to put yourself and your own happiness before the people in your life. It also encourages you to never be afraid of pursuing what is going to make you truly happy.

Review of Dead Silence

Description From Goodreads

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.

My Review

“When you grow accustomed to something, when it becomes part of your everyday life, you notice when it suddenly vanishes”

Dead Silence was my least favorite book of this series. I could just not get into the background story of the killer. Yes, it had that creepy factor like the other books but it was different. I found myself sighing quite often as I was reading. I think I finally got fed up with Jay being jealous and Violet making stupid decisions. I love seeing character development in a series and while they did do some growing up, they all had so much more potential. The book just seemed very dull to me. I thought the end of the book would safe it since the endings of Dertings are always very well put together but I was disappointed. The book just did not end in the way that I was expecting.

The one aspect of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed was the knowledge we gained about Violets ability. Violets grandma’s journal entries were extremely interesting and the connections Violet was able to make from reading the entries were very interesting as well. Throughout the book you learn more about how imprints and echoes work as well.

The rest of the book was very similar to the others in the series. Violet and Jay argue, they stop talking and they make up. If I have to hear Violet fantasize about Jay taking his shirt off ever again, it will be too soon. Trust me. If you read this book, you will know exactly what I am talking about when you get to that particular part. Rafe stares at Violet, Violet gets all hot and bothered but denies having any feels for Rafe whatsoever. Jay overreacts and gets extremely jealous and lashes out at Violet. So, the usual.

Overall, the only reason I would recommend reading this book is just so you can finish the series. It does provide a lot of information that we did not know before but other then that, there isn’t much to it.

Review of The Last Echo

Description From Goodreads

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. 

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye….

My Review

“In the end, all that's left is an echo.”

Creepy. That pretty much sums up The Last Echo, the third book in The Body Finder series. Kimberly Derting strikes again!

I enjoyed The Last Echo tremendously. It focused much more on character development and a little less on Violet and Jays relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading about those two but I’m really good Derting decided to dive into other aspects of the story as well. Throughout the book, you can’t help but cheer Violet on as she begins to accept her ability more and more and become more comfortable with herself.

I also liked the fact that we learned a lot more about Sara, Rafe and the rest of the team. They are a very interesting group and Derting threw in some surprises that I definitely wasn’t expecting!

I know that many people are probably not happy with the addition of Rafe to the story since almost every young adult series does the whole love triangle thing. I am usually the first to throw a fit when the love triangle begings to develop but in this case, I am ok with it (surprising, I know!). The way I see it is that Violet and Jay have been best friends forever and now they are dating. They have a strong relationship and a very deep connection. Another guy coming into the picture shouldn’t change anything at all, if their relationship is as strong as they think. I welcome this ‘challenge’ to their relationship to test just how strong they are.

Then there is Nua… shudders. I actually had to set my Kindle down while I was reading about him. That is just how creepy this guy is. I love that her descriptions of him can get to me like that. I could actually picture what this creep looked like in my head. I could go on and on about this aspect of the book, but you are just going to have to read it and find out for yourself!

Speaking of creepy, lets discuss the serial killer that is brought into this book. They refer to him as the ‘girlfriend collector’. This had to be the best killer Derting has written about so far. When you learn more about him, you actually feel a little sorry for him. The description of his life that led to this killing obsession is extremely depressing. It is crazy to think that some people in real life can be pushed to this point. Oh and lilac nail polish… enough said.

I highly suggest starting this series or if you are already reading it, to continue. You won’t be sorry!

Review of Desires of the Dead

Description from Goodreads

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found. Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally, she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

My Review

“She fell asleep like that, wrapped in warmth.

Wrapped in Jay.”

Desires of the Dead, the second novel in The Body Finder series, continues on with the story of Violet, the girl who can sense dead people. Much of the novel focuses on her relationship with her best friend and boyfriend, Jay. There is a lot of that romance stuff so if you aren’t a fan of make out sessions and whispered promises, this book will most likely annoy the heck out of you. However, if you are interested in seeing where Violets ability is going to take her next, I highly suggest picking up this little gem!

Personally, I love seeing relationships develop so I adore Violet and Jay. Things become extremely difficult during this novel and their strong relationship is tested. Watching them grow together (and separately) was very enjoyable.

I had mixed feelings about Violet this time around. She actually drove me insane for a good portion of this book. She just became very whiny and clingy instead of the strong and independent character I know she has the potential to be. On the other hand, she had many things going on and was unsure of everything so I can also understand why she behaved the way she did. I just wish she would have trusted her loved ones more to back her up instead of retreating into herself.

I am quite excited about the introduction of Rafe and Sara into the plot. I really hope we are going to learn more about these two characters in the next book and also see how they fit into Violets life. The next book could go in many different directions because of these two characters and Violets new outlook on her ability.

While I loved Desires of the Dead, I feel that I loved The Body Finder just a little bit more. I think this is due to the way The Body Finder was written. I enjoyed getting insight into the mind of a killer and the creep factor that came along with knowing his thoughts. Even though we got insight into another characters mind during Desires of the Dead, it just wasn’t the same. It was still interesting to get into the mind of another character but it just wasn’t as engaging. I really loved how the first book kept me on the edge of my seat and I sometimes had no idea what was going to happen next. Desires of the Dead just felt quite predictable to me but I still had fun learning more about all of the characters and watching them grow.