First-Impression Friday: The Body Finder

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.

Title: I quite like the title The Body Finder. Even if you hadn’t heard anything about the premise of the story it already gives you an idea of what it’s going to be about.

Cover: A lot of people have said that the cover is pretty, and it is, in a way, but I’m not such a huge fan of it. Why is a flower important? Plus, I don’t like how the wording is being placed right in the center, on top of the picture. Yes, I’m being picky, but it’s really hard to explain why exactly I don’t like it.

Pitch: Firstly, I love how Violet has had this body-sensing ability for years now. I’m tired of paranormal books where the MC has to come to terms with their new ability. It’s nice that she’s already had it. I also love that she can sense bodies, and that her ability comes into play when a serial killer arrives in her town. That’s such an original premise that I decided to give this story a try, despite the ‘paranormal romance’ label. The one thing I’m not too excited about is the hint of romance already between Violet and her best friend since childhood.

First Sentence: There are really two first sentences, one for the prologue and one for the first chapter. The one in the prologue is a long, convoluted sentence about Violet walking around. The first chapter starts with an alarm clock waking her up. Hmm. Not too impressed so far.

First Chapter: I just read the first half of the first chapter (up to a section break) and I’m not impressed. First starters, it begins with an ordinary, boring day where she gets up and goes to school. Then it concentrates on her feelings for her best friend. It’s also clogged with backstory, telling about her special gift and her relationship with Jay over the years. Also, the writing feels overdone. This feels like something I’d read on inkpop, not in a published book.

Overall: I’m not sure what to think. I absolutely love the premise but I haven’t liked any of what I’ve read so far. I’ll certainly give it a bit more of a chance but this may well be a book I don’t end up finishing.