Desires of the Dead Book Review

I must first admit that I got this audio book without the knowledge that it was part of a series. Having learned that there was a book before this one helped me to make sense of a few things that I was a little confused about. However having said this I do believe this could be a stand alone novel because Derting does a fine job of including key details about the main protagonist’s past events.

Desires of the dead opens up with Violet and her school peers at school talking about the new kids in town. To me the conversations of the high schoolers as well as their behaviors were a bit off for some reason. (This may be because I’m no longer anywhere near that age.) The reader learns a bit later that she has the ability to sense the ‘echoes’ of those who have died. Those who have been murdered have a unique echo and the murderer shares the same ‘echo’ which links them together.

Violet does not give out this information to many people; not even her best girl friend. (This too seems odd to me because if you can’t trust your bestie…who can you trust?) Violet has her best friend which is also now her boyfriend. So she isn’t altogether alone. However, from recent past events Violet questions how much their relationship has changed and their exists a certain uncomfortable change (at least in her mind).

Violet soon senses a new echo and she later goes off to find out what or who is producing the echo. With disturbing dreams and a penetrating echo that refuses to leave her alone, Violet searches for the echo in hopes of bringing closure. In her attempt to do so, Violet draws the attention of the FBI. Violet is terrified that her secret ‘ability’ will become public knowledge and makes some hard choices trying to keep her life normal, or as normal as one can be with such powers.

While she attempts to ‘handle’ things Violet is also becoming aware of how her boyfriend is spending more time with the new boy in school and the new boy’s sister seems to have a huge crush on Jay…a dangerous crush even? With all kinds of time to think about things Violet begins imagining, or is she, crazy scenarios about Jay and this other girl. These new kids have brought some secrets of their own.

While listening to this audio book I was at times very interested but found myself being let down frequently. I thought there were some strong scenes that could have offered me more. One character left me wanting more for sure. HOWEVER, after recently learning that this was part of a series, I also learned that the character I wanted more from and of is returning and I am surely going to read if only to get more of that one person.

I don’t normally do this but I will say that if this had been a book by itself I would have rated it differently than I am going to rate it. Knowing that it’s part of a series, and learning what the next book is about has improved my opinion of the book by a lot.
So I am offering two scores for this book (Which I’ve never done before)

B4 knowing this book was part of a series: 6
After knowing: 7.5

Will I read the next book? Most Definitely!