Friday, June 22, 2012

"The Last Echo" Review


Date Published: April 17, 2012

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Number of Pages: 360

Publisher: Harper Collins

First Thoughts:

From the very beginning I was hooked; I was instantly submerged back into Violet’s world. This book didn’t let me down,  I feel like the series has so much more to explore and the ideas and concept hasn’t grown old like some other YA series these days. Actually this particular book really reminded me of the show “Criminal Minds” minus the superpowers of course. I will later explain why I think that but if you’re a fan of the show I think you might find this book even more appealing. The Body Finder series is definitely unique and so much fun to read, if you haven’t checked out the previous two books in the series, I would totally recommend that you do so; at least give this series a chance. It just seems this world has so much more to offer and Kimberley’s writing is so beautiful and easy to read. The wait for this book was totally worth it and by the end I was definitely left with yearning to read more.

Plot:

I liked the conflicts and plotline of this book; there definitely was plenty of action and suspense in this book to keep you reading. And you really started to get to know the team; to see what they could do.  The concept of Violet’s ability is still intriguing to me; I still find it unique and creative and you really get to see Violet at work in this book. Violet’s world is still growing, you still see all of the hidden secrets that it has and some you still don’t know but in the end you still feel satisfied. I really enjoyed seeing all the characters we know and love take part in this story, some had bigger parts to play while others were more subtle and there only occasionally. But each character helped move the plot along, they created conflict, suspense, and love; they made the book worth reading. And as far as the conflict in this book, there was the main problem with serial killer and then there was a sub-plot that intersected the main conflict and may be later used in the next book (That’s what I’m guessing). And why this book reminded me of “Criminal Minds” was because the serial killer would be someone they would so profile, the way he acts and thinks is a perfect case for them! I’m a huge fan of the show and though this book lacked the “Criminal Minds” crew it did give me a sense that this serial killer would be someone you’d find on that show. As far as the pace of the book it was pretty fast, I was able to read this book in one day; it was really fun to read. So overall I think the plot was really good and allowed me to really enjoy this book.

Romance:

Sigh, this was one aspect of the book that took it from 5 stars down to 4. I just don’t like that possibility of a love triangle (haven’t we read enough of them already?) I loved that Violet and Jay were together, their love seems real and I love Jay but the possibility of Rafe? No thank you, I love him as a character but don’t like him as a possible love interest for Violet. And another thing I really missed Jay in this book, he was there but just not as much as I’m used to…I miss you Jay!! So overall this did not make me enjoy the book any better.

Characters:

I still love Violet, I’m able to connect to her from the beginning, I love her no matter what decisions she makes and I just like her personality. I really felt like I was able to understand her even more in this book. She in a small way opened up to her readers and allowed us to really experience what it’s like to be her. As far as the other characters, they each were filled with their own traits and quirks and fit perfectly into their own roles; each of them had a part to play. Krystal especially was a character that stood out and I so love the personality of her car “Roxy”. So overall each of the characters interacted and did well in this book, they were easy to read along with and easy to connect with.

Transformation of the Character:

So there weren’t that many transformations in this book, I think Violet’s starting to transform/grow-up more in this book. I felt by the end of the book she was starting to think differently…but there’s of course more room to grow. As far as the other characters I think Rafe definitely needs to transform but gradually and I think there might have been the start of that near the end of this book and I can’t wait to see him transform…So overall this wasn’t really a big aspect in this book.

Description:

I really enjoyed the way the author described the emotions and images in this book. I really like how she described the echoes and imprints, they really allowed the reader to better understand Violet’s gift. And the description of the scenery was just so beautiful and fun to read. The images really attracted me to this world; I felt like I was actually inside the book; experiencing everything the characters were experiencing. I was able to feel the fear, the excitement and love, the emotion in this book was expertly tied in within the description and characters. And as far as there being too much or too little this book had just the right amount, I didn’t feel overwhelmed with it and there’s enough of it to allow me to become a part of this world. The dialogue seemed realistic and true to the character and I didn’t find any problems with it. So overall I enjoyed the description and found that it added more depth and texture to the overall feel and look of this story’s world.

Style:

This was written in two POV’s Violets and the killer’s. I liked the killer’s a lot because it really allowed me to get inside his head to experience his thoughts and actions; it allowed the reader to better understand why he was killing the girls he was. And Violet’s POV allowed us to see the story from her vantage point and we were able to really connect well with her and understand how she is dealing with the conflicts within the story. Also this book was written in third person, so it allowed the reader to step back and see the world a little better and see a few more vantage points you wouldn’t have been able to see if it was written in first person. The author’s writing was just as easy and beautiful as it was in the previous books of this series. She captivated me from the very first page. So overall I found the style to be very well suited for this book.

Quote of the book:

“He nuzzled the side of her neck and breathed in the scent of her, hoping he’d never forget this moment as he slipped his hand down the length of her arm, his fingers intertwining with hers. Already they were stiff and cold. It was too bad she was so fragile, he thought as he drew back and glanced into her wide, glassy, unblinking eyes. She could have been perfect. She could have been the one.”

Goodreads Summary:

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

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....

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to YA readers and to fans of the body finder series. This was definitely another successful book in the series; I enjoyed the conflict and suspense. This book had a lot of good qualities to it and though the romance is starting to worry me I still have faith in Violet’s romance; Jay’s just too much of a wonderful guy. But this was a fun and interesting book to read and I can’t wait to continue reading more of this series and any other series the author writes. I just love her ideas and style of writing. I’m sure Kimberley has a lot in store for her fans…now if only I knew what it was!

My Rating:


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