Falmouth High School Library

Derting, K. (2010). The Body Finder. NY: Harper. 329 pages.

Violet Ambrose has always had the supernatural ability to detect dead bodies, and the ones that have been murdered call to her in “echoes.” Generally these murdered bodies are victims of nature – birds, squirrels, etc. Not only do bodies emit unique echoes, but that same echo is imprinted on the killer. So when her cat kills a mouse, Violet might hear the same screeching sound, taste the same terrible flavor, or see the same strange light coming from both the dead mouse and her cat. When she was eight, she found the body of a murdered girl, and the killer was never found. Now Violet is sixteen and someone is kidnapping and murdering girls in her county. Violet is determined to help, but must keep her ability secret. The only people who know what she can do are her family and her best friend, Jay. As Violet begins her hunt, the killer realizes that she is onto him, and suddenly, she becomes his prey.

This book is the first in a series, and I cannot wait to read the next one. It reminded me a lot of Lisa McMann’s Wake series, which I also loved. The subplot of Violet & Jay’s potential romance is sweet – almost a little too perfect – but I found myself hoping they would get together. Violet’s friends are funny… a little stereotypical, but they made me laugh. If you are looking for an intriguing read about a strong girl with a really strange ability, you should check out The Body Finder.

Halam, A. (2003). Dr. Franklin’s Island. NY: Dell. 224 pages.

Science and technology is expanding and developing all the time. Scientists have cloned sheep and dogs, and have genetically engineered tomatoes to spoil less quickly. But what happens if a scientist takes his work too far? What if he goes beyond working on vegetables and plants and starts to experiment on human beings? Dr. Franklin is a so-called mad scientist who dreams of changing people into animals and back again. He needs some subjects to perform experiments on – and conveniently, Semi and two other survivors of a plane crash have just landed on the shore of his island. Semirah Garson (Semi) is an average high school student with an affinity for science. When she wins the opportunity to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for a chance to study the environment, she takes it. Along with 49 other students, she finds herself catapulted into a nightmare as their plane crashes into the ocean. It is apparent that Semi and two other students are the only survivors. They swim to a seemingly deserted island, but soon learn they are not alone. They stumble upon Dr. Franklin’s obscene zoo, where they are quickly taken prisoners. Semi and her companions are forced to undergo Franklin’s genetic engineering experiments and must fight for their human lives. I like this book for both boys and girls – there is a great mixture of human emotion and life contemplation along with action and adventure. There are great, grimy details like “the girl who waved” and the animals with various human parts.