Book Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking (The Taking #1)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: April 29th 2014
Length: 368 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, mystery, contemporary, aliens, romance
Source: Edelweiss

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Summary by Goodreads

 

What I love about Kimberly Derting's writing is that she can introduce you to the most ordinary scenario in a teenager's life, with sports, boys, best friends and a great family, and make you feel most welcome in her protagonist's life. And then it doesn't take long and she pushes you out of that contemporary comfort zone and throws you to the aliens. That's not even much of an exaggeration because Kyra really gets abducted by aliens.

One moment Kyra is on the road with her father and the next she wakes up somewhere else, five years later. How scary is that? We don't get any information or learn what really happened. It's the complete and utter mystery about the lost five years that made me turn the pages of Derting's THE TAKING until late in the night. It was like a compulsive need to get an explanation for everything behind her disappearance. Some details we get in THE TAKING, for some we have to wait to be revealed in its sequel. Kimberly Derting also worked in some dicey and pretty grisly side effects that the alien abduction has on Kyra and her life after she's returned.

Five years later Kyra's boyfriend has moved on, her parents are divorced and her friends aren't really her friends anymore. Time stopped for Kyra while everyone kept living their lives, so quite some scenes are spent on Kyra coming to terms with her current situation. Kimberly Derting wouldn't be the fine writer she is if she hadn't given Kyra help on her search for an explanation.

It might sound strange that the one helping her find into her new life is the little brother of her now ex-boyfriend. But Kimberly Derting sure knows how to write an engaging love story. Tyler was the best, and I absolutely loved the little brother part! Kyra has to find out that he isn't so innocent and childish anymore but has become a man who is willing to do anything to protect her. Let's start a Tyler fan club!

During the search for clues about Kyra's alien abduction it becomes clear there are actually two parties working against each other. There are the people who believe Kyra and want to help her. And the people who want to see her and her story be contained from the public. This conflict definitly steps up the action factor in THE TAKING. So much is happening towards the end and I can't believe I have to even wait a single minute to find out what happens next.

 

4/5 **** THE TAKING - Suspenseful & sexy! A mysterious alien abduction and falling for a much younger man are the new YA ins this spring!

First Jay and Violet from THE BODY FINDER series and now Kyra and Tyler from THE TAKING. Kimberly Derting should be made responsible for many swooning readers. That's because she writes some of the best YA romances!

"All I knew was that one moment I was in the middle of a deserted stretch of highway, arguing with my dad about scholarships and boys, and the next minute my limbs were tingling and I felt weightless and dizzy. 

Then...

...nothing." 

THE TAKING you might enjoy THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer. The first alien book I fell in love with years ago. I AM NUMBER FOUR by Pittacus Lore is an equally action-packed and romantic alien read. And then you could also like RUSH by Eve Silver. I'm planning to read it soon and see if it's a match for fans of Kimberly Derting. 

* Have you read THE BODY FINDER yet?

* Click here to read an excerpt of THE TAKING!

* Want to meet Kimberly Derting? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Kimberly Derting and her books visit www.kimberlyderting.com.

* Thanks to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for the chance to review THE TAKING!

Book Review: Dead Silence (The Body Finder #4) by Kimberly Derting

Title: Dead Silence (The Body Finder #4)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Headline
Publishing Date: April 16th 2013
Length: 400 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, mystery, thriller, romance, murder
Source: Publisher

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.

Summary by Goodreads 

Read the prologue of DEAD SILENCE and tell me you are not feeling a compulsive need to finish this book in one sitting, for this prologue is a very scary and unsettling start to the story. Things are feeling more urgent and dangerous than before, because now one of Violet's friends is on the culprit's radar. Pick up the fourth THE BODY FINDER novel and risk another sleepless night spent reading.

As seen in the three previous books, the chapters of Violet's perspective are again complemented with chapters from the murderer's perspective. And this one's a tough case of wicked evil mind with scary and insane issues.

Every single one of Violet's murder cases has been thrilling so far. And I was equally entranced and repulsed by the vile and violent case Kimberly Derting envisioned in DEAD SILENCE. The new killer could be even more disturbing than others before him, expect a few very gruesome details.

DEAD SILENCE shows us another side of Violet, a new courage to trust the ones around her with her secrets. I liked that Violet opened herself a bit to her friends and Jay, too. Still her senseless way to dash off and hunt the killer on her own made me want to shake her more than once. The romantic aspect of DEAD SILENCE wasn't as strong as in DESIRES OF THE DEAD or THE BODY FINDER. I mean Jay was as sweet and swoon-worthy as ever, but there just wasn't that much space for Violet and Jay to spend alone-time together as a couple or further develop their relationship.

As the romance is definitely not the focus of this book, now the mysterious Center is observed more closely. Violet discoveres old journals from her grandmother and we will learn more about her experiences, her ability to sense the dead and what it was like to live with it a few decades ago.

Rafe, Sara and the Team of other specially gifted teens will be back, too. But the main focus isn't on them solving cases together, it's more a personal story of Violet finding out more about her grandmother's life and about Violet's personal posture towards the Center and her own involvement in solving the murder cases.

I was as content with DEAD SILENCE as I was with the other books, but if this is truly the ending to the whole series…SO NOT ACCEPTED! Kimberly Derting can’t just leave it at that, with questions unanswered and the future uncertain. The ending felt just like the ending of a book in a series, not of an entire series. I can't imagine a Top 2014 list without a new BODY FINDER title on it!

1) of probably the most wicked murder case in this series
2) of the cutest turtle
3) family history is important
4) of a beach that requires boys to take off their shirts
5) of learning to trust and let others in on the secret that's your life

4/5 **** DEAD SILENCE – A twisted murder case that will be calling dibs on your reading time and won't let you rest for a second, until it's solved! 

Kimberly Derting's fourth THE BODY FINDER installment introduces us to a new stage of awareness of Vilolet's world, filled with imprints and echoes. Minor shortcomings romance-wise and the lack of an ENDING ending are compensated by Kimberly's writing that's as engaging as in the previous THE BODY FINDER books.

THE TAKING is a novel I'll be looking forward to read in 2014 then, but I'm still hoping, wishing, pining for another THE BODY FINDER book. Who would believe that Violet would ever stop getting involved with echoes and crimes, huh?

* If you liked the THE BODY FINDER series, you could also enjoy THE PLEDGE.

* Read an extract of DEAD SILENCE here.

* Click here to watch the DEAD SILENCE book trailer.

* For further information about Kimberly Derting and her books visit www.kimberlyderting.com

* Thanks to Sam and Headline for sending me a copy of DEAD SILENCE for review!

Mini Reviews # 6

This mini review collection stands under the banner of the dystopian novel. Representatives are THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting, EVE by Anna Carrey and STRUCK by Jennifer Bosworth.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

THE PLEDGE pairs dystopian setting with a classical form of government, the monarchy. Kimberly Derting takes us to a future world ruled by Queen Sabara. To the land of Ludania, where people are divided by their language. They could be executed if they ever try to speak or understand another than their own language. Those numerous languages were occasionally mentioned, unfortunately we don’t get a sample of their sounds.
It’s an interesting concept that Kimberly Derting gave a woman the power to rule the kingdom and decide over life and death. We are fast introduced to all the rules and restrictions determining daily life of citizens and our heroine Charlaina. She understands every language and that mystery really got me. How come she can do that? I was so eager to find out what was behind that special ability of hers.

The story is told from two point of views. Our main character is Charlie who tells the story in the perspective of 1^st person narrator. Then we got a third person POV of the Queen which creates a great contrast between protagonist and antagonist.

It took some time for the story to lure me in. Since that one point where a few secrets and a growing romance start becoming a more dominant part of the story, I got more involved in Charlie's story. Unfortunately sometimes the love story between Charlie and that guy, Max, felt a bit too vague.

Kimberly Derting captures the moment of Charlie being on the fence about her growing feelings for Max, but at some point Charlie’s struggles were just too much for me to take any longer. It was not that turbulent and cute love story that I’m a fan of, but effortlessly fit the overall style of THE PLEDGE.

THE PLEDGE shows that the same author can write books that couldn’t be more different. I’m a huge fan of Kimberly Derting’s THE BODY FINDER series and am a bit spoiled when it comes to mystery-action factor and super sweet romance. THE PLEDGE is much slower in pace and even Kimberly’s writing, which I know is really really good, didn’t feel that impressive in her first book in the THE PLEDGE series.

3,5/5 ***/* THE PLEDGE- A dystopian read, highlighted by historical character!

THE PLEDGE is definitely no comparison to Kimberly Derting’s THE BODY FINDER series, which is one of my favourites. Several moments of surprise, a well developed course of actions and the general good intuition for an interesting world though, make THE PLEDGE a book worth giving a try.  

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Publishing Date: November 15^th 2011

Length: 323 pages

Keywords: YA, fantasy, dystopia, romance, monarchy

Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Goodreads Summary

The Pledge Excerpt

Author's Homepage

Eve by Anna Carey

„The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.“

You see, EVE is yet another novel with dystopian setting. We follow Eve, who breaks out of her protected school where she’s lived since her mother’s death and escapes into the wild, headed to promised safe place Califia together with Caleb, a boy she meets on her way there.

The contrast between EVE’s sheltered life in the girls school and her life outside the protecting walls offers many options for the story to proceed. But everything in the story felt rushed and it was like I only got a glimpse of school, the wilderness or Eve’s love life. In the end, I fear, the story didn't really left an impression on me that would last much longer than the actual reading process. The story wasn’t as thrilling as I’d expected Eve’s fight in the wilderness to be and, I hate to say it... a bit plain.

Even I was surprised when I noticed in the end that Eve and Caleb’s relationship didn’t really interest me. They were both rather lacklustre characters. It were other characters like tough Arden that I wanted to know more about. I would like to recommend EVE to people who enjoyed GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (a book that ironically I didn't enjoy either).

The writing style wasn't my thing either. Some parts of the story were described in vast expansion and the most action-packed and shocking felt like they fell flat in their impact. The devastating plague had great potential. It didn't seem it was used best.

2/5 ** EVE - Not exactly a read that leaves you breathless.

Eve wasn't a heroine to me, she mostly appeared to be a helpless little girl without any knowledge about the real world. I have to give her credit for her courage to let go of the known and flee into a world that's foreign to her. Her character reflects on the story as a whole which doesn't serve in  turning up the action-factor of EVE.

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publishing Date: October 4^th 2011

Length: 336 pages

Keywords: YA, fantasy, dystopia, romance, killer virus, escape

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary

Eve Excerpt

Author's Homepage

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

STRUCK is set in future LA. A city destroyed by a terrible earthquake. Imagining Los Angeles like that was pretty scary. Although it could have been an ace dytopian story, STRUCK wasn't primarily about a disaster scenario and the impacts natural catastrophes could have on people's lives. It was mostly about Mia dealing with her lightning addiction. Yes, you've read correctly. She is like a life-size lightning rod. She has the power to absorb lightning but also to destroy with its energy. She has the predisposition to be an attractive character protagonist-wise, but surprisingly she just didn't grow on me.

Grave disappointment struck me after only the first few chapters of Jennifer Bosworth's debut novel. A huge amount of the story felt just wrong to me and I didn't find a way to connect with our protagonist or unterstand the love story. Don't get me wrong, her love interest, Jeremy was a pretty decent guy. Just not that sexy and incredibly defiant guy I wanted him to be.

There's also a religious, or better cult-like, aspect that felt kind of like a foreign substance to the story itself. And it really started to bother me after some time, because it became too dominant and held to much of the story's attention. A Prophet gathering people around him and trying to control an entire city with his nonsense, even involving parts of Mia's family. The cult component struck me as really odd and that's what turned the story into something that just couldn't work for me.

I was rather sceptical about reading STRUCK in the first place, but somehow found myself reading it after a few weeks anyways. Should've listened to my intuition from the beginning. I'm not happy to say that I didn't enjoy this read, but that's how it is. And for that I hope even more readers find a favourite in it and will give it the love any story deserves.

2/5 ** STRUCK - Promising premise, no electrifying content in the end!

This story could have been big, but there was never any tension at all and the action simply fell flat for me. Weak characters and a trivial romance and I was desperate to finish STRUCK to just be done with it.

 

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Publishing Date: May 8^th 2012

Length: 373 pages

Keywords: YA, fantasy, dystopia, romance, Los Angeles, lightning, earthquake, cult

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary

Struck Excerpt

Author's Homepage

Teaser Tuesday #38

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading


The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

" Trust had become a commodity that few could afford. And real evidence-the kind that could be substantiated beyond pretty gossip-was deadly."' *

~ p. 25 

*This quote was extracted from the Simon & Schuster Galley Grab E-ARC and is subject to change before publication