A Final Offering

Language separates us all in ways that are cultural and expected. We expect to be able to speak to those we share a country with, but we can't imagine a country separate into castes by the language we speak... or can we? Isn't language already a separation between those who can and those who can't In Kimberly Derting's final Pledge novel, The Offering, Charlie finally understands what it means to be a queen. 

When Charlie became queen, she did not rid the world of Sabara the tyrant. She fused Sabara's soul to her own. While it hasn't been easy, she has chosen to block out the former queen's negativity and focus on the changes she always dreamed she could make to her country. She disbanded the work camps for orphaned children. She sent their sadistic leaders to their punishment for years of abuse. She disbanded the caste system. Most importantly for a country separated by language, she restored communications. Sabara had cut all communication systems in the country long ago, but at Charlie's insistence, they were replaced and brought the country back together. Sure, this means her enemies could communicate easier as well, but Charlie refused to think of her people with Sabara's paranoia. She was a different kind of queen. 

Her scariest threat was Elena, the queen who would do anything to have Sabara's power. Charlie sent her friend, Xander, to forge an accord with Elena, but his long absence has troubled them all. When Elena sends a token of her time with Xander, a piece of him, Charlie gets both messages- the implied one from his severed hand, and the hidden one in the bottom of the box. As a true queen, Charlie knows it is her own duty to set off and stop Elena from the harm she intends for the people Charlie loves. Charlie might be young, but she certainly doesn't underestimate the lengths Elena is willing to go for control of Sabara. 

This series and its basis over language as a caste system has always been intriguing to me, especially as a teacher of dyslexics where language is a constant factor in their successes and failures. If you don't believe me, ask a dyslexic about an experience where they had to fill out an application on the spot and couldn't take it home to spell check it or ask someone for help with it. They will tell you what separation language makes between them and a non--dyslexic. So to see Charlie bring the country back together, for better or worse, was great for me. It felt like the same sentiment that fights to uphold the freedom of speech or demonstration even if it means also protecting groups and people you disagree with. If I want my rights, then I can't deny them for anyone. It was a really beautiful sentiment, and I loved watching Charlie blossom into a true queen. She was selfless and brave, and it didn't hurt that she could kick a little butt when needed!

The finale had a slow moment or two, but it really was just one big journey to the final battle against Elena. Charlie was truly the epitome of great leadership while Elena was the quintessential power-hungry leader who can never have enough. As we see the two comparatively, their differences are vast and unmistakable. It was a really nice juxtaposition. So even with a few slow parts, the story was a great ending to a great story. Kimberly Derting proved she could do dystopia with the same ease she did supernatural in the Body Finder series... so what's next?!

The Essence of a Soul

We don't need castes and language barriers to separate us from our fellow human beings, but in the sequel to Kimberly Derting's The Pledge, Charlie finds out just how difficult it is to break down the barriers of generations worth of differences. In The Essence, we see a young woman with good intentions who struggles to shake off the pieces of her own past. 

Charlie hasn't adjusted at all to being the Queen. Not only does it feel strange for people to refer to her as "your Majesty", but everything about being the queen is difficult, even the table manners. When she defeated Sabara, she didn't expect all that embodies royalty to become her future, but then again, she didn't expect Sabara's essence to attach itself to Charlie's psyche either. While Charlie is trying to exact great change to the country she loves, Sabara is inside her trying harder and harder to gain control over Charlie's body and do what she has done for generations: rule Ludania. 

The war inside Charlie's head isn't the only one being waged. The people of her own country are turning against her and the queens of surrounding nations don't trust her. Charlie believes in what she is doing, abolishing the caste system and trying to instill equality among her people, but the people are fighting back. Even the simple act of opening a new school has become a battle field for Charlie and everyone in her wake, innocent or not. She can't control what is going on inside her head, but she won't stop trying to help the people of Ludania. 

The fact that the wars in this book are being fought on a global and on a mental scale made the story all the more intriguing. Charlie is a tough girl, but having someone inside your head, someone you didn't hesitate to kill, can't be easy. Imagine the realization that every time you let your guard down, a piece of yourself takes over and you can't stop it? It must be maddening! So the Charlie you remembered form the first book is still there, but she is being consumed by the war being waged inside her head. I really liked this angle, especially when Charlie starts to see more and more of Sabara's memories. It brought a whole new level of sophistication to the story and it kept me from putting the book down.

I think this story has a tiny bit of the sophomore stall because it really needed to take the time to transition Charlie from wayward rebel to unrefined queen. That 180 took some time, but Derting was great at making the transition while still moving the story forward. In all, I barely noticed the stall, but it was there. What I didn't get enough of with this story was more of our supporting characters like Angelina and Max and Xander. We got a lot of Brook, who I love, but I want more from everyone! They are such great characters that you want them to pull out into the spotlight so you can enjoy it. On a whole, however, I loved this book, love this series, and can't wait for the next installment!

Deadly But Not Silent

A peaceful death is something we all take for granted, but if you can see a death echo, a body's connection to the person or creature that ended its life prematurely, you know all too well how many deaths are far from peaceful. In Kimberly Derting's Dead Silence, Violet's life has taken a very violent turn.

It was bad enough that Violet lived her life stumbling upon dead bodies, animal and otherwise, but when she was taken by a serial killer, her last resort was to kill him, leaving her with her own death echo connecting her to his life which she took. She can't help but think it was all connected to the team, and that without them, she never would have had to kill a man in self-defense. As she learns to cope with her new life, she stumbles upon the journals of her grandmother, the woman from whom her gift of sensing the echoes came from. It is in these journals that Violet begins to uncover the truth of her team and the people pulling their strings- a dangerous truth.

Meanwhile, she is drawn into another series of imprints that lead her to a family brutally slaughtered in their home. Unable to ignore the imprints, she finds the bodies and must rely on her team for help. It is through this case, one that involves a missing teenaged girl, Violet's childhood friend as the primary suspect, and more murders piling up, that Violet begins to look carefully at her own life and her own gift. But more than anything, Violet wants to keep those she loves safe, and when you can't stop finding murderers, it is hard to feel safe anywhere you go. 

I was really surprised in the last book when Violet's involvement with the team took a turn for the worst. I actually really liked the idea of the team, so it was hard to think of it as a bad thing, but in this installment, we get to see a lot of the politics and history behind it, making the team a fascinating, morally ambiguous group that you can't get enough of. While I think four books would have been tough without the team, its presence gives a whole new dimension to Violet and her ability. And what a terrifying ability to have! I am glad Derting has added this level of sophistication to the story, as it has certainly held my interest and then some! In fact, although I am fairly certain this is the final book in the series, I would love if she would just keep going with it! There is so much more to be done with the team and Violet's personal life (Oh, I love Jay). 

This is a good series for many readers. It is interesting, mature at times, and the series doesn't ever dull. I would give this series to a number of different kinds of students, in particular older readers interested in true crime or mild supernatural stories. Derting creates realistic, skeptical characters who aren't afraid to question authority, a quality I whole-heartedly appreciate! So, please, Ms. Derting, Give. Us. MORE!

A Pledge of Royal Proportions

Native English speakers of the world take the fact that English is the closest thing to a universal language for granted. What if your language was the thing that defined your social class and every aspect of your life? In Kimberley Derting's dystopic trilogy, The Pledge, language is more than just communication. It is a way to control the masses and allow one tyrannical queen to control her country for lifetimes.

Charlaina, who goes by Charlie, is in the Vendor class. That means she speaks two languages, Englaise, the universal language and Parshon, the language of the Vendor class. If a person indicates they can understand a language of a higher class, they will be put to death. In fact, any interactions with a higher class means they can't even make eye contact without being arrested. But Charlie has a secret. She understands everything. She understands all languages, even those that she has never heard before. This could put her entire family in danger in a society where turning in your neighbor solidifies your place in society.

But their country has more going on than just the huge divisions in classes. They are at war, constantly under threat of being attacked from surrounding countries. When two strange young men show up in Charlie's life, she knows something isn't right. Max is followed by two huge thugs and Xander is clearly a man with deadly secrets. They each warn Charlie to stay away from the other, but Charlie can't seem to avoid either one. When their secrets coincide with Charlie and her family caught in the middle, the truth finally comes out, but it is a reality Charlie never thought was possible.

The language aspect of this dystopia is a very different angle, and it is a great way to open up a line of dialogue with young adults about classes, castes, and societal norms. As a teacher of dyslexic students, I love the idea of language being inaccessible and the basis for keeping classes in their place. It is something I am certain my students would be able to appreciate and relate to in a way non-dyslexics wouldn't understand. While this book has clear entertainment value and would appeal to a wide range of people, there is a population who would get more out of this than most others: those who are already find themselves divided and held down because of language.

The Pledge is a great story for any strong middle school reader through high school student. Some of the names of languages and such are a little tricky, but they don't distract the reader. The queendom they all live in is fascinating and the queen herself is terrifying! My favorite part of the book is how everything all fits together in the end. But I warn you, it ends in a way that will keep you chomping at the bit to get ahold of the next book!

Last Doesn't Always Mean Finale

We have all imagined what it would be like to have a gift- telepathy, psychokinesis, teleportation... those are some gifts I wouldn't mind test-driving! But Violet in Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series has a gift i can thin we would all agree is more "curse" than "gift". The Last Echo shows just how much of a curse Violet's ability to see death echoes- imprints on the murdered and their murderers- can be. 


After Violet's second run-in with a murderer who didn't like the fact that she could identify them, she is approached by a team of kids just like her... well, not none have her exact "gift", but they have gifts of their own. They have gifts that help them solve unsolvable crimes. The police don't exactly know how they do it, but their handler, Sara, organizes them and sends them where they are needed. She also provides access to a therapist since finding murdered people and their murderers isn't exactly soothing on the soul. 


Having people who understand her abilities certainly helps Violet, but she is torn between her partner, Rafe, and her boyfriend, Jay. Both know about her ability, but Rafe knows more about what Violet is going through, and her new job is driving a wedge between her and Jay. When a serial killer starts abducting women, the team is used to find his latest victims. As the bodies of young women start piling up, it begins to affect Violet more than she cares to admit. And the killer isn't about to stop. Not until he gets what he wants... But can the team stop him before he sets his sights on someone a little too close to home?


The Last Echo has just as much excitement and intrigue as the first two books, but the inner turmoil in the main characters has increased exponentially. You really see how the death echoes take their toll not only on her psyche, but also on her relationships with friends and family. It was a necessary development for Violet's character, and I am glad Derting went there. I also love the other members of the team. They are a great addition to the story and seem to level Violet out throughout the story. This book really had all the realistic (serial killer) and supernatural (gifts) creepiness rolled into one interesting package.


This is a great series for a wide range of students. The serial killer stuff was pretty creepy, but I dare you to find a serial killer who isn't. Actually, I thought the murder plot in the second book was a little weak, so this book really brought back the original creepiness. The thing is, I thought this was going to be the last in the series (the title The Last Echo might have had something to do with that), but I warn you, if this is the last book in the series, you aren't going to be happy! Derting had better be planning on a fourth book with the way she leaves this one off!

What More Do you Desire?

When last we left Violet after Kimberley Derting's breakout novel, The Body Finder, she had foiled the plots of two serial killers working together to terrify her small town and infiltrate the police department. Violet can do this with her amazing and terrifying ability to see death echoes- the imprints a violent death leaves on both the body that wishes to be laid to rest and the person who ended their life. Violet see these echoes on all people, including police officers, doctors, nurses, and murderers. Unfortunately, the person responsible for ending the life of another isn't always who you would think it would be.

Violet survived the serial killers, but just barely. These days she prefers to take it easy and enjoy her life with her incredible and supportive parents and her attentive boyfriend, Jay. When a new family moves back into town, the brother Mike instantly becomes Jay's best friend and Violet starts to get jealous of all the time they spend together. Mike's sister Megan, however, is a different story. A couple of years younger than them, she is a quiet mousy girl who never seems to open up. When Violet finds out their mother disappeared and has possibly been murdered, she wonders if she can help.

Then an FBI agent named Sara Priest shows up and throws Violet's world upside down. Priest knows Violet is connected to the anonymous phone call that led them to finding a murdered boy, but she doesn't quite know how. When Sara introduces Violet to Rafe, a young man not much older than Violet, it becomes clear that Sara runs things a little differently- she uses "special" people like Violet to solve crimes like murder. When someone starts leaving creepy messages, calling and hanging up, and leaves a dead cat by Violet's car, she suspects Megan is the culprit. When she confides in Jay, however, he refuses to believe it and sends Violet off a cliff she might not be ready to take. While Violet explores the possibility of going public with her ability, she must also get to the bottom of Mike and Megan's mother's disappearance and find out who is stalking her. Can she do it all before it is too late?

This was a great follow up to an excellent debut novel. I was worried the story was going to get hokey after a while- I mean how many serial killers can a sleepy little town have before the national press starts sniffing around? But this story isn't cheesy and delves even further into Violet's powers. They are really advancing, whether she likes it or not. I also loved the addition of Sarah Priest, which opens up a place for Violet to grow in possible future novels and continue the series without getting ridiculous. Now she can go to work for Sara Priest and use her powers more. It gives the characters and the plot room to grow and mature.

The writing is average difficulty and would be appropriate for a range of students. The material can be dark at times, but isn't too dark- there is still a good message, supportive friends and family, and a good ending. This is a great supernatural story that will keep you enthralled from start to finish. Now I just can't wait to see what happens to Violet next!

Let Yourself Find the Body FInder- You won't Be Sorry!

Not only does The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting sport a beautiful cover, but it is a story you simply cannot put down. With great characters, a suspenseful plot line, and a girl with a gift she wishes she could be rid of, this book is one you won't soon forget.

Violet has an ability that haunts her each and every day: she can see echoes of murdered bodies and imprints on the people who killed them. This ranges from animals her cat hunts in the night, to military personnel or police officers who have killed in the line of duty, to the serial killer who has ravaged her small town by abducting young women. Imprints can be a smell, a taste, a color, or even a sound that connects the body to its killer. When Violet finds the first body the serial killer has left, she is haunted by the fact that she is the only person who can identify the killer.

Violet's best friend Jay has grown up a lot over the summer, and the girls at school, Violet included, are looking at him differently. Jay knows Violet's secret and will go to any length to protect her. When Violet is determined to find the imprints that match the dead girls' echoes, Jay reluctantly tags along to protect her. What she finds, however, is something she never bargained for. It looks like the two bodies and the missing girl are only the latest in this killer's long history.

This book is everything good about YA wrapped up in one book. You have the supernatural element with Violet's ability to sense bodies, the suspense with the serial killer who is stalking young girls, and you have the most adorable romance between Jay and Violet. When Derting first started describing Jay, all I could think was this boy was too good to be true. I was really worried he was going to be somehow linked to the killers (He's Not!). But as the story continues, you just grow to adore Jay. His desire to protect Violet and her obliviousness to his feelings for her make for an exciting romance, especially since it takes so long for Violet to figure out how he feels about her. This story would have been good with any one element of the story, like the suspense, the ability, or the romance, but put them all together and you have a real page-turner!

The story has some violence, but it isn't graphic by any means. Neither is the romance between the two lead characters. The reading level is moderate. The book would be appropriate for a mature middle school student to a high school student. The story is gripping from page 1, so this is a great book for a student who has been struggling to stick with a book or really get hooked on one. Overall, this is a fantastic story, and your summer would be better for having read it! Just be happy you don't share Violet's ability- talk about creepy!