Waiting on Wednesday: The Essence by Kimberly Derting

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, my pick is:

The Essence by Kimberly Derting

The Pledge #2

January 2013

Margaret K. McElderry

Poor child. Poor, wretched child. You have no idea what you’re up against. No idea how to stop me, do you?

Though it has been months since Charlaina—Charlie—defeated the tyrant Sabara and took control of the Ludanian crown, Sabara has not disappeared. The old queen’s Essence has fused itself to Charlie’s psyche and is viciously fighting to overpower Charlie.

Balancing her new duties as Queen and battling both Sabara’s voice and a growing resistance to her rule push Charlie to the brink of exhaustion. She wants to be the same old Charlie she has ever been but now she is Your Majesty.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with the leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages is the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

I had absolutley loved The Pledge, so of course I can't wait for the sequel. I just think it's a really great world, and I can't wait to find out what will happen next!

Review: The Pledge

Title: The Pledge
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Pledge #1
Release Date: November 15th, 2011
Number of Pages: 323
Publisher: Margareth K. McElderry
Source: Bought

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

The premises for this book really got me intrigued. A world where the classes are delimited by language? Seriously? I thought it was a really great idea. Okay, I may be slightly biased, as I’m taking linguistic classes and I love languages, but still, I just had to read it. Plus, I love dystopian!

I was really excited at first to read it, but I have to say that it took me some times to really get into the story. There are so many things to set to make the world believable that it made the first few chapters a little slow, but one it got really started; I simply couldn’t put it down. The only downside to that is that the story ended being a little too short for me. I want more, I still want more (can’t wait to read the sequel). The ending was a little rushed for me, but I still love it. I just wished it could have a few more chapters to satisfy my thirst for this world.

The characters in this book all seems to have hundred of secrets. They all seem to be much more than what they may appear like. I really like following Charlie. I love her devotion to her family, especially to her little sister. She showed so much strength to protect it. I liked her two friends, Aron and Brook, but I have to say that I preferred Aaron at first, but Brook got more interesting as the novel went on. Max really got me curious, as he was such a mystery to me. I didn’t really guess the truth about who he is.

I really enjoyed this book. This is the kind of book that will please most dystopian lovers, as it is a great new idea of a dystopia. It was addicting for me, and I think that once you are past the first few chapters, you won’t be able to put it down.

Review: The Body Finder

Title: The Body Finder

Auhtor: Kimberly Derting

Release Date: March 16^th 2010

Series: The Body Finder #1

Number of Pages: 327

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: Bought

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Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

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OMG. I can’t believe this book has been waiting for almost THREE weeks in my TBR pile. It is simply excellent. I had heard so many great comments about this; I had to see for myself. I must say I wasn’t disappointed.

I thought the story was original. I love her morbid power, and I love what it brings to the story. The book isn’t only about discovering the killer. Girls, here come the wonderful story of a growing relationship between two best friends. The end almost killed me. It was simply a rollercoaster of emotions (yes, I’m one of those readers that can become a little to emotionally connected to the characters. It can sucks when you’re in public…) It got me addicted so fast, I ended up forgetting about my amazing English essay (which I’m handing today) just so I could finish this book. (No, I did not procrastinate. I’m so not that kind of girl… Okay, I am, but who can blame me?

I loved the characters. Violet is a really great character, and I love the relationship she has with Jay. I love reading about their interaction, and seeing how being in love can sometime make us stupid… *Sigh* I’m still waiting for my own Jay…

Kimberly Derting is an amazing storyteller. I was captivated by her words, her story. I really have to pick Desires of the Dead, because I am hungry for more.

Honestly, if you haven’t read this book, go read it now. It is an excellent book. Loving it!

10/10