Desires of the Dead picks up not long after the events of book one. Violet is under pressure in her relationship with Jay, and there are some new characters who are causing friction. The teen angst continues, though it takes something of a back seat to the key plot.
The main focus of the story is Violet's shifting view of her gift. Having wanted to keep it quiet, she finds herself in an unusual situation of realising that there are others like her. Could her gift be a force for good? Something that can actually help people?
For the majority of the story Violet is victim to some pretty obsessive behaviour. We sense it will involve the younger sister of Jay's new best friend, but the twist involving this family came rather out of the blue for the characters concerned (though you could put the pieces together quite easily).
Violet remains a character who puts herself in difficult situations, and who isn't quite ready to recognise her part in the way these situations unfold. The series is probably not the kind of thing I'd rave about but it's an entertaining idea, and I am curious to see how Violet's attitude to her skill develops.