Haunting Violet [Hardcover]

Alyxandra Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 21, 2011

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Harvey brings together with aplomb all the quintessential elements of a classic Victorian gothic: the beautiful but fortuneless heroine looking for a better life, the rambling estate with too many secrets, the suspicious-looking death of yet another beautiful girl, and, finally, the promise of a sultry and forbidden romance… The ghosts are genuinely creepy, the leading men are deliciously swoonworthy, and the ending is appropriately happy, making this a perfect accompaniment to a stormy night and a nice spot of tea." –The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

 

"Harvey (the Drake Chronicles) delivers a fun adventure in the form of a Victorian mystery novel that captures the feel (and the flaws) of the age… Harvey's writing is witty and brings headstrong, irreverent Violet to life. –Publishers Weekly

 

"Harvey keeps the narrative moving smoothly and well as she weaves romance, suspense and even a bit of comedy into the story…. A well-paced, clever and scary supernatural-suspense story." –Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Alyxandra Harvey is the author of the Drake Chronicles-Hearts at Stake, Blood Feud, and Out for Blood. She studied creative writing and literature at York University and has had her poetry published in several magazines. She lives in an old Victorian farmhouse with a few resident ghosts, her husband, hawk, and two dogs.
www.alyxandraharvey.com

www.thedrakechronicles.com

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens; First Edition edition (June 21, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080279839X
• ISBN-13: 978-0802798398
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,141,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women's rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are 'The Wood Wife' by Terri Windling, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she's smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.
Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 Stars July 20, 2011

By Megan B. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

3 ˝ Stars:

I really wanted this book to be a great read; something that pulled you into the characters' world and wouldn't let you go. After all the rave reviews I read about it, I thought for sure it would be great. While I won't deny that Haunting Violet was a good book, in my opinion, it just wasn't that great.

The premise of the book, a 17-year-old girl in Victoria Era England who starts seeing ghosts and has to solve a year old murder mystery, had me intrigued. I am a complete sucker for the supernatural. The mystery and supernatural aspects of the book were done very well. Not only am I a sucker for the supernatural but I am also a romance junkie, and that's where this book let me down.

I'm the type of person who likes to see a romance grow between two people, how else is the reader supposed to appreciate and understand how the hero and heroine feel about each other? The romance between Colin and Violet just...was. It was very abrupt. There was no build up, no explanation of their feelings about each other before they suddenly realized they loved each other. It was like the author was too busy writing the mystery that she didn't focus enough on the romance part. We also didn't learn much about Colin's past, which I was curious about.

All in all, it was a good read with a few flaws. Violet was a very likeable character, as was her friend Elizabeth. There were scenes that made me laugh and some that freaked me out. Although this book didn't exactly pull me in, it was a good ghost story and I would recommend Haunting Violet to a friend.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Something different... June 29, 2011

By Sarah Woodard

Format:Hardcover

I loved Haunting Violet. It was an amazing paranormal mystery that I just loved. Something that the summary doesn't mention is that it takes place in the 1870's, which makes it historical fiction, but it really worked well and I loved it. Violet is a really unique girl. She was strong and smart. She was always reading too, which made me like her more. Her mom was a crock and she kept on coming up with new schemes and ideas for what to do. Colin was such an awesome guy. He was such a sweet guy and wanted the best for Violet. He was definitely swoon worthy. Elizabeth was a smart girl too and a good friend to Violet. The plot of Haunting Violet was quick paced and full of mystery. There were several creepy scenes in the book from the ghosts as Violet tracked the murder. Harvey's writing was gorgeous. I enjoyed every moment of this book. Harvey really knows how to write and I am excited to read more from her in the future. I highly suggest that you read this book as soon as possible.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Read June 27, 2011

By Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

Format:Hardcover

Ever since I saw the beautiful cover and the intriguing synopsis for Alyxandra Harvey's Haunting Violet, I have been dying to read it, as if there is one thing I love its well-written historical fiction, especially if it involves something supernatural as well. Thankfully, this book perfectly fit the bill!

For Violet Willoughby, she is starting to become sick of the life she has been given. She cannot stand watching her mother constantly trick people into giving their money over for her so-called séances, which are the definition of fake, as well as dragging poor Violet and Colin, her mother's young assistant, along for the ride. Better yet, she is also tired of her mother constantly telling her to marry a rich man when all Violet really wants to do is find someone she truly loves, someone who will let Violet be Violet. However, everything changes when Violet and her family are called to Lord Jasper's house to help conduct séances for his guests's entertainment. Soon enough Violet is involved in a murder mystery involving a snobby, elitist society girl and her dead twin sister who Violet is actually able to see. Will Violet be able to save the day before someone else is killed? Or will Violet soon become shark's bait herself? And will Violet ever be able to get out of her mother's plans for the future? Only time and more pages can tell in this mystery that will have nearly any reader thinking, "Who did it?"

From start to finish, I adored and rooted for several characters in Haunting Violet including Violet, of course. Strong yet sweet, Violet is a girl who has her head on her shoulders but yet isn't afraid of letting her heart lead her way sometimes. It was always fun to see Violet interact with the different society people, and for Violet to allow for her talents in spiritualism grow also, as this portion especially allowed for Violet's coming of age. I also adored the addition of Colin, Violet's adorable Irish love interest, as well as Elizabeth, Violet's hilarious and headstrong best friend.

The plot of Haunting Violet was also intricate. Not only because of the complex murder mystery subplot, but also because of the sprit powers Violet possessed. The murder mystery especially kept me turning the pages, and even though I had a basic gist of who the murder was for a portion of the book, I still managed to be a little surprised at how everything turned out in the end. I also loved Violet's romance subplot. Not only because it developed in a realistic speed but also because it wasn't a main focus of the story.

Lastly, Alyxandra's writing was great in this. I had only read one book by Alyxandra prior to this (Hearts at Stake, the first in the Drake chronicles), and while I enjoyed her writing in that one, it took an even better turn in this book. I always felt like I was right there with the characters in the 1870s because of her descriptions, and her characters never failed to jump of the page and come to life. The only aspect I was a little shaky on was how I felt she modernized some of the dialogue between the characters at times.

Full of adventure, mystery, and romance, Haunting Violet is the perfect summer read. Best of all, it contains a solid, standalone ending, and what's not to love about that?

Grade: B+