Violet In Private (Violet, Book 3) [Paperback]

Melissa Walker (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 5, 2008 | Series: Violet (Book 3)

The return of Violet, the not-so- confident model?

Violet Greenfield knows she?s supposed to be a super-confident nineteen-year-old because she?s done runway shows in New York and internationally. But now that she?s finally headed to college, she?s afraid she?ll turn back into that girl who blended into the walls in high school. Vassar is just two hours away from New York City??her friends in fashion think she?s crazy to stop modeling now. And her old friend Roger is there...but things have been weird ever since they kissed. The real question is if she?s not going to be ?Violet on the Runway? anymore...who is she?

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Melissa Walker creates fiction couture ––unique and beautiful.” —Ally Carter, bestselling author of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You)

“A story for any girl who ever wondered what it would be like to have your wildest dreams come true.”
—New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen

“A sensitive portrait of adolescence—simultaneously funny and painful.”
—Nylon

“A fun, fashion-filled, fast-paced read!”
—Carolyn Mackler, author of Guyaholic

“On the runway or off, Violet shines.”
—Ally Carter, bestselling author of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Melissa Walker is a writer who has worked as ELLEgirl’s features editor and Seventeen Prom’s editor. All in the name of journalism, she once spent twenty-four hours surrounded by male models and even attended an elite finishing school for girls in New Zealand—among other hardships.

She recently fulfilled a lifelong dream when she appeared as a talking-head “expert” on VH1’s The Fabulous Life of: Celebrity Kids.

Melissa lives in Brooklyn, New York, and has a BA in English from Vassar College. She would tell you her SAT scores, too, but, you know, the math part was hard.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425221822
• ISBN-13: 978-0425221822
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,092,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a writer and editor (my favorite staff jobs: ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor). All in the name of journalism, I have spent 24 hours with male models and attended an elite finishing school for girls in New Zealand, among other hardships.

My real-girl-meets-the-fashion-world series -- Violet on the Runway, Violet by Design and Violet in Private -- is out now.

Lovestruck Summer -- a teen romance set in Austin, TX -- is out now.

Small Town Sinners -- the story of a girl growing up in an evangelical town who wants to star in her church's Hell House -- is out now.

Unbreak My Heart -- a dual love story about the year that broke Clementine's heart and the summer that healed it -- is out in now.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From S. Krishna's Books September 7, 2008

By skrishna VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I am a huge fan of the "Violet" series, so when Melissa Walker sent me a review copy of Violet in Private, I literally squealed with excitement, and of course, I dove in immediately.

I'll admit it - my first thoughts were not the most positive. My main question was "is Violet going to continue to swear off modeling, but then run back every time she has an opportunity? Is that going to be the ongoing theme to these books?" As I read on, I felt guilty for doubting Melissa Walker's ability to craft a storyline - just as the other two did, Violet in Private really blew me away.

The characters are well written, as always. As the series has progressed, we have seen less and less of Violet's best friend Julie, but it's an acceptable loss. New characters, such as Violet's hilarious friend at Vassar, Kurt, seem to fill in the gaps. Plus we see plenty of our old favorites, Roger, Aunt Rita, and Veronica. The characters are so well penned, in fact, that this is a series that I'm dying to see turned into a movie, just to see what the cast would be like!

I also like that Violet really takes a stand for something in this book. We saw the beginnings of that in Violet by Design, but she really comes out of her shell in Violet in Private. She really begins to grow up and realize that she has influence over a lot of people. She begins to fight for what she believes in, even if it means dire personal consequences. While the Violet series is about every teen girl's dream coming true, Violet really begins to become a role model to these girls in this book.

I realize this review sounds like gushing, and it is - these books are some of the most enjoyable books I've read. They're light and fun, but still tackle important subjects. The characters are smart and witty and you really begin to care for them. Above all, they actually seem real. A lot of books of the "crazy things happen to a normal person and their dreams come true" genre, while fun, aren't realistic in any sense of the word (Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series comes to mind). But Violet seems like a real teen. She has all the insecurities and self-doubt, and is straight up about the fact that the amount of makeup she wears in her shoots can make anyone look good. Yes, the events are somewhat fanciful, but at the core of it is a real girl - that's what makes these books so compelling and so delicious!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars And Another Book Read Reviews August 1, 2009

By And Another Book Read

Format:Paperback

Violet's back, but this time she really isn't going back to the modeling world, or so she says. It's time for her to be a normal college girl and head off for her first semester at Vassar. Even though college is supposed to be the time of a girl's life, especially a fresh-faced model who's been in many international Fashion Weeks, Violet is super worried that she just won't cut it. She thinks she will resort back to her old self, the wall hugging, bland girl who just isn't noticed.

It's hard to resort to her old self though when her phone is constantly ringing off the hook with calls from Angela, Violet's agent. Violet is still in high demand back in the city, but she's not sure she wants it. Yes, it's only a two hour train ride into the city, but Violet knows deep down that this is really not what she wants. She would much rather take up the internship at Teen Fashionista that she was offered. Her new best friend Kurt thinks that she should stick with modeling, but Roger is all for Violet leaving the runway for ever .

The thing is though things have been different between Violet and Roger ever since they kissed in Spain. Now Violet finally realizes her feelings for Roger, but he has a cute new girlfriend, who just happens to be Violet's advisor at Teen Fashionista. Through it all Violet deals with college life, learning to embrace her body, and most importantly finding herself.

Is it even possible for these books to get any better? Well Violet in Private, completely showed me that it is possible as this is definitely my favorite Violet book, even though they are all AMAZING!!!

I feel like I have a new best friend in Violet, who is one of the best characters ever created. She is extremely real. While she might be a model she still has those everyday insecurities that we all face. She worries about gaining a few pounds and she's worried that people won't accept her. I know I can relate to this all to well and I feel really connected to Violet since she was able to overcome these obstacles in her life. Violet is an awesome role model not just for the girls in the book, but for girls everywhere. She promotes loving your body for what it is and to not let others dictate what is the "perfect body." Not only is Violet real, but she is incredibly likeable. I mean she's helplessly in love with her best friend, she's nice to everyone (even if she doesn't like them!) and is very witty. Now that I've raved a ton about Violet, I have to talk about Kurt. Kurt is by far the funniest character I have ever come across in a book! The comments that he made were so funny that I giggled every time his name came up. Not only is he hilarious, but he has such a huge heart that I could feel his love across all those pages! I only wish I had a friend just like Kurt.

Now I can't not mention the author's style. Her words elegantly flow off the page creating a world so real that I felt I could just step right in. She puts such emotion into her writing that I know what the characters are feeling and don't have to guess. I also love how Melissa makes the fashion world fun. I mean I am certainly not fashion savvy, but I felt like I knew what was going on and I could really picture what was happening instead of flailing around in the dark.

This is a wonderful series that I urge you all to read if you haven't already. I think teens of all ages would thoroughly love this book and take a lot away from it. As I'm sure you can tell I loved this book and plan to read it over and over and over again!

Now I am desperately hoping for more Violet books, but right now it's in the hands of the publisher if there are going to be more so PLEASE support Violet and her fabulous friends!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too August 27, 2008

By TeensReadToo

Format:Paperback

I have been putting off writing this review for several weeks. Not because I didn't enjoy the book. I did. I really enjoyed reading it. I would eagerly start each chapter wondering what was going to happen next. The characters felt real. The situations the title character, Violet, found herself in, the self-doubt she experienced, her relationships with
friends - it all felt remarkably authentic and, better yet, entertaining.

Yet, I hesitated. Violet is a real girl, with real insecurities. She struggles to fit in and to find herself, to find the voice she needs to confidently move through life. In previous volumes, Violet became a model only to find that the glamorous life of a model was not nearly as glamorous as she thought it would be. She left modeling and enrolled in college. That's where this book begins, with Violet's freshman year at Vassar. The insecurity that she felt trying to fit in to the modeling world has been replaced with insecurity trying to fit in at college.

All of this insecurity sounds tiring, but in reality, it's very true to what teenage girls face when they transition from girl to young adult. Where I hesitated was with the blasé way that alcohol is used by Violet and her friends. All of these college freshmen are underage. Yet at party after party Violet will walk over to the keg to pour herself a beer, or the boy she is dating will have one too many. The use of alcohol as a party-time staple is woven into the plot so well that the book makes it seem as though underage drinking is a natural part of the college experience.

When Violet finally bares her soul to a good friend, she finds the courage to do so only when under the influence. She and the friend go out and share memories over a few beers. They are served in a Manhatten bar where the bartender doesn't even blink.

It's tough for me to reconcile this while at the same time reading news stories in today's papers about how underage drinking on college campuses has gotten out of hand. Walker wrote a really good story. Even though it's the third book in a series, without having read the first two I could jump in and enjoy this one. There is just enough background on established characters to fill in a new reader without making the first third of the book feel like a recap. There are some great secondary characters. Violet's experiences finding herself, making friends, learning how to stand up for herself - this is all very good stuff. I just hope that the girls who read it and relate to Violet don't also absorb the not-so-subtle message that alcohol is an undeniable part of the college experience.

Reviewed by: Marie Robinson