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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From S. Krishna's Books, September 7, 2008
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!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 27, 2008
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
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fashionable and Fantastic!, August 5, 2008
Venerable Violet is back again in another fashionable tale. This time, she's off to college after a deferred admission to Vassar. But even though she only wants to have a normal life now as she adjusts to college life and new outrageous but awesome friends, the fashion world is not far behind. Violet is still getting major criticism for gaining a few pounds, and she starts an internship at Teen Fashionista mainly because the magazine editor has always wanted a supermodel intern. In the midst of all this confusion about her self-image, modeling drama, and boy angst, Violet tries to find out who she really is.
I am a huge fan of Melissa Walker's first two Violet novels, and I was even more impressed with this amazing third. Violet is such a realistic character even though she's an international supermodel. She faces insecurities every day about her weight and her image, and even though she tries to overcome her wallflower tendencies, it's very difficult for her to break out of her protective shell. Violet grows so much stronger in this novel, because she begins to love herself for who she is (and not in the way Mirabella Prince's fake quote said) and stands for something that she truly believes in. Violet's story is really inspiring; it makes you appreciate all the good things in life and want to tell everyone to love themselves.
For me, the best novels are the kind that can inspire emotions through well-developed characters in a story. Violet in Private is a fantastic example of this. Violet is just so real, and I felt myself experiencing all of Violet's emotions through her story; when she was upset, I was too, and when she was depressed, I cried.
Melissa Walker's Violet series is a must-read for anyone who has insecurities. There's fun, fashion, romance, friendship, and most of all, learning to love yourself. Violet in Private is my favorite of the Violet series, but I also highly recommend the first two, Violet on the Runway and Violet by Design.
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