Customer Reviews

Violet In Private

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4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
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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!

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

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.

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!!

Violet in Private was wonderful. It was the only way I could think of the third book being. Melissa Walker did an amazing job of keeping the characters the same and continuing the series nicely. I was so excited to get this book - I read it a while ago, actually, but I can still remember how I felt reading it, which is amazing.

One thing that I love about reading the Violet series is that I know the book will most likely turn out good. But I still feel whatever Violet is feeling at certain times. If Violet is depressed and doesn't know what to do, then I will feel that way. I will feel like there isn't a way for her to get out of her situation, that that is the end for her or her career, or whatever it may be.

I really can't find anything wrong with Violet in Private. There were a few grammatical errors, but I had an ARC, so I'm sure they were fixed for the final copy.

If you haven't read the Violet series, I highly recommend it. It is one of my favorite series out there right now. It really supports self-confidence, healthy body image, and just being yourself. The series really pushes just being yourself and it's a great message. Teens today need to realize that you don't always have to be perfect and you don't have to be like everyone else - it's okay to be a little different sometimes.

VIOLET IN PRIVATE
MELISSA WALKER

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Teen modeling sensation Violet Greenfield's on her way to her first semester at Vassar and a surprising internship at Teen Fashionista magazine. But when Violet gets a surprise invitation to walk the runway again during fashion week at the Tracetown show, can she handle the public reaction to her `new' self? Or is model Violet a definite thing of the past?

I can safely say Violet Greenfield is one of my favorite characters and I'm so glad to see her back in VIOLET IN PRIVATE. This time around, Violet's going to school, dealing with the fact her best friend turned crush Roger is still with the annoyingly perky Chloe and trying to fit into life at Vassar. School isn't quite what she expected either when she becomes the topic of conversation during one of her classes, thanks to the ad she shot in VIOLET BY DESIGN, so much for Violet laying low in her new surroundings.

VIOLET IN PRIVATE is the third book in Ms. Walker's `Violet' series and probably the most revealing book about Violet yet. Dealing with the pressures of the modeling world, her feelings for Roger and balancing her internship with school and everything else has Violet growing up more than in any other of the previous two books. One of my favorite characters of the book was Violet's new friend at Vassar, Kurt. I thought he literally stole a couple scenes (especially during his trip to NYC) and made me laugh more times than I could count. It was also nice to see a reappearance of the other half of the `Double Vs', Veronica.

You can visit Melissa Walker's blog at http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/ and check out the vlog she did especially for Enchanting YA at:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=259650449&blogID=422760822&Mytoken=6209A05A-6438-4124-AB92BC88779CF245226554571

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
August 2008

Title: Violet in Private

Author: Melissa Walker

Rating: 4/5

My Abnormal Review:

I really really really like this series. I find it hard to write reviews on series books, though, because once you get into the series its hard to find things to say that are new. This is one of those series that is just consistently good. The story is good and funny. I love Violet as a character, simply because she's not the stereotypical model. And I was also extremely glad that there was some character progression going on. The third book didn't just go in a circle back to how it was before... things changed, Violet changed, her surroundings changed. And it was a refreshing change.

This is a good series. Definitely worth my time, and probably worth yours too.

Teen model Violet would like to lose the 'teen model' title. She stayed in the picture for the travel opportunities and because she liked the message a campaign was trying to send, but now she's ready to be a Vassar Girl. In addition to finding her place in college, with new friends, she's also discovering a talent for writing that lands her a job with magazine Teen Fashionista.

I respect Violet. She thinks she's much less assertive than she actually is, but it's easy to identify with that lack of self-confidence. Besides, it lends itself to a scene of supreme irony. (Those in middle or high school, take notes for your book reports. Teachers love irony.) Her ad about loving your body comes out, and her classmates think it doesn't work because the message doesn't square when paired with an image of ideal beauty. But the real reason it doesn't work is because Violet doesn't believe the message herself; she isn't comfortable with her body or the weight she lost for the ad. It's an incredible scene.

For those who have not read VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY or VIOLET BY DESIGN, I do not think it will be hard to get into VIOLET IN PRIVATE. Melissa Walker reviews past events concisely. These instances also don't come at once, but are spread throughout the story as they become relevant. She writes the relationships between the characters so well I think even newcomers will appreciate their progression.

The new relationships are also satisfying. Oliver is a nice guy and would be excellent for Violet if Roger weren't in the picture. Kurt is hilarious, but not a one note comic relief. Some of his cutting remarks are actually pretty cruel.

While Violet gains new friendships and grows as a person, she still makes some mistakes. She enjoys her internship with Teen Fashionista and makes the most of that opportunity. On the other hand, she's horribly irresponsible about her remaining modelling jobs. She doesn't talk to her boss or her coworker sometimes, and makes no effort to promote the campaign. It's easy to understand why she wants to avoid confrontation, but in a few moments it is hard to feel sympathy for her because of the way she ignored her responsibilities.

VIOLET IN PRIVATE could be a wonderful end to the series, or we could be lucky enough for a fourth. It's a well-written story with likeable characters, reasonable dilemmas, and it addresses various issues in a mature manner. (One I would like to talk about would absolutely spoil the book. Feel the frustration of the reviewer!) Plus, there's Christian Louboutin heels. Those things are crazy.

From In Bed With Books

Violet In Private is the third book in Melissa Walker's, Violet series. It picks up when Violet is just about to begin college at Vassar for the Winter/Spring term. She's decided maybe she doesn't really want to be a model anymore and would rather concentrate on being a normal college girl. The modeling world isn't quite ready to let her go though, her friend Veronica is constantly asking her to come to New York to go to parties and appearances with her for their Mirabella campaign and her agent, Angela is constantly calling her. Though she isn't really modeling anymore, a discussion is started in her Sociology class about her Mirabella ad and she's invited to be an Intern at Teen Fashionista magazine, she just can't shed the world of fashion. She's excited about her internship except for the fact that she has to work under Chloe, her best friend/true love Roger's girlfriend, talk about awkward.

This is my favorite in the series yet, they actually got better as they went along! I loved the first one and it has just built and built on this great foundation. I really liked seeing Violet in college, enjoying dorm life, cute boys and new friends. I also liked to see her balance her college life with her modeling life and her friend's from high school/home life. It was very enjoyable to read! My favorite part was her and her best friend/true love Roger. Roger sounds fantastic, where can I find myself a Roger! The ending definitely made me hope for another in the series, if not I'll just use my imagination. It's just great! If you haven't read this series I'd recommend it. I also think this would be a great place to start for anyone that doesn't normally read Young Adult literature but is interested in trying it out. Some YA can be slightly eye roll worthy for people that are no longer young adults themselves but not this series!

Violet has become a Vassar Girl. As the spring semester rolls around, Violet finds herself in a place that's way more intimidating than a photo shoot or the runway--college. At first she's apprehensive about making friends and how her fellow students will receive her, but after befriending the flamboyant Kurt and meeting her cool new roommates, she's starting to feel like she belongs. She even lands an internship at Teen Fashionista, which is pretty cool, even if it does mean more time spent with Chloe, Roger's annoying and in the way girlfriend. But with the continuous pressure exerted on her from all directions about her weight and career, Violet is having a bit of trouble figuring out how to get what she wants.

Violet in Private is Melissa Walker's most frank, profound, and honest book yet. Violet's fears concerning her new life are completely valid and within reach for many girls, even as her old life refuses to release its tenuous hold on her. The topic of weight and eating is once again breached, but this time Violet is strong in her decisions, and instead has to fend off those who would degrade her for them...with mixed reactions.

It is evident that this series is evolving into something much more than simply a story of a young model and the troubles that come with being one, but is a coming of age story as Violet takes the long way to find her purpose in life and turn her short modeling career into something that is much more rewarding and positive and has a longer lasting effect than a span of a few years. Though it would have been interesting to see more character development in a few of the minor characters, Violet in Private is a shining example of how one girl can take negativity and turn it into something beautiful.