Violet In Private (Paperback)

by Melissa Walker (Author)
Key Phrases: violet greenfield, beauty closet, modeling world, Marilyn Flynn, Teen Fashionista, Funny Monkey (more...)

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

Product Description
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?

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425221822
• ISBN-13: 978-0425221822
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #138,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful ending to a wonderful series., January 2, 2009

By	Hope LaGrois (from Hope's Bookshelf) (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	skrishna (http://www.skrishnasbooks.com) - See all my reviews

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:

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

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

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