Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 304 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary: He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .I read lots of paranormal books and while I love them, I'm always looking for something different to shake up my reading routine. I was very pleasantly surprised and rewarded by Living Violet because there is nothing cookie cutter about this book. There is no high school angst, no love triangle and absolutely no insta-love. Living Violet is original, well paced and a completely enjoyable read.
Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.
But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.
I'm a character driven reader and Samara is an awesome main character. The book is told from her perspective and she is very likable. Jamie Reed writes relationships well and I love how she portrays Samara’s relationships with her parents and friends. Samara is a smart, responsible, take-no-nonsense kind of girl and her personality stays true throughout the book.
By far, my favorite part of the book is Samara’s voice. She is witty, funny and sarcastic. Samara is the kind of girl I would want to be friends with, and as a matter of fact, her honest (and humorous) outlook on life’s situations reminds me of some of my own friends.
I also love how Caleb’s character is developed. We are not sure about Caleb at first. We know there is something different about him but we don’t know if he is a good or bad guy. I love the unique paranormal elements of the story and the big reveal was worth the wait. I don’t think I have read another YA book about this subject before.
Living Violet exceeded my expectations and with its diverse and interesting cast of characters, it’s the perfect book to kick-off the Multi-Cultural Book Challenge. I raced through this book and I am dying for the sequel, Burning Emerald, which comes out in May.
Tune in tomorrow when I interview Jaime Reed on Living Violet and other projects she is currently working on.
On a side note: I love that the author is lighthearted enough to poke a little fun at the YA paranormal romance genre with the Specter (a fictional novel mentioned in the book) references. There are more than a few lines in this book that made me laugh out loud, in a really good way.
Content: Some profanity, sexual discussions, attempted rape, kissing and violence.
My Rating: Really Good!
6 comments:
I hadn't heard of this until you and KM mentioned it, but it sounds interesting! Thanks for the review. :)
Okay, you had me at "no insta-love." Where do I sign up? haha
Oh I'm going to read this one for sure. It doesn't have any of the trends that tend to annoy me.
I've really had my eye on this one and this is the first review I've seen. I'm so glad you liked it. Now I really want to read it, especially when you say that it is a little different than what is out there...I'm so curious!!
Well I've read every book (all three) and imagine my surprise when another series I love has a book with a INCUBUS in it. I almost died, especially after they talked about a lot of the basics mentioned in the series. Like Wow!!!!
it's so unusual
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