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Violet in Private, by Melissa Walker
Mar. 30th, 2010 08:21 pmViolet in Private
by Melissa Walker
210 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/YA
This is a weird book. On one hand, it did make me tear up, with earns automatic points; on the other hand, the wish-fulfillment aspect is so explicit that it detracts from the novel. Author Melissa Walker is an ex-fashion editor hailing from Chapel Hill, NC, who earned a BA in English from Vassar College--coincidentally, protagonist Violet lands an editorial internship in New York, calls Chapel Hill home, and attends Vassar. Only, y'know, she's a supermodel. The author bio jokes openly about writing what you know, but at times the book reads like the author is simply reliving her college days--we don't need to know that Lathrop House is just down the quad from Main, or about ACDC as dining hall and band.
Moreover, Violet is simply not that engaging as a protagonist--pitiable, yes, but not very interesting. Her miniscule self-esteem and romantic struggles are a tad too realistic. I especially disliked the "temporary" romantic resolution; as "true" as it may be, it only left me with a lower opinion of Violet because she is waffling and useless yet again.
Acquired from BookMooch, but I won't be keeping this in my permanent collection nor planning to read the previous books in the series.
by Melissa Walker
210 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/YA
This is a weird book. On one hand, it did make me tear up, with earns automatic points; on the other hand, the wish-fulfillment aspect is so explicit that it detracts from the novel. Author Melissa Walker is an ex-fashion editor hailing from Chapel Hill, NC, who earned a BA in English from Vassar College--coincidentally, protagonist Violet lands an editorial internship in New York, calls Chapel Hill home, and attends Vassar. Only, y'know, she's a supermodel. The author bio jokes openly about writing what you know, but at times the book reads like the author is simply reliving her college days--we don't need to know that Lathrop House is just down the quad from Main, or about ACDC as dining hall and band.
Moreover, Violet is simply not that engaging as a protagonist--pitiable, yes, but not very interesting. Her miniscule self-esteem and romantic struggles are a tad too realistic. I especially disliked the "temporary" romantic resolution; as "true" as it may be, it only left me with a lower opinion of Violet because she is waffling and useless yet again.
Acquired from BookMooch, but I won't be keeping this in my permanent collection nor planning to read the previous books in the series.
