Saturday, September 10, 2011

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany
Received from: ARC provided by Jen Bigheart at I Read Banned Books
The Sisters say: Historical, Humorous, and well… Haunting.

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?


I really, really, REALLY loved this book. Like… really. I don’t read historical fiction that often, but this one was refreshing! It still has a paranormal twist for those of you, like me, who gravitate toward the supernatural.

One of my favorite things about this book is the fact that Violet’s mom is a fake medium. From a young age, Violet helps her mother swindle rich people out of their money by pretending she can speak to the dead. It was fascinating to see Violet and Colin setting up all the little tricks that they use to make the act seem real.

Violet’s mom is such an intriguing character. You hate her because she’s a terrible mother, but she just has this charisma that is fascinating. She’s a star, plain and simple. People are so drawn in by her that they don’t even really look for her to fool them.

When Violet starts seeing ghosts—the visions are downright creepy. I’ve read a lot of ghost books, and too often the ghosts seem friendly or non-threatening, and I’m like “What’s the point in writing a ghost book if it’s not to be a little scary???” This is not one of those books. Dark, sinister, and again… haunting. :)

All of the relationships in the book are clearly defined and very three dimensional. Violet’s relationship with her Mother (who uses her to make money), her best friend Elizabeth (who is rich and anything but proper), and Colin (a love interest who used to sneak worms into her food when they were little).

There are several dreamy boys in this book—from the rich and wholesome and proper to the poor and confident and rakish.

This book is also FUNNY. I never expect historical books to be funny, but this one was. Early on in the book, Violet is trying to loosen Elizabeth’s corset, and she’s crawled up underneath her skirt, when Elizabeth’s crush walks in the room and catches them. I died laughing, and the humor didn’t stop through the rest of the book.

I seriously loved this book. It’s pretty similar to a book that came out a while ago called THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell. I liked the Vespertine (check out my review), but it has nothing on this book. Haunting Violet blows it out of the water!

This book is already on the shelves. Definitely go buy it! It’s worth the money!