Book Review: Violet on the Runway

Title: Violet on the Runway
Series: Violet #1
Author: Melissa C. Walker
Publisher: Berkley JAM Books (Penguin Group USA)
Original Publication in: 2007

Reviewed by Ginny, originally published in Fly
 
Violet Greenfield, who thinks of herself as a quiet, shy  wallflower, has always been teased because of her height (six-one, or 1.85m). She longs to be popular like those BK girls (stands for Bee’s Knees, not Burger King), even though she’d never admit it to her best friends, Julie and Roger.
But when she catches the eye of a Tryst agent Angela Blythe, things change dramatically… because Angela is sure Violet can be “the next Kate Moss – but, you know, taller and without the cocaine problem” (that was Violet’s soon-to-be agent). In the following months, Violet will have to wade through the castings, photo shoots, runways, bitchy models and other difficulties to find herself and what she really wants.

As far as I know, the author Melissa Walker used to work in a fashion magazine and has now (well, five years ago) written a series which gives us backstage insights on the glamorous fashion life.
Let’s talk about Violet first. Violet Greenfield is insecure about her height and her body in general – she’s too bony and all angles, she thinks. Of course, those two complexes are what caught Angela’s attention. Angela is persistent on letting Violet fly out to New York (she lives in North Carolina) for the Fashion Week, and when her parents give in, Violet is whisked away to a world in which she feels beautiful, strong and desirable.
Long story short, designers and photographers are taken by Violet’s naturalness, Angela convinces the Greenfields to let Violet graduate a semester early and live in the Tryst’s model apartment in New York – and make a name as a model!
Now, I know, I know that Violet needs to make stupid mistakes in order to learn and grow up, but I was quite exasperated when she ditched her best friends for the BK. What pissed me off, however, was Julie’s response to that. I get she has a valid right to be angry, I don’t blame her for that. What I consider a true BF reaction is Roger’s, Violet’s other friend. He’s mad, gives her silent treatment, but in the end he cares, and he comes up to check on Violet. They fight, but he forgives. Julie’s just petty.
Back to Violet. I think she is a good and nice person at core – that’s her personality, and her nature. She hardens up in this vicious tangle of competition and criticism, but she never develops an eating disorder or turns to drugs. She is hurt by the harsh words people and fellow model Veronica throw at her – about her weight, her nightlife, her privacy – and yet she remains a softie (in a good way) inside.
Violet on the Runway is a book about self-discovery and mocks the fashion world, but in a light-hearted and believable way.

Library Book Review > This Song Will Save Your Life

By:  Leila Sales
Published By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Published Date: Sept. 17th 2013 
Pages:  288 hardcover
Tags: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Stand Alone, Music 

Source:  Community Library (Save A Tree)

There is a raw and powerful story to be had in between those covers. Once the Mad Scientist embraced This Song Will Save Your Life, MS could not stop devouring.

Starting late into the night, my tea went cold twice and the minutes ticked by yelling at my hard head that the sun would rise in a few hours. A scientist I maybe but a lady should never have bags under her eyes so I stubbornly buried myself under the duvet closing my eyes. Only to wake up as the sun was rising to read till the book was done!

Elise is the one person who never quit belonged with a particular group of kids at school.  Oh, how kids can be cruel. She was a special girl who tried her best at whatever she wanted to learn. However, she found out being special or good at something is just uncool.

Planet & Book Love <3

Lonely is what Elise was determined not to be any longer. She researched being cool and tried so hard to find a friend. Desperation turned into the consideration of suicide. Awe, my dear Elise, MS just wanted to crawl into the book and hug you. Let us just say thank you to the gods above for she did not go through with it.

"Sometimes you just have those days where everything goes wrong. But sometimes, and totally unexpectedly, something can go right."

Now Elise finds herself going through the aftermath of the situation. Soon after the scare she stumbled around late in the night near a business district trying to ward of her wound up nerves. Even in such a unseeming area Elise ran into Vicky & Mel, whom befriended her. Leading Elise into the teaming hectic world of an underground dance party. Music thumps through her body and soul, she is someone else here. The music loving self, not the unpopular HS self. Elise gathered strength from her new friends to survive and recover.

Elise takes it upon herself to learn how to DJ. The young and dashing lad, Char, the leading DJ of the night was needed elsewhere. Taking the reins of the dance party with her efforts and knowledge of music she easily rules the dance floor. Char, takes Elise under wing when realizing she is talented and different. Learning all she can, Elise becomes the hottest DJ in the area! 

Surviving high school surrounded by friends and music, Elise learned that it is alright to stay true to the person you want to be and can be. 

Undoubtedly my favorite Quote!

"I was smiling like a crazy person because I had just made a hundred people dance, I had just made a hundred people scream, I had just made a hundred people happy. I, Elise, using my own power, had made people happy."

Source

Here is how I picture Elise: 

Many lovely groups and songs are mentioned throughout the novel, in which the playlist from within can be found and thoroughly enjoyed at Spotify. As MS developed this mad review the sounds whirled around my skirts and rattled my pinned up hair.  

"I believe that a person's taste in music tells you a lot about them. In some cases, it tells you everything you need to know."

** Thanks to the Oneida Community Library and Inter-Library Loan! All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**

It was so extremely good I kissed it everywhere & licked the spine.

Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

Library Book Review > Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

By:  Benjamin Alire Saenz
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Published Date: Feb. 21st 2012
Pages:  359 hardcover
Tags: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Stand Alone, GLBT 

Source:  Community Library (Save A Tree)

Honestly, the Mad Scientist was even more clueless as to what to read when I went to library after being out of the US of A for nearly 6 months. (Explored Thailand, Malaysia & Laos.) What is a Mad Scientist to do?  With having so many literary awards on such a beautiful cover MS just felt like she could not go wrong.  Besides I think everyone of us could us a few secrets of the universe.  Walking out of the library with book in gloved hands MS just did not know what she was getting into with Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  

"My mother and father held hands. I wondered what that was like, to hold someone's hand. I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand." - page 140

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is told through a very young angry loner, Aristotle aka Ari. Ari & Dante met when the were 15 during one of those boring summers where you wait for something amazing to happen. It was a friendship they both seemed to bumble and stumble through with such little grace you could not help but wonder and smile at them.  It was a friendship were they spent days & nights laughing at each other, looking at the stars, experiencing sexual struggles & trying to navigate through cultural identity.  Of course, we also had bits and pieces of questioning the universe. 

Now the Mad Scientist is not one to cry over a book.  We wouldn't want to get rusty, now would we?  However, once I finished this particular book... I did.  The romance that I did not see or expect at all just jarred me which in turn made MS cry.  A few perfect tears, the roll down the cheeks kind. The jealous & strong emotions of Ari wanting to protect Dante at any cost had my heart. Dear boy!


Here is how I picture Ari & Dante: 

Source

Truly one of the best GLBT books MS has had the pleasure to read! Even if it was unexpected!

Benjamin Alire Saenz wrote the book in such a way that it is hard for MS to describe it in any other way then being beautiful.  The heavy handed issues about self identity and coming to age were managed with class & great writing that made it beautiful to read.  The writing, the characters, the story, the relationship was just too beautiful. 

"You could smell the rain in the desert even before a drop fell. I closed my eyes. I held my head out and felt the first drops. It was like a kiss. The sky was kissing me." - page 293

The awards were greatly deserved and MS is so happy to have spied this beauty on the shelf. Congratulations Benjamin! It was a great welcome back to the US of A & regular reading.

** Thanks to the Oneida Community Library and Inter-Library Loan! All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!

It was so amazing I kissed & licked every inch of the book!

Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

ARC Book Review ---> The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

     (Mara Dyer #1)  

By:  Michelle Hodkin

Published By:   Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Published Date:  November 2011

Pages:   Hardcover 450

Read:  August 2011

Book Cover Rating:  5

Tags:  Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Supernatural, Mystery  
Why the Mad Scientist read this book:  Picked up an ARC from BEA 2011.  I set this one aside because I had no real interest in it.  I was wrong. 

First Lines:   My mother thinks I'm dead.

Concoction of a Review:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was just a utterly beautiful read.  I do believe it rivals my blood red silver tipped parasol and that is something!

I admit that it is going to be rather hard to review this twisted tale without revealing too much of the goodness.  I LOVED the book so I have to gush about it.  Just a tad.

The best thing about this book...  It is full of Crazy!!

Mara is a dark haired beauty who has hallucinations, hears voices of her dead friends, and unexpected things are happening to her.  *sips tea*l Mara?  What can the Mad Scientist say?  She is just a little on the psychotic side.  Why?  Her best friend, boyfriend, and a friend all went to the great beyond when the abandoned asylum collapsed on them while they were searching for paranormal activity.  

What!?!

How did the building just collapse?  What if she is the only one who knows what happened?  What if she cannot remember what really happened?

Would you want to remember?

Mara's family move to Florida to get away from what happened.  Attempting at normal life did not work out so well for her.  She becomes the new target for the snotty prep queen of the school, Anna.  *Grr...* Leave Mara alone!  Psychotic episodes start to happen.  She does not know what is real or not.  Neither did I!!  I LOVED it!!

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and all that jazz.  Anna used to be the abstinence poster girl, but post-Shaw, you could write a comic book about the many adventures of her vagina.  It could wear a cape." 
 -- Page 41

Time to swoon!!  *Fans Self* Yes, even deeply troubled girls deserve some European tousled hair hunk to look at.  Noah Shaw is just the lad for this!!  He is an arrogant ASS who happens to just be about the most sexy thing described lately.  He is a rumpled sight who just rolls out of bed.  Gorgeous tousled messy hair.  His contemptuous presumptuous ASS did not turn me away.
  

Here is how I picture Noah Shaw:  As William Moseley...

Lucky for the reader there is No love at first sight!  The romance builds up very slowly.  The sexual tension even had me on edge!  I loved how Mara brushed him off like he was NOT a swoonworthy mess!!  I must say... it is strong of her to be cautious instead of flouncing to his side like a ninny.

"How is it that you have friends, Noah?"

 "I ask myself that daily."  He chomped down on the plastic straw.

 "Seriously.  Inquiring minds want to know."
 -- Page 192

**Side Note:  The Mad Scientist   has a secret crush on High King Peter!  I watched the Chronicles of Narnia just to stare at him!  I'd love to mess up that hair!**

*Swoon*

"Your're distracting," I said truthfully.  

"I won't be.  I promise,"  Noah said.  "I'll get some crayons and draw quietly.  Alone.  In a corner."

Michelle Hodkin's story had the Mad Scientist at every page.  What an amazing debut and I am trying not to be torn because I want book two now!!  The story had me sending mental hugs to Mara and dreaming of dear Noah.  Plus all of the other characters were so well developed that I truly enjoyed them all.  Even her overprotective brother.  The story was sprinkled with Mara's snark which broke up the seriousness of the suspense novel. 


Overall, it is safe to say that The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is easily going to be my favorite read of the year.



Best Suspense Novel of 2011!! 

*Just an after thought... but when I seen this picture I though this is Mara and Noah! 


Anna Popplewell would make a beautiful Mara. 


What do you think?  Would these two work for this epic story? *

5 Blasts

This book is out now.  Go buy it because the Mad Scientist could sum them book up with three letters.  WOW!!