Four and half stars - and full review to be posted soon:

I have to say I was getting pretty much burned out on YA PNR especially with the mysterious boy trope. But Living Violet does.not.do.emo but what it does offer is a snarky and sardonic heroine and the mysterious boy who is honestly refreshing.

The cast of characters and the chemistry they share is fantastic and I really like the paranormal aspect and how that tied into the story. I also loved that Samara doesn't go all moon eyed over the hero and in fact is pretty suspicious and savvy about him. This was so so refreshing. I will definitely be following the rest of this series. But honestly - if you are sick of the Twilightesque emo tortured hero and wallpaper heroines - Get this book! Snarky, fun and filled with characters who are very real. Delicious!
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Sam knows what she wants and needs – she needs money for a new car, she has plans to go to college. She studies and she works. She doesn’t have the time or, frankly, the inclination for a hot romance.

Caleb would also rather like to avoid them – but you wouldn’t know it by the women constantly throwing themselves at him. Something that becomes only more sinister as they start dropping around him, unusual victims of heart attacks and worse. Sam seems to be one of the few immune to his allure, but is drawn into his world and its secrets anyway


I love that this is a YA paranormal romance that rewrites so many of the tropes we’ve seen so many times in one long delicious subversion.

We have a magical sexy power that causes the person to literally starve without sex (and other alternatives, but sex is definitely a big one). He needs sexual contact! And his power means nearly all women find him utterly irresistible to a point where the particularly lonely and broken hearted are driven to assault him in desperation.

Which sounds like another recipe for woo-woo justifying sexual coercion and forcing a relationship based on magic rather than genuine connection… but it doesn’t because Sam is immune. Yes, I was shocked too – they bring in a love interest with super sexy magic power then make the protagonist immune to them – completely immune to his coercive sexy magic, unswayed by his magnetism. Not only that but she doesn’t even think he’s all that hot. Oh he’s cute and all, in his way, but super-smoking, she-can’t-stop-thinking-about-him? Nope. Not at all, besides she’s not really in the market for a boyfriend anyway; partly it’s her parents fear of her following in their teenaged-pregnancy footsteps and partly her own disinterest and focus on other things in her life right now. Boys just don’t have to be her priority.

At which point I look at the author and wonder if they’ve got the right genre.

This leaves Sam and Caleb to become a couple through music and spending time together and mutual interests. It means that, while they do fall in love, they do so in a more organic, natural fashion after getting to know each other. There’s even one point when he asks how much she likes him and Sam says:

“You a’ight”
“Sam”
“What do you want me to say? We’ve just started talking” – I check my invisible watch – “a few weeks ago. We’re still in the introductory stage.”

Yes, I want to frame it and hang it in a museum for its sheer rarity. There’s no insta-love, there’s a slowly developed love. There’s no overwhelming, obsessive attraction – it’s just 2 people who get to know each other well and come to love each other.

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Very good story. I even read the preview for the next book in the series, and I never do that. I love the MC and the side cast. A very quick and satisfying read. ( )

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2012/01/living-violet.html

The premise of this book is interesting, and it plays out nicely. Although we never really find out why Samara is immune to Caleb's charm and attraction, she vacillates between trusting and being completely suspicious of him very convincingly. I like the added detail of Samara being biracial and the way it subtly plays into the main plot and ties in.

The whole cast of characters is very interesting, and I like how each one has his/her own distinct personality. I loved Samara's tone right from the start, and as each character entered, their tones matched their personalities perfectly. I especially like how the book doesn't explore only Samara and Caleb's romantic relationship, but also friendship and a very different kind of romantic relationship with Mia and Dougie.

I really like the way the book ends - that twist came from nowhere, and the way Samara deals with it is great. And the sample chapter from Burning Emerald made me curious to see how the romance will progress based on this new twist! ( )

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.

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.

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. ( )