"Haunting Violet" Review

"Haunting Violet"
by Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: June 21, 2011Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

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?  

My Review:


This is a great YA historical with a spooky, supernatural element, not to mention a sweet romance!

I've always been fascinated by the seances in the Victorian era, including all the tricks that mediums and con artists used to make people think they were communicating with ghosts. The book really portrays Violet's mother as taking advantage of people at their worst. We get to see all of the ways she tricked them in detail.

Sometimes, I wanted Violet's mother to be just little more of a sympathetic character, but she really turns out to be just all bad.

One of my favorite characters was Violet's little ghost dog, Mr. Rochester. He was just so cute, and I think he made Violet feel like she wasn't so alone among all the ghosts with her new found talent. And also she was able to feel a little less scared of what was happening.

Violet's long time friend, Colin, was flat-out adorable. He was always there for Violet and I can't think of a single time that he let her down.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 5/5



Bottom Line: This book is a good old fashioned gothic spook fest with sweet characters and a fast paced story. I'm really hoping to see more of Violet and Colin (and Mr. Rochester) in future books!!