Violet on the Runway

Violet is your everyday teenager. She is insecure with her body and unsure of the person she is. But all that changes when she is "discovered" working at the local movie theater. Angela her modeling agent is sure Violet is the next big thing!Modeling comes easily for Violet, she simply can’t help being herself, and the designers love it. The other models however don’t particularly like being shown up by a newbie. When Violet takes the big step and moves to New York, she finds out modeling is more that walking around with pretty clothes. Violet tries to resist being swallowed whole by this new world, but in response she has turned into someone else. Will the new Violet win out, or will the old shine through?When I started reading show more Violet on the Runway, I was hesitant. I didn’t want another one of those books where the girl goes from zero to IT and all her dreams come true. I was for certain I had the storyline pegged, and I wasn’t thrilled. Luckily for me I kept reading, because I didn’t have this story pegged after all! Sure Violet gets the modeling gig, but it isn’t a walk in the park. I know how she felt in the beginning, when she had to have people like her, because I was the same way. I was so happy to see her grow! She did make me mad when she ditched her true friends, but she made it up to them in the end. I actually enjoyed reading this book and I am totally looking forward to reading Violet by Design. I just hope I see some more Violet and Roger action! I can’t believe you (yes you Melissa Walker!) kept that hanging! You are killing me! show less

Originally posted to http://www.curledup.com and reprinted at http://www.skrishnasbooks.com

Violet Greenfield is ordinary in every way. There isn’t anything about her that is above average (at least, that’s the way she feels). The only thing that anyone ever notices about her is her freakish height – 6’1’’. And she’s only a high school senior - who knows what will happen after that inevitable growth spurt in college! Forget being part of the BKs, the popular crowd at her high school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Though Violet and her best friends, Roger and Julie, make fun of the BKs (Bee’s Knees), Violet can’t help but secretly wish that she was a part of them.

Violet sees her height as a curse, an undesirable. That show more is, until a modeling agent named Angela sees her working at the local movie theater. Angela convinces Violet to come to New York City to try out for Fashion Week. After convincing her parents that it’s a golden opportunity, Violet (with her mother in tow) is on her way to the Big Apple to become a model.

And so Violet embarks on a whirlwind journey through the world of modeling that changes her life forever. As she appears on magazine covers and learns the evils of being in the spotlight, she must endure backstabbing “friends” and decide how much being popular really means to her. In the end, Violet must learn what friendship really is and what it means to be a strong person.

Violet on the Runway is really a gem of a book. It doesn’t glorify the life of a model – instead, it shows the nature of that world in all its ugliness. Being a book directed to teens, of course it sugarcoats some areas, trying to establish that there is good everywhere, but overall, it is a healthy look at the difficulties of being a model. It is definitely a reality check for any teen dreaming of a modeling career.

The real strong point of the book is what’s at the heart of it: Violet herself. She is not perfect; indeed, she makes some very bad decisions through the course of the book. What makes it compelling is what she does when she finally learns from them, when she realizes what is important and what really isn’t. It is also heartening to see Violet once she learns to stand up for herself. It’s painful to read about her cowering in a corner when she is nervous and new to the modeling world.

Once she has become a seasoned professional, she approaches modeling with a cool exterior, oblivious to the comments around her. While that is a difficult lesson for a girl of 18 to learn, it is heartening to see what she does with it.

When it comes down to it, this book is a reinvention on a classic theme in teen lit: the unpopular, ordinary girl who is transformed into a radiant beauty and returns to the school and rules over it. Walker provides a satisfying twist: Violet’s personal journey through self doubt to a place of confidence. At the beginning of the book, she constantly fears that the other models will see the plain girl within and know that she doesn’t belong there. She is afraid they will see she is faking, but she slowly learns that validation comes from herself, not from other people. It is a painful realization, but Violet emerges much stronger and wiser than before.

Violet on the Runway is a book for all ages, not just teens. Older readers will remember the pains of high school and will enjoy the escape by living vicariously through Violet. Younger readers will enjoy the depiction of the modeling world, in all its glory and ugliness. This book really does have something for everyone, and it is an incredibly promising start to a brand new series. show less

This is a brilliantly written book! The truth about teen modeling, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. I loved this book and read it in less than two days. I understood the references and felt as though the character could be a real person. Wonderful, and I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read a book that's realistic.

Susan says: I think I requested that we buy this teen series because the main character lives in Chapel Hill. There are definitely some great Chapel Hill references, but this is also a good book about changing how you think about yourself and your friends. Violet is a senior in high school who has never felt comfortable with her height or her plain looks. But then in a classic Hollywood moment, a modeling agent comes into the movie theater where Violet works and whisks her away to NYC to model. She is a great model, but soon finds that her intellect and naivete often get in the way. She is taken advantage of by a club promoter, learns to drink alcohol a little too readily, and also finds that many things about modeling are not really show more her style. Violet eventually has a change of heart and returns to the grounded friends and family she has. But the end of the book sets up the next book in the series, and it seems that Violet will return to the runway again. I will definitely keep reading for the model lifestyle and the great characters, including a friend who is so in love with Violet. show less

Violet has always felt like a bit of a freak - too tall, too thin, and too plain to fit in with the queen bees at her high school. But when an agent discovers Violet at her part-time job, she is whisked into the world of New York fashion week, and facing a whole new life. Leaving behind her best friends for her model apartment in Manhattan, Violet has a lot of choices to make. Should she talk to someone about her room mate's drug problem? And should she be drinking and clubbing with the older crowd? And what about the cute boy socialite who seems to have eyes for her? Worst of all, will she leave her BFFs behind for the popularity that fame has given her? Walker's novel is a refreshing look at the modeling world, providing all the show more scandal girls want to read about through the eyes of a character they can relate to. Violet on the Runway is witty, exciting, and perfect for young fashion aficionados. show less

I am the farthest person imaginable to be interested in modelling, but the transition Violet has from the small town she grew up in to the runways of New York were really appealing to me. It's years later, but still if I got my hands on the sequel(s) I would read them.

I absolutely loved this book. It's the perfect book that lets all girls know that it's okay to not be that special, because eventually things can work out for you. It shows that the popularity contests and such in high school eventually end, and you can learn to stand up for yourself and just not let others get you down. it deals with the dream of modeling, the not-so-glamorous side of it, and other important issues, such as eating disorders and drug addictions. But with an ordinary, but morally-correct, girl like Violet as the heroine, she faces up to each challenge. A must read for anyone.