Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Title: Haunting Violet

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 352

Published: Available June 21, 2011 by Walker Books

ISBN: 9780802798398
Source: Book It Forward Tours

Description: 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 Give This ...

 

I was really looking forward to this book.  I love the author's Drake Chronicles series.  Will I was a little disappointed in the end, I think it was something I should have expected.

I honestly thinks it because of medium/spiritualism idea that I didn't like this much as I had hoped.  I've read a couple others that dealt with this and I didn't particularly like them a lot either.  I'm not sure why.  I think I was thinking the ghosts would control more of this story than the seance sittings.  By, the time they become more the focus of the story, it was already more than half way though the book.  And that first half was really slow for me.  The last 100 pages were my favorite, but it was almost too little too late.

I did like Violet.  You can tell she really hates what she does, but feels she has no other choice.  Her mother is constantly making her think she owes her this.  Wow, she was one wicked women.  I also thought the ghosts appearing to her was really well done.  I think the mood was correctly portrayed (who wouldn't be terrified by a dead girl suddenly appearing, dripping water, and covered in bruises).  I was a little curious as to why she could suddenly see them.  I understood that it was latent talent, but what triggered it? I also really like her friends Colin and Elizabeth.  But, the rest of the cast of characters were actually hard to keep up with.  There's a lot of them.

I might have to avoid things that deal with the spiritualism movement in the future.  It's just not something that appeals to me.  I think I would have liked this book more without that.  I do think plenty other will like it though!