Let me begin by saying that the grammar and writing were absolutely atrocious! There were simple grammatical errors and stupid spelling mistakes. These were errors that an editor should not have been able to miss. They simply popped out at me, making me brood on that certain page for a while-muttering about the juvenile mistakes. The writing was not at all appropriate to the time period and the dialogues were just horrifying. It shows that the writer (whose books I've actually liked) didn't do a very good job of research. That being said, the plot was extremely interesting. Violet was (to be redundant) highly intriguing. I just wanted to see how her situation with a fraud mother would unfold. It really was dramatic. That was basically my reasoning for the three stars, but ultimately not worth reading a second time since the ending was rather bland (as was the writing). If you are in a mood to read about spirits, spiritualism, murder and mystery, this is definitely the book for you.Violet Willoughby is a sixteen year old girl who despite participating in her mother's scam as a medium for spirits, does not actually believe in them. However, the ghosts believe in Violet. While attending a house party in Hampshire, England, Violet can no longer ignore her ability or the fact that she is being pestered by the ghost of a girl, Rowena, who had supposedly died in a drowning accident. Violet is forced to investigate the circumstances surrounding Rowena's death whilst also determining whether she was murdered or not. In her tryst to find the murderer, she is aided by Colin and her friend Elizabeth. What follows is a thrilling mystery that makes for a good read.The best part of this book is the wonderful replication of English society as it was in 1872, the period taken for this book. The house parties, beliefs or lack of it in spiritualism, the nuances about the approach and attitude towards seances etc make the book extremely interesting and worth reading. The mystery itself has its own twists and turns, where the reader is not really sure of the murderer till the end. While the book is definitely worth 4 stars for the writing and the manner in which the mystery was handled, I am forced to give it 3 stars because of the fact that it dragged with several serious descriptions that in my opinion was unnecessary. While reading a mystery book, one wants the story to move forward and quick; especially to keep the interest of the reader. This book was too Victorian or Edwardian in its style of writing to keep the interest, although I did manage to finish the book. I would definitely recommend this book to those who do not mind descriptive mystery stories.
What do You think about Haunting Violet (2011)?
*This* is how you do a paranormal thriller for YA.Brava, Harvey. Well played:)
—raylee
