♥ || Twitter || ♥ || Facebook || ♥ || Booklikes ♥ || Pinterest || ♥VIOLET IS BLUE was a terrible book. It's the epitome of everything that is wrong with the new adult genre."What a freak! He totally pawed through your phone, V." Ivy shivered and made a face. "He's so gross." "He's not that bad," I said (15). Violet is eighteen-years-old, and has a stalker. He sends her flowers and creepy poems and calls her up on the phone to tell her all the nasty things that he wants to do to her.Sounds like the pretext for a romance story, right?RIGHT....Not. Of course, it doesn't help that all the men in Violet's life are total creepazoids. Like Devon, who takes her phone and makes inappropriate comments about the pictures on it; pins her against cars and walls and tells her how much he wants to fuck her; and even breaks into her friends' backyard to crash the party & stalk her. There's also her jerk ex who keeps flirting with her in a creepy jerk way even though he cheated on her with another girl. There's also the older boy who works for her stepdad, Patrick.I didn't want to be one of THOSE girls who people whispered about in the halls or at parties (31). Violet slut shames everyone and anyone, which is made even more painful by her own hypocritical behavior. When Devon corners her in a library and makes creepy comments about Jack Ripper and orgasms caused by vaginal tearing during birth, Violet gets so turned on by this, and his rape threats, that she has to run to the bathroom and masturbate.Her stalker is from the creepy mouth-breather school of perverts, and rather than freaking out or ignoring him, Violet has phone sex with him. When he tells her he's outside her bedroom window, watching her, and asks her to touch herself, she pulls up her shirt and starts playing with her breasts while her stalker jacks off in the shadows. Creepy much? I think so.Later, the stalker sends her sexy lingerie. She puts it on and stands in the window and gyrates, only to be seen by one of her neighbors. Violet goes to bed and wakes up in the morning to find out that her stalker broke into her bedroom in the middle of the night and macked on her scantily clad sleeping body.Even more disturbing is how everyone in the book jokes about the abuse." Yeah, maybe [the phone creeper] has been fantasizing about you for months. I mean he's in your house all the time, he sees you almost every day. Maybe he even spies on you, like when you're changing or in the shower." Giggling, she hugged herself. "God, I have to stop it, or else my ovaries are going to explode" (26)When she finally tells her parents what's going on--and even then, this is only after her stalker totals her car, puts her ex in the hospital, leaves her threatening phone messages, breaks into her car to fill it with rose petals, breaks into her bedroom to watch her sleep, and eavesdrops on her masturbating in a public restroom--her stepfather tells her that she was asking for it, and that he doesn't want to send an innocent boy to jail because she was being a tease. Her mother slaps that asshole, thank God, but then later they joke about how all men are assholes. Um...No, they aren't?Just the ones in this book.I really, really loathed this book because:A) It reinforces the idea that it's OK for men to be assholes.B) It is full of women hate and slut-shaming. Even Violet's friends are always calling her a slut.C) The climax is sickening. I mean, really, truly sickening.D) The climax doesn't make sense either. Plotholes up the wazoo, guys.E) Devon, the love interest, is a psychotic asshole who is basically a Travis Maddox-in-training. When he grows up he will be either a serial killer or Christian Grey (basically the same thing).F) It trivializes the real victims of sexual abuse and violence by suggesting that these women are somehow bringing it upon themselves. Violet's behavior left me feeling physically nauseated. I just can't believe in good faith that a girl, or the people (especially her female friends and mother) around her, would blow off such aggressive sexual overtures. Especially breaking in to her house!!!This was a terrible book, even for new adult. I actually felt dirty after finishing it. And not the good kind of dirty, either.0 stars.
I received this courtesy of netgalley and Indie Inked in return for a honesty review.Violet Is Blue is a really great quick read that will keep you guessing at every turn.This is a new adult book that has a little bit of everything, including some comedy, mystery, and some really creepy characters. It also has it's fair share of adult content. This book will kick your 'who done it sense' in the butt. So many character give off a dark and dangerous vibe that your left thinking well jeez anyone could be the bad guy.The best part of this story is definitely Violet she was a really interesting main character, she's just a normal girl. Nothing more, not super pretty, smart, ugly or insecure all things that have become a YA and NA cliché. She's just a girl that is trying to find her way and deal with a crazy ex, a lurking bad boy and a hot guy that works for her parents. Another plus is that she isn't so irritating it makes your brain bleed when you trying to read the story. Even though Violet has lost her Dad and had her now ex-boyfriend cheat on her she never acts bratty. All her stupid chooses are because she's either terrified or trying to not cause her Mum worry. She always just tried to do what she thought was right and be an adult.Also this book has one of the nicest covers ever.
What do You think about Violet Is Blue (2014)?
Okay, I liked this story, I really did. The story line had Mystery and Romance and kept me flipping pages. As far as pacing, for most of the story it was just right. Its one of those that is easy to follow. The ending was a bit rushed, but at least it had an ending which so many books dont these days.My main issue with this story was that I had a very hard time connecting with Violet. I wanted to like her and connect with her and her emotions, but I found it very difficult Her one redeeming quality was her humor. She really was witty and offered some great comedic relief. Very well-written and a great New Adult read. The romance was light considering it was a New Adult, but it was still there.
—C. Gonzales
I really enjoyed this book. Violet is the girl next door that people can relate with. She has issues with friends, guys, and school. All teenagers know what that is like and adults can remember.The story was exciting in that she had a stalker, an ex that was obsessive over her, and in the shadows a bad boy awaited.I adored that her mother was a person of strength. I hate that in the end she has much regret and guilt but she's a strong person. She will prevail. The twist of who the stalker was threw me for a complete loop! I was shocked and could feel Violet's betrayal. I could not imagine that happening to me. I'm always a fan of the bad boy especially one with a romantic and sweet side. The world sees him as dangerous and unappealing but I see him as exciting! I am glad that in the end Violet found happiness and love. Who knows what the future will hold for the two, but for now they have love. Sigh...Tawny Stokes had me addicted with two previous works and she has yet to let me down. She has a definite fan here. I was unable to put this book down until I completed it. I could not turn the pages fast enough. I remember actually laughing out loud at one point in the book. That's a great sign to me!
—Ange from Cover to Cover Book Blog
**I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review**Violet Taylor is a lot like your average 18 year old high school senior…she has the fun friends that also happened to be name after flowers, the perfect boyfriend who is of course – QB of the football team, and a great family life to boot…except for the fact that her father was killed four years prior in a car accident and her mom remarried a good family friend, Mark. As she slowly tries to accept the rapid changes that occur over the last four years, she begins to realize that maybe there is a facade to too much of her life…like when her boyfriend Jordan cheats on her with the school slut…or Mark trying to take her dad’s place in her life…or the secret admirer that sends her hormones into overdrive every time she gets a new “gift” or phone call from him. At first, she is excited and tantalized by the secret – thinking that it may be the resident “bad boy” Devon Schmidt, with all his piercings and tattoos who she made out with right after her father’s death. But as the gifts become more inappropriate and the calls more demanding of what Violet is willing to give, she begins to realize that maybe it’s finally gone too far…but is her admirer getting too bold?This book was a pretty quick read, and while I enjoyed the Violet that was around her friends, the Violet when it came to guys was just kinda blah…and while some scene made me blush a little bit, I liked the heat between her and her crush. That being said, it did feel like the author jumped around a lot – sometimes I had to go back and re-read a page or two back to make sure I was following the story line correctly. Not too bad, but not great either :/
—Janelle
