Haunting Violet ~ Review and Giveaway!

Title: Haunting Violet
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Release Date: June 21, 2011
Pages: 352 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Links: amazon/ goodreads/ website
Source: from publisher for blog tour

Watch book trailer HERE.
Watch an interview with Alyx HERE.

Summary:

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 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? (summary from goodreads)



My thoughts:
I've never read a novel by Alyxandra Harvey so I was not sure on what to expect. I thought the premise was interesting and I really enjoyed that the novel was set in England in the late 1800s. Unfortunately, I felt something was missing in the beginning and it was a bit too slow for me. I felt no emotional connection towards any of the characters, it was just a book I was reading and that's it. However, I could feel that these characters were strong and they were going to fight to solve the mystery no matter what. Violet was strong just for dealing with her horrible mother who was abusive at times. Her and Cal's connection was strong but that is the only emotion
I felt in the first half of the novel. If I were to rate the first half of the novel I would give it 2 stars.

But the second half of the novel blew me away! There was suspense, action, and thrill. I finished the last half of the book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I found myself so captivated by the direction of the story. As well as Harvey throwing in something that I did not see coming. I love when an author can surprise me. Also, somehow at the end of the novel Violet became a real and relatable character.

One thing that Alyxandra Harvey did well throughout the novel was describe setting and events. Whenever Rowena's ghost would appear the descriptions left me with chills. I felt as if I could perfectly picture Lord Jasper's manor in my head. This is an important element to a novel that Harvey delivered very well.

Overall I would definitely give this book a try. The ending is very well worth it. Harvey showed that she could write about something other than vampires and do it very well. I'm going to be picking up her Drake Cronicles series very soon. Check this one out it's on bookshelves now!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Contest ends July 22nd
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Happy Reading!