Violet by Design is Melissa Walker‘s second book about small-town-girl-turned-supermodel Violet Greenfield, and it’s just as great as Violet on the Runway. In this book, Violet has decided to return to the modeling business and she’s off to work the Sao Paolo runways. That’s right–Brazil! Violet is on her way to becoming an international star.
Of course, there was a reason she left it behind before. Modeling certainly has its ups and downs. Sure, she gets to travel to exotic places–but she also gets called “la gordita” (little fat girl) for not being afraid to gain five pounds and be normal-girl-skinny instead of anorexic-looking. She’s in the tabloids, and anything she says can and will be used against her. Is the life of an international supermodel really worth leaving all of her friends and family at home behind to deal with so much pressure and superficiality?
On top of all of that, she’s got the typical teenage girl worries about her future, her romantic prospects, her friends, staying true to herself, and, like any recent high school graduate, balancing new with old. What’s a girl to do?
Yes, this is a book about modeling. But, as with Melissa Walker’s debut novel, it’s about so much more than that! It’s about life and friends and family and romance and knowing who you are and blindly feeling your way through an uncertain future the way we all do at some point.
As you can probably guess, I was pretty disgusted with the way already-super-skinny Violet was always being pressured to lose five pounds, but that doesn’t detract from this book because Melissa Walker knows what she’s talking about when she writes about the fashion industry, and I do believe this is true-to-life. It’s not the book that horrifies me; it’s the truth of it, of the fashion industry, of that horrible negative body image that so many girls get from it. It’s relatively minor here–five pounds. But many girls are dozens or hundreds of pounds above the “ideal” weight in the fashion industry, and there’s nothing wrong with those girls. There is, however, something wrong with the fashion industry.
PSA over for the moment. Violet by Design is an honest, funny, thoughtful, and intelligent book about one girl’s struggle to figure out who she is and stay true to herself despite the temptations to be someone else (like international superstardom and money and free stuff and exotic travel in this case, but there can be so many things that threaten us in that way). I love Melissa Walker’s characters, and she is quite a talented writer. I can’t wait for the third book in the series, Violet in Private.
March 24, 2008 at 12:56 am
Oh I think I have a new favorite quote. “There is, however, something wrong with the fashion industry.”
March 24, 2008 at 4:33 am
Awesome. You just made me want to read these even more. I agree with you on the fashion industry too.
March 24, 2008 at 7:00 am
This seems perfectly geared towards young women who are just beginning to struggle with peer pressure and self-image issues. My sister’s daughter is going through some of this now, I’ll give her a copy for her upcoming B-day.
March 24, 2008 at 7:29 am
There is going to be a third book??? I can just hear my bank account cringing in terror! Heehee!
I’ll be picking up this book tomorrow when I am back at work, I am so very, very happy the cover caught my eye on your blog and I looked into this series. It is excellent and I have enjoyed what I have read so far!
I do think the first book (and looks like the second) covers some really important issues without getting all preachy on us. I like that a lot about the writing.
March 26, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I second the wonderfulness of the phrase “There is, however, something wrong with the fashion industry.” So true.
April 2, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I really loved, i mean LOVED this book.
i just finished it today and i feel like i can connect with violet, not becuase she’s a model but becuase she is a REAL person.
this story is a great one and i garentee anybody, or for that any girl who wants to enjoy a heartfilled book will love this one just as much as i do. it kept me very entertained and i couldn’t put it down!
May 28, 2008 at 1:10 am
I have many friends who are models,a few are high fashion. It’ll be interesting to read this book and i can’t wait!!!
July 10, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Wow..I definitly love this book. I’m going to get the second one on Saturday! I so agree with that quote too ! =)
October 23, 2008 at 4:57 pm
love the whole series!
January 3, 2009 at 10:35 pm
The series is a MUST read!
January 6, 2009 at 5:54 pm
[…] out my reviews of the first two books in the series, Violet on the Runway and Violet by Design. Also, don’t miss my interview with Melissa Walker, her guest blog here, and her fantastic […]
April 3, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I just finished reading ALL 3 books last week and I have to admit they are REALLY good!
I honestly could not put any of the books down, I was addicted! I would recommend these books to anyone who LOVES fashion and emotion. I wish there were more books, all i can say is I loved it!
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