Most of the world follows VisionCrest. Some call it a religion, others, a cult. Harlow is the daughter of the leader of VisionCrest. Her face is know all over the world, and she's supposed to be preparing to take over after her father.
When The Violet Hour begins, Harlow and a group of students are touring Japan and China. Their journey is being closely followed -- they are an advertisement for VisionCrest. Most of their parents are high up in the organization.
Harlow has been keeping a secret all of her life. She hears a voice in her head and sees violent visions that depict Harlow killing other people. The visions are brutal and gruesome. They seem very real to Harlow, and she doesn't understand what they mean or why she has them. As the book progresses, she begins to understand who this voice is.
That is my first issues with The Violet Hour. I had difficult understanding all the mythology associated with the visions. I understood by the end, but I found it all a bit murky.
I had difficulty connecting with Harlow. I wish the book hadn't jumped right into the trip and one of Harlow's visions. I would have liked to see these kids in their normal environment and get to know Harlow and feel the pressure she felt because of her position. All of that came out later and just didn't have the impact that it should have.
Dora, the best friend, is very annoying. I got tired of her making jokes and using her cutsie sayings over and over. "swizzle stick" -- blaahhhhh.
I liked the ambiguity of the love interest, Adam. Is he good, or bad? What are his true motives? How does he really feel about Harlow? This aspect was well done. I also enjoyed the action, especially at the end. Miller ratchets up the tension quite well and provides an exciting (and twisted) conclusion.
As an adventure book, The Violet Hour works pretty well. I just didn't really connect with the characters or the deeper meaning of the story. It was an entertaining read, but it won't stick with me.
Published by Flux, March 8, 2014
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
300 pages
Rating: 3/5
thanks for sharing this book it's very interesting.
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great review. I haven't seen too many thoughts on this book yet and glad to see yours. I am very interested in this book.
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