He’s persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most–and everything she most fears. . . Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile. But Caleb’s secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it. (Goodreads summary)
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I first read this about a year ago, but decided it was time to take a second spin so that I was back up to speed. The sequel, Burning Emerald, came out in May this year, and while I haven’t had a chance to pick that one up yet, I was reminded how there is so much that I stinking adore aboutLiving Violet.
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1. The heroine, Samara, is amazing. She’s sarcastic, strong, independent, a realist, and a hard worker. I really value how levelheaded she is.
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2. There is no love triangle. In addition, there is no insta-love. Perfection.
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As a brief, non-spoilery overview:
The story is set in Williamsburg, VA (one of my favorite places in the contiguous United States, so that earns it even more points) during the summer before Samara’s senior year. She comes from a split, interracial home, and her parents still communicate openly. Her mom is one of the most protective parents I’ve ever read about, and doesn’t let her get away with much. Sam works at a bookstore as a barista (awesome!), and she occasionally babysits. With much apprehension, she agrees to spend time outside of work with one of her co-workers named Caleb (enter love interest). What I thought was great is that she didn’t throw herself at him; she didn’t even think she liked him for a while. And that’s ok, because that’s just how it works sometimes. The conflicts in the story flow seamlessly, without seeming phony, and the ending gives just enough closure, while still setting up for the next installment.
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Back to things that I loved.
3. The paranormal aspect was a brand new subject for me. There were no vampires, werewolves, zombies, or anything else like that. When I first picked this book up last year, I was starved for something outside of those categories, and this really hit the spot. Totally refreshing. You’ll just have to read it to find out what category of paranormal it actually is. Reed drops some Harry Potter references, which is totally cool. And she tastefully picks on Twi-hards, which was quite enjoyable.
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4. I love that there is so much built with the secondary characters in this story; Nadine (who is straight-up amazing) Mia, Dougie, even Samara’s parents, all felt like good friends when the book ended, and they’re all people I would want to know in real life.
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5. There are so many real-life issues in this book. Divided homes, estranged family, death, abuse, and so on. I appreciated the maturity with which the characters handled themselves, and I feel good about young adults reading this book.
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6. Reed’s writing is incredibly conversational. It was never awkward or forced. For that reason alone, I would recommend this book.
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Bottom line, this is a favorite for me. I’d definitely recommend it, and I hope you’ll give it a try!
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Author: Jaime Reed Title: Living Violet Series: The Cambion Chronicles (Book #1) Published: December 27th 2011 by Dafina Format: Paperback, 304 pages; Kindle; Nook Website: www.jaimereedbooks.com Source: Purchased My rating: 
Happy Reading!
LOVE anything with a unique paranormal power – and how cool is it that it’s multicultural and that divorced parents still parent together. It’s not something you see often and it’s really cool:)
Good thing all the characters are well-developed, it makes everything very real, like real people.
Great review:)
Please give us a non-spoilery hint about the type of paranormal power they have:)
I hope you’ll check it out! As for a hint… let’s just say it’s not so much a power as it is a condition… I wish there was a way to describe it without just giving it away.
I’m totally curious now – from what I can gather it’s got something to do with attraction? And the after-effects? Sounds so unique though:)
Thank you:)
This sounds really great, and obviously it is for such a positive review. I can’t recall ever having heard of it before, so I am glad that you chose to go for a second round so that could hear about yet another fantastic read. And on top of just being a fantastic read, it is a UNIQUE read. Hallelujah! Thanks Dani!
You captured me with the first two points and I love that there’s Harry Potter referencing. You know what? I love every point you mentioned so I’ll just be getting this book now. 😀
@Jaime – Enjoy!
@Isa – Since you love the breakdown, I know you’ll love the actual story even more!