This summer I planned to kick back, relax, and catch up on some must needed reading that I neglected during the fall, but of course things never go how I plan them to. I ended up going to summer school, getting two jobs, and trying to balance it out with actually enjoying my "time off" and blogging. You can probably guess that I didn't get much reading done, but I was able to find one book this summer that made me neglect my homework on one too many nights. Though I wouldn't recommend procrastination to anyone,  Living Violet by Jaime Reed was well worth the hours. 


I know some of you may be rolling your eyes at the cover, thinking "not another one of those books" but stay with me. Living Violet is not what the cover makes it seem. Yes, it's a supernatural book, but this is not a Twilight knockoff and there are no signs, mention, or hints of vampires in the book whatsoever. I can hear the sighs of relief. The lead character is Samara Marshall, a sixteen year old girl who has a sometimes, hilarious, satirical view on life. She works at Lotta Books Cafe where she's working hard to save up for a brand new car, but finds her summer turned upside down by her strange and mysterious manager Caleb Baker. He seems to attract women from everywhere, despite looking extra ordinary, besides his purple eyes. Her curiosity only grows stronger when Samara realizes that every girl he encounters ends up in the hospital, and now Caleb has his eyes set on her.

I fell in love with Samara in this book. Her opinionated views, witty responses, and sarcasm made me her number one fan throughout the novel. I related a lot to her views on relationships, and precaution towards Caleb. It reminded me of how careful I was with guys when I was single (and even with the bf). Samara's struggle to fully trust her feelings reminded me of how we can all be unsure about our attachment for someone else-especially when your mind and heart aren't completely agreeing. Samara's emotions and actions were quite believable, and seemed like choices I would have made myself if I were in her position.

One of the biggest conflicts in this story was Samara's unwillingness to admit her feelings to Caleb. Because of her strong personality, Samara refuses to admit that she's fallen under Caleb's spell. Even when she does start to realize that she may actually love him, she discovers Caleb's family history and is unsure if being with Caleb is worth the danger. Caleb is also fighting with his own demons and struggling to accept who he really is.
Overall, I give this book a 5/5. And if you're still not convinced, I actually read this book twice. I never -and I mean never- reread novels. I'm waiting  before I grab the second book in The Cambion Chronicles series "Burning Emerald" . Can't wait to see what happens to Samara!