Lovestruck by "Lovestruck Summer"

Hi Readers,

Over the course of the past year, Melissa Walker has emerged as one of my favorite YA authors. It’s rare to find an author that you KNOW you can count on to write a really great book that you’ll enjoy no matter what, but Melissa is definitely one of those authors.

The latest proof? Melissa’s “Lovestruck Summer.” I’m not a huge music fan – I like music, I listen to the radio in my car, but I rarely use my iPod and my music taste is definitely mainstream. It’s rare, therefore, that I connect to a book about a music lover. Because of this, I was a bit wary of “Lovestruck Summer,” a novel about Quinn, a music enthusiast who scores a summer internship with her favorite indie label in Austin. But I liked it. A lot. Because even though she may be a rabid music fan, a little judgmental, and a lot clueless, I liked Quinn.

“Lovestruck Summer” isn’t just a frilly story about a summer of live music, partying with sorority girls, and a dreamy DJ. It’s a story about a girl who learns important lessons about first impressions, healthy relationships, and true friendships.

My only complaint about “Lovestruck Summer” is that now that I’ve read it, I’ve read all of Melissa’s published novels. I’m in serious Walker withdrawal, and anxiously awaiting May when her newest novel “Unbreak My Heart” is released.  

Wavering Faith

It is so rare to find a book about religion that avoids preaching, but Melissa Walker’s newest novel "Small Town Sinners" is far from preachy.  “Small Town Sinners” introduces the reader to Lacey Anne Byers, a teenage girl raised by parents firmly rooted in their deep Christian faith in a town where the large fundamentalist church is the cornerstone of society.  Good girl Lacey is the opposite of a rebellious teen – she doesn’t object to her early curfew, she actually enjoys hanging out with her parents, and one of her greatest desires is to play the role of “Abortion Girl” in her church’s annual Hell House.  However, a series of events – a long-lost childhood friend, Ty, moves back to town after being away for several years and Lacey’s best friend’s sister, a girl Lacey always idolized, becomes pregnant – causes Lacey to begin to question her steadfast faith. 

Walker has crafted "Small Town Sinners" in a way that avoids leaning towards either a religious or anti-religious perspective.  “Small Town Sinners” is an intriguing and well-done exploration of faith and what happens when life causes you to question everything you’ve ever believed.  Walker’s latest is a must read, regardless of your belief system. 

(And as a bonus: how awesome is that cover? Love it!)

“Small Town Sinners” will be released on July 19.

Vivacious Violet

Hello Readers! 

I am on a roll with my TBF 2011 reading! I’m bound and determined NOT to have a repeat of last year (where I was trying to finish 6 books less than a week before the festival!), so I’m getting started early. 

I got a great deal on several TBF books on Barnes&Noble.com this past weekend. I got books by Heather Brewer and Melissa Kantor for $1.99 each! I love a good bargain (and a good book). I can’t wait for them to arrive. There are few things more exciting in life than a package from Barnes&Noble. 

Anyway, today I am not here to boast about my mad shopping skills (nerdy again, right?), but to review “Violet on the Runway” by Melissa Walker. 

Violet Greenfield is tall, skinny, and completely lacking in confidence. She attends public high school in her North Carolina town, hangs out with her best friends, Julie and Roger, and works part-time at the local movie theatre. But all that changes when Angela Blythe, an agent for Tryst Models in NYC, recruits her for a life in the limelight. Violet, who has always felt that she never found the one thing that she was “great” at, jumps at the opportunity. She sets off for New York City, is thrust into the spotlight, and learns that getting what you want is not always easy. 

Violet is a believable and likeable character. In the sneak peek excerpt of “Violet By Design” (the next book in the “Violet” series), Violet says, “I realize the whole hotel opens in the middle around a giant, curving staircase like in “Gone With the Wind” – which, okay, is my secret favorite movie. My public favorite movie is “The Royal Tenenbaums,” which, while a great film with infinitely more cool cred, is no “Gone With the Wind.” It’s lines like this that convince the reader that Violet would make an awesome best friend. 

Fans of “Ugly Betty,” “Project Runway” and “Models of the Runway,” and “America’s Next Top Model” can’t go wrong with “Violet on the Runway.” 

(And a fun fact, Melissa Walker has worked in the fashion industry. Check out her bio online or in the back of one of the “Violet” books for more info!)