Violet & Claire

Rating:
Summary: Not as magical as the Weetzie Bat books...
Review: I am a big fan of Francesca Lia Block, so I was thrilled to get an advance of this book. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my (admittedly very high) expectations. The story drags at points, the characters aren't as intriguing as her previous characters have been, and the pop culture references at times drag the story down. Nice use of Tori Amos lyrics though. I wish I liked this one more. (I'm also older than the intended audience, which may have something to do with it. Someone younger may like it more than I did.)

Rating:
Summary: Realistic
Review: I really enjoyed this book. This novel seems extremely realistic to me. I can relate to both characters. Violet, who is a very dark wannabe film maker, makes friends with the very opposite Claire, the good girl who lives in an imaginary world of fairies. The storys beginning takes place at a public high school. Violet who notices Claire at lunch sitting by herself under a tree with her fairy wings and Tinker Bell T-shirt. The two girls become friends and try to make a video of how they wish the world would be. By makig this video they hope that people will turn into the people in their video and unlike the way people are now in this cruel world. As the book continues it shows the two girls drift apart as Violet goes more into a party faze. This is a really good book and the ending just gets better. I strongly suggest reading this novel.

Rating:
Summary: "Violet and Claire" my review
Review: "Violet and Claire" is a book about two young girls, two completely opposite girls, who find each other in high school to make a perfect pair. They protect each other from the dangers of school, show business, men, drugs, and LA.

I liked "Violet and Claire" a lot because of how much I related to both of the main characters. This, as all other books by Francesca Lia Block are, isn't a book you just sit back and read for the fun of it. It is something people can relate to, especially teenage girls like me. This is a book to learn from, if one lets themselves. I learned a little about myself.

Violet is a dark, rich, somewhat jaded, depressed but tough up-and-coming screenplay writer, and Claire is a quiet, poetry-writing, insecure, home-wrecked, strange girl who believes she is a descendent of a lost race of faeries. In the book it was saying how if you put the two girls together, they make "the perfect image of a girl". This is somewhat true. Together they make an average (not perfect) girl struggling to survive in a world of love, hate, insecurity, murder, drugs, cruelty, jealousy, friendship, and violence. A world where everything goes so fast, that it's too hard to live without someone there to help.

I recommend this book to any and every girl from the ages of 14 to 20. Reading this book gave me a sense of security that even though all teenage girls don't get along with each other, there are characteristics and such that give us a little unity in our lives. It gave me the knowledge that even when I'm feeling alone or misunderstood, there's someone else out there who feels just the same right at that moment. No one is ever alone.

Rating:
Summary: great teenage life situations.
Review: I thought the book was good. It really portrayed some of the situations teens get into these days. As i was reading it i could visualize the scenes because of the great detail and it kept me interested in seeing what happens next. It was interesting in how Violet is a total opposite from Claire, seeing as how Violet is represents more of a rebelious type of personality and Claire is more the innocent type. They both seemed to have a great friendship at first, but as time went by they slowly drifted apart, which happens very often during teen years where things and people change. The book was rather short for a novel, which i'm not complaining about, and was enjoyable. I'd recommend the book to others so that even if your not a teen at the moment, it will still hit close to home because it is a book everyone can relate to at one time in their life.

Rating:
Summary: Violet & Claire, an adult's perspective
Review: I had to read this book for an adolsecent literature class assignment. Overall, I was disappointed with the quality of the book. The storyline was stale and the characters and setting cliche. Violet is the "poor, misunderstood little rich girl" and Claire...well, I haven't quite figured her out because of the lack of character development. Also, while sex and drugs are definitely choices out there for teenagers, the characters in the book partake of them quite freely and with no serious consequences. Violet is an adult character, very mature, and prone to making bad choices. Claire is some lost, waif-like soul. It's just a bizarre combination that doesn't work without a little more storyline and character development.

I read other reviews of this book, and they are complimentary. I can see where the book would be an interesting and easy read for adolescent girls. In that sense, if any book can get kids to read, then I'm all for it. I just wouldn't use it in my classroom or recommend it to my students. To be completely honest, I was surprised that adolescents like this book because they usually are more critical of books than I am. Kids seem to see inconsistencies more quickly and see through weak characters more clearly.

Overall, yes, it's an easy read and probably high interest. I just think there are better books out there for kids that fit the same criteria.

Rating:
Summary: Open your eyes
Review: I read this book back about 5 months ago and I must say it is the best book i've ever read. I am a very slow reader. I am not a reader at all for that matter but it took me 2 and a half hours to finish this book. I, not being into reading much have never finished a book in a day never mind 2 and half hours. This story was enchanting and captivating. I read a reveiw on the main page that said being in zines and listening to tori amos dosn't well portray teenagers. The girl in this book are 17 and i know 2 girls in particular who are the closest thing to violet and claire. This book dosn't illustrait teenagers as a whole but the small selection of them.

Get this book. It could change your life. I know it changed mine

Rating:
Summary: Not as good the second time around..
Review: I loved this book when I first read it but reading it again this year dissapointed me. First off, I get tired of Francesca always using these magical fae girls in every single one of her novels. It gets tiring quite fast. I mean, I adore a sort of alternative vibe running around in her novels but the adoration of Tori Amos (who I do love by the way) and being into zines and things of like is not really realistic. In a lot of ways; her novels aren't really showing teenagers as they are.

But, I do enjoy how she writes as whole and that her works are always clever to a degree. But when I read it once more; I thought that this book wasn't as magical as I percieved. I seriously wanted to bash Claire with her faerie wand and push Violet from her Hummer while it was moving. The main characters grated me that badly.

Read Echo or Girl Goddess #9, way better books.

Rating:
Summary: violet and claire
Review: I was torn on what to review this, because the book was entertaining...but it was most definitely lacking. I was able to pick up on the characters right away, and found things that I could relate to...however, aside from Violet and Flint, I found everything to be under developed. Violet and Claire were best friends...why?

There was no development in this story. You don't see anything happening, you're told it's happening. The great stories are the ones that are painted out for you, not the ones that are stated bluntly...however, in this case, I think that actually worked for the book...

I settled on 3 stars. Not everyone is going to like it, but if it's your style, you're going to fall madly in love with it.

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After reading more books by this author, I've found that this is simply her style. So I'm going to revise the end of my review, and change it to this: If you like her already, you'll love this book.

If, however, you're looking for something with a more description, development, or in depth, try a different author.