Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker

Title: Violet on the Runway
Author: Melissa Walker
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 228
My Rating: 3/5

Violet Greenfield is very insecure about her body. She is way too tall! She always put herself down and secretly wishes to become friends with popular Shelly and her brainless posses.

While at work in the theatre, she is scouted by a Gucci-wearing agent named Angela. Violet never thought of herself modelling. She sure has the height for it, so why not put it into good use for once?

After convincing her parents that she is responsible, she is whisked away to New York City to be turned into a fashion diva. In the world of flashing light bulbs and frenetic newspaper columnists, can Violet get a grip of herself before she slips away from reality?

Violet on the Runway is very predictable. Local girl's life changes when she becomes a model and she loses herself to all of the fame and the high-end life. Then something happens where she changes her mind and prefers to go back to her old self, needing to mend her broken relationships with the people she loves. Therefore, there is nothing new offered in this novel.

There were times when I was tired of Violet's self put-downs. I understood how she felt because I was the same when I towered over my classmates; but every time she mentioned about it, I wanted to tell her to shut up and stop complaining. I really hated the fact that she wanted to be in the "popular crowd". I didn't see a single decent thing about them and thought it was pretty dumb to try and make friends with Shelly and her lot. Just because popular kids controlled the school? Puh-leeze. However, Violet did grow up toward the end. (But more than anything, I was jealous of her. She was naturally tall and thin and out of nowhere, poof!, she gets to be a model. If only life was that easy sometimes...)

Characters that surrounded Violet appeared to be a little underdeveloped. I was disappointed that Violet's best friends, Roger and Julie, did not contribute as much as I hoped. They were there, but I didn't get a full grasp on them. I want to see how Roger's and Violet's relationship works out especially.

Since the story was predictable altogether, it didn't give me anything to look forward to. So I couldn't get into as much as I wanted. It does give the reader a glimpse of the modelling world, for those who are unfamiliar with it.

Violet on the Runway is a pleasant read for girls but the plot has been washed and re-used. Readers who like Model by Cheryl Diamond will like this one.