I absolutely loved the GMA book club pick Oona Out of Order and it was on our list of the best of the year. I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint.
When the famous magician Violet Volk disappears without a trace, nobody can figure out where she went. Now, a decade later, her sister is wondering if Violet will finally reappear and if she can get some answers. Her fans still love and adore her but Sasha wants answers. Their relationship has left so many questions. As Sasha searches for answers, she will have to come to terms with the past.
I loved this book. It is so original and unlike anything that I have read. It is magical realism at its best which is not surprising coming from this author.

What a great premise - and it totally had the potential for a phenomenal payoff. Yet, it sorta fell flat. I loved the narrators but even they couldn't "save" this tale. I enjoy a little mystacism every now and then, but this one was pretty much overboard and asks the reader (Listener) to totally abandon reality. I really enjoyed the the podcasts and the chapters surrounding them - it leant a touch of reality that Acts of Violet seriously needed. I wish I could say that I enjoyed the book, but It's not one that I would recommend to friends UNLESS I already knew that they were into the mystical and could suspend reality ;) Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review

A famous female musician vanished without returning leaving a mystery more confounding than her tricks. As the anniversary of her disappearance approaches media attention and a popular podcast is drawn to figuring out the mystery of Violet. Sasha, Violet’s sister, has only wanted to stay out of the limelight and live her own life. But as she starts to see visions of Violet could she be more involved in her sister’s disappearance than she thought? This audiobook was excellent! The multi voices helped the story move along. The plot for me was interesting. The characters were somewhat likeable. Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I don't know ow how I feel about this story exactly.. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, however I love how this hook was recorded. I loved the dramatization of the story as well and the cha ges in audio to show podcasts, recordings, and actual conversations.

The audio is what sold me on this book

From my blog: Always With a Book

I absolutely loved Margarita Montimore’s last book, Oona Out of Order, so of course when I saw this new one I had to read it…and I’m so glad I did – it was so fun! I loved that it was another original, inventive story that kept me engaged from start to finish and another one that was again fantastic on audio!

This book is hard to pinpoint as far as genres because it really is a mash-up of a few. It’s got a great mystery in terms of what really happened to Violet to make her disappear, but then there is also the family drama aspect in terms of the sister relationship, which I happened to love. And of course, there is the true crime aspect with the podcast snippets – though this is a very light part of it. And let’s not forget the magic aspect…though I do wish this was a bigger part of the story.

I really found this to be a fun, engaging read. The characters are fully flushed out and I loved the way the author used different formats to tell the story – emails, the podcast, different points of view and articles. It’s definitely an entertaining read, yet it touches on some real-world issues that give you pause – feminism, grief, life in the limelight and sibling rivalry to name a few. I definitely recommend giving this a go if you haven’t already.


Audio thoughts: The audio of this was a pure delight and I highly recommend going this route if you like listening to books. It’s narrated by a full cast and really makes the book come to light. It is a fully immersive listening experience and I found myself completely captivated from start to finish. Definitely recommend this book on audio!

I absolutely loved Montimore's book OONA OUT OF ORDER so I was so excited to check out her latest release.

This is one of THE BEST audiobooks I have ever listened to (and I listen to a lot 😅). This audiobook has full casting, set up exactly like a true crime podcast, and is addictinggg.

While I was totally sucked into this narrative and beyond impressed with the production, I wanted a bit more from the ending.

Seriously though, if you're a fan of true crime podcasts and are ready to get sucked into a new bookish world, read this book!

Thank you @macmillanaudio for this #gifted ALC

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4

The story of Violet started out great. A magician who disappeared mid-act 10 years prior never to be seen or heard from again. Using the format of a podcaster, Frank, trying to discover the truth, really works. The story focuses more on the effects Violet's disappearance continues to have on her sister Sasha and her family.

The story moves too slowly for my taste. It gradually reveals a few details about Violet and her life and relationships, but none of them shed light on her disappearance. It is also peppered with characters who don't add much to the story at all. They just come and go. I was ok with that to a point, but the story bogs down and goes in circles for quite a while. When we finally get to the conclusion, it is a disappointment and unsatisfying in the end.

I listened to the audiobook version, and I highly recommend that format for this book. The production is excellent. There are multiple narrators and great sound effects for the phone calls, podcast, etc., and it makes the story a bit more immersive.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan audio for an advanced listener's copy in exchange for my review.

#actsofviolet
#margaritamontimore
#netgalley
#macmillanaudio

I finished this book 7/29/22

I enjoyed listening to this book, the narrating cast were right on.

Magician Violet Volt disappears in the middle of her show. No one knows what happened, not even her family. 10 years after her disappearance Cameron Frank wants to air interviews with friends, family and fans of Violet on his podcast.

Sasha, Violets sister, just wants to get on with her life,

I was kept in suspense throughout this story. If you like magic, mystery and suspense you should take a chance and listen/read thisbook.

I loved Oona out of Order so I was so excited to read this one! Verdict? Unique. Intriguing. Magical. I really enjoyed this one. Highly recommend it. The audio was fantastic. I can't wait to read what Montimore writes next!

I tried about 20% of this one but it just wasn't working for me- after talking with some trusted sources, I don't think this book is for me.

Acts of Violet

This was a fun mystery story, and the audio version was amazing! I loved following along on the adventure as everyone tried to unravel the details behind magician Violet's disappearance in her final performance ten years prior. All the different perspectives, narrators, and the podcast guests really brought the mystery to life.

Check this one out if you enjoy mystery with a side of magic! Especially if you believe in the supernatural.

Acts of Violet is written by the author of Oona Out of Order, which I read a couple years ago and enjoyed. Like Oona, Acts of Violet has a unique premise with magic being at the forefront of this one.

It was fantastic on audio with a full cast. It was really entertaining. However, the story sort of lost me towards the end with the direction it took.

Acts of Violet: A Novel by Margarita Montimore is a fantastic story. It is complex, engaging, entertaining, and just different. There was no one character that I ended up hating or loving; no one was a saint, and no one was a villain. Instead, all of the characters were very human, with all of their idiosyncracies, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I especially appreciated the complicated sibling relationship between Sasha and Violet. Sisters aren't universally best friends, nor are they always at each other's throats. The author did a remarkable job demonstrating the dynamic between the two sisters. She showed that they loved one another, didn't always get along, but still remained each other's biggest supporters. I really liked how she portrayed Sasha in particular and her conflicting feelings of being mad at her sister, being worried about her, and her overall fear.

The audio narration on this one was top-notch. There was a cast of different characters and I greatly appreciated that they weren't all voiced by the same person. It really brought a different dynamic to the story.

That ending, good lord that ending. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it worked. It managed to leave me both unsatisfied and satisfied at the same time. My questions were answered, just not in the way that I thought they would be.

It honestly took me a while to get through this one. Not because it was a bad book, on the contrary, it was so good. No, it took me a while to get through this audiobook because I caught COVID and had COVID brain. So while I could have listened to it, and I tried, I wasn't actually retaining any of the information I was hearing. So I walked away because I knew if I kept listening while I was sick, I would be missing quite a lot from this one. BEST.DECISION.EVER.

4.5 stars! Another July review coming in hot. I realize it’s mid-August and I finished this book a month ago. I feel it’s still worth it to tell you to read this one— better yet, grab the audiobook. It’s so well done with a full cast of characters. You won’t be disappointed in the audio. I did a little mix of reading the physical copy but did the majority on audio because I didn’t want to stop listening.

Violet vanishes during her magic show in front of everyone. Several years later, she’s still missing leaving her sister, Sasha, to be hounded by press and haunted by Violet sightings. Acts of Violet alternates between podcasts and interviews telling the story of Violet and speculating what could’ve happened during her last act and Sasha’s current life without her sister.

While Sasha got on my nerves, I still felt for her trying to grapple with her sister’s disappearance and all of the media attention put on her family. The ending left me continuing to ponder things and would’ve loved a little more discussion about the ending and would’ve liked more Violet. I can’t say too much without spoiling it so I’ll stop there. If you’ve read this one, let me know how you felt about the ending.

Overall, great book and recommend it! I still love OONA OUT OF ORDER a little more but this one was entertaining. Available now so grab a copy (again, grab the audio if you like to listen!)!

Great audiobook! Macmillan audio really got into this whole podcast situation and nailed it. I could picture the whole narration in my head like a movie.
Loved the story line of this book; very original in my opinion.

I enjoyed Oona Out of Order, so when Netgalley and McMillan Audio were offering an early review copy of this audiobook, I was excited to read it -- and am delighted to say I thought it was even better than Montimore's previous bestseller.

Told in alternating voices from the point of view of a podcaster and a grieving sister, the story slowly reveals the life and loss of a vibrant spirit, Violet, who was a world-famous magician who disappeared for real.during her last on-stage performance.

The audio production is incredible, with 10 different voice actors and lots of sound effects, so I highly recommend you get this novel in audio form.

But it's the story of sibling dynamics that hooked me and kept me holding on. I loved the ethereal twist at the end, too. Highly recommend for a fun and fascinating listen.

This audiobook was incredible. I am not normally an avid audiobook user but titles like this reel me in. The full cast of characters, and the pacing of this story made it impossible to stop listening. Montimore created complex characters that were so loveable, flawed and relatable. A little bit Velvet Goldmine, a little bit of a master class in magic and magical thinking this book is going to be a perfect summer into early autumn read. The book took me in places I had expected and hoped for, and then places I never could have seen coming. What a great listen this was I adore MM!

This was a wonderful story. A magician, Violet, goes missing, leaving her sister to unravel the secrets of her life to discover why.

The audiobook was well-paced and the story beautifully written. I loved it.

The audiobook for this IS PHENOMENAL. I want all of my audiobooks to have a full cast now. It was so well produced, so easy to follow and a wonderful story. I loved the intrigue and the overall message of the book. It ended pretty abruptly, but I think that lent itself well to the message.

Acts of Violet
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Mystery Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 7/5/22
Author: Margarita Montimore
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrators: Brittany Pressley and Amy McFadden
Goodreads Rating: 3.62

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Nearly a decade ago, iconic magician Violet Volk performed her greatest trick yet: vanishing mid-act and never returning. Her sister Sasha is the responsible one. Then Cameron covering Violet’s story on his podcast.Sasha begins to experience an unsettling series of sleepwalking episodes and coincidences, which all seem to lead back to Violet. Pushed to her emotional limits, Sasha must finally confront the most painful truths about her sister, and herself, even at the risk of losing everything.

My Thoughts: This book is nothing like I have ever read, it has fame to stardom, how that fame could affect the family and strain relationships, deception, betrayal, and even forgiveness; this story will truly have you believing in magic! I had gotten the physical book and started with that, but it was confusing, so I did the audio, which was fantastic. The different narrators really breathed life into the characters and just made you “believe.” The story is narrated by Sasha, Cameron, and podcast interviews, offering an unique perspective on this amazing story. The characters are well developed with depth, mystery, emotional, and the most creatively written characters I have seen. I was immediately drawn to Sasha, Gabriel, and Quinn, the perfect little family and had disdain that turned into admiration for Violet. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, unique, and brilliant! While this is a first time read by this author for me, I will be adding her other book to my TBR. This book came out last month and I HIGHLY recommend picking up today, I would chose the audio over the physical, it just flows so much better.