Black smoke coming out of my boiled brain cells: can you smell it? No, only people I meet who stare at me while I secretly read the last chapter of the book can feel it! (I always mix pleasure with business and reading is one of the greatest pleasures for me) I'm kinda dizzy, blindsided, confused after this book marathon (I couldn't stop reading and I'm out of breath and gray matter right now). But it's so obvious that after reading the second volume of Oona Out of Order! She loves pushing buttons, exploring the invisible, taking us on sci-fi tours, and forcing us to use parts of our brains we've never used before! This book is not just a missing wizard mystery or not about magic! It's not just about parallel universes, out of body experience, liminal vortices! It's about brotherhood, love, resentment, rivalry, regret, family, personal growth, second chances! It is one of the best mashups of different genres. It starts with family drama, mystery and speculative sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction (true history of magicians) thrown into the equation. The writing style was fascinating. Instead of Sasha's POV, we follow Violet V's backstories and characterization via Cameron Frank's podcasts, letters written for Violet by Sasha and her husband Gabriel, articles, website that points out that Violet is a big scam , the emails between Cameron, the studio rep urging him to persuade Sasha to do an interview, and Cameron's other correspondences with a mystery guy giving vital, top secret information about Viola's disappearance and emails from Quinn (Violet's niece): She digs deeper to find out what her parents, Sasha and Gabriel, are hiding from her eccentric aunt! Let's take a look at this brilliant and unconventional story: Sasha inherited her mother's hair salon, stayed in the same town, lived in the same house, kept the same phone number, hoping to reconnect with her sister: the famous Violet Volk, who died ten years ago. years in the middle of the theater in a trace. There are theories that she fled from dangerous people or was involved in illegal activities. Some people still think she planned it all to be immortal. But her sister Sasha has been keeping secrets from her for years and refuses to talk about her sister, despite the fact that Cameron Frank — the famous podcaster who produced ten special episodes marking the anniversary of his sister's disappearance — persists in The interviewer.Sasha's daughter Quinn, about to leave home for college, becomes suspicious of her mother's actions. She is sure that her mother does not tell her everything about her family. As we read more, we learn so many new things about the quirky Violet Volk - it's an attention grabber. She knows how to impress people. She is a diva. People think she is pure magic. She is merciless, straightforward, provocative, fleeting! She is not ashamed of who she is. But that begs the bigger question: Who are the real purples? Has she reinvented herself? Is she an illusion? Is she a big liar, a cheater? Or is she a person trying too hard to find her place in the earth? I loved the opposite sisters' love-hate relationship!! I loved the engaging, mysterious and engaging storytelling! Although my head aches, the book absolutely deserves five sci-fi superstars with magical disappearances from me!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of Acts of Violet!
When one of the worl'd's most famous female magicians vanishes while doing a trick, theories abound about how and why she disappeared. Her sister, brother-in-law, and niece are left trying to make sense what happened, while being under constant scrutiny from Violet's fans.
This is a story about coming to terms with loss, especially when it may not have been on good terms, and how that can affect other relationships as well. It is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, but I really appreciated how the characters developed througout the story. There is an underlying mystery which was made more compelling by the audio production. Presented through podcast episodes and first hand accounts it is a really fun way to listen to the story. I don't know that I would have enjoyed it nearly as much on paper.

I have mixed feelings about this one! I love the different mediums and narrators to tell the story and the podcast felt like a real podcast (especially since I listened to the audio book). However, I kept waiting for some kind of redemption for the characters misactions and I never got it. I was also not a huge fan of the magical realism portion I was hoping the resolution was in reality. But it was a fun listen.

I hadn't read Montimore's previous work but this title and cover drew me in. Acts of Violet is possibly the best audiobook I've listened to.

I loved the podcast episodes throughout the story. Listening to it, it felt like a real podcast series (there was even theme music at the start of these segments). Voice actors can make or break a story, and this cast was phenomenal. I'm not sure that I would have loved the story as much had I read this as a physical book.

Violet Volk is an esteemed magician. She's paving her way through a male-dominated world. Then one day, during the final act of her show, she just disappears. Ten years later, family, friends, and fans are still wondering "what happened to Violet Volk?".

Acts of Violet is a story about difficult family relationships and of course, magic.
Highly recommend this one to people who enjoy mystery stories with elements of magical realism.

I received an ARC of this audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed Montimore's previous book, Oona Out of Order. And so when I saw a new book by Montimore was being published this summer, I excitedly added it to my to-read list on Goodreads. My boyfriend and I listened to this book together on a road trip around Hawaii's Big Island. We both were immediately taken into the story about Violet Volk, a famous magician who disappeared in the middle of her final performance during a magic trick, and the people she left behind.

Acts of Violet is a modern take on an epistolary novel. The story unfolds through podcast episodes, emails, magazine articles, and one character's real-time POV. It's interesting to see the epistolary novel brought into this new era where podcasts reign supreme. The mystery also had my boyfriend and I debating what happened up until the ending of the book. I also appreciated that Montimore used this novel to explore deeper themes like celebrity, sexism, parasocial relationships, sisterhood dynamics, trauma, and being a parent. There were moments when we'd pause the audiobook to have a conversation stemming from one of these themes that would take us on a 20 mins conversation. There were also cultural references that had us laughing out loud.

I usually don't mention a lot about the audiobook itself when writing reviews. However Acts of Violet, is an exception to that rule. This is the best audiobook I think I've ever listened to. There are various voice actors who all knocked it out of the park. And when the podcast episodes were playing, it felt like you were listening to an actual podcast (it even included an intro theme song to the podcast segments). Acts of Violet felt like I was listening to the future of audiobooks. I hope it wins some industry awards when the audiobook awards for 2022 rolls around.

Acts of Violet gets a huge 5 out of 5 stars from me and also enters into one of my favorite books I've read so far this year. It was the perfect book to listen to on a 5 day road trip with somebody else.

While I really LOVED Oona, I was less charmed by Acts of Violet. However, I still adored it. The audiobook was exceptionally stunning, as I loved the multimedia format. I do plan to buy this one for my shelves when it comes out in paperback (because it leaves more space for more books! Ha!).

This may be the best audiobook production I've ever listened to, with a full cast narrating back and forth in a conversation, and additional elements to bring the podcast elements to life. There was even rain in the background when a character was out in a park. Superb.

The audiobook is so good in fact, it nearly masks the shortcomings of the story and the oddly abrupt ending. I couldn't imagine reading this in a print form and enjoying it.

Acts of Violet || Thank you, Booksparks and Libro. Fm, for the perfect reading experience! #booktimeoff

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Mystery, Magical Realism
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 7.5.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆


For me, Margarita Montimore is an auto-buy author — after reading Oona Out of Order in 2020, I can't get enough of Montimore's writing style. I love a story that makes me think outside of the box. I want to read a book that challenges me to see the world through different eyes; that is just what this book did for me.

Acts of Violet may end up being my favorite audiobook of 2022 (thank you, Libro.Fm for the ALC). I started listening to this book as my physical copy hadn't arrived yet, and I am SO glad I chose to listen over reading. I can see where people who read the book didn't love the formatting (think Daisy Jones and the Six). But, me? I devoured this book and loved every.single.moment. The narration was perfect. I am a sucker for a full-cast narration, and I think the format of Acts of Violet was perfect for that type of audio. I felt like I was listening to a true crime podcast and not a work of fiction.

Acts of Violet is part mystery, magical realism, part family drama; absolutely everything I needed to read this month. I genuinely did not want the story to end.

Honestly, I think this would be a phenomenal movie. All the concepts brought up throughout Acts of Violet were fascinating; stories of Houdini, leylines, energy hotspots, and the luminal vortex. I was constantly reaching for my phone to look up the accuracy of what I was hearing.

‼️ Listen to the audiobook
🪄 World of magic
🔎 Part mystery & family drama
🫣 Creepy/Unreliable narrator
📦 Out-of-the-box thinking
😭 That ending

In case you didn't know, I loved Acts of Violet, and I hope you do as well. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook to get the full effect of the story — use my code 'BookendListens' with Libro.FM!

If you had to pick right this minute, what would you say your favorite book of 2022 would be?🪄


______
#actsofviolet #fivestar review #bookstoread #mustread #magicalrealism #booksofsummer #mystery #margaritamontimore #flatironbooks #booktimeoff #Booksparks #src2022 #Librofm #alclistening #audiobookadvocate

One of my absolute favorite books last year was Oona out of order. Loved it. Needless to say I was beyond excited to see what Acts of Violet would bring! First things first, the audio is excellent! The podcast format took it next level along with multiple narrators. Now, for the story, this was A LOT of a sister complaining about her sister and A LITTLE bit about magic. So maybe I misunderstood the blurb for this book, but the sister drama wasn’t for me. I wanted more Violet and more magic.

The premise was exciting yet the execution fell short. There were too many elements introduced without give each time to be explored fully. The pacing was also uneven, making it confusing to keep track of all the plot elements and understand why this wanted to be.

Acts of Violet on audio reminds me of the style of Daisy Jones, but make it magic and a mystery. Narrated with a full cast and podcasts mixed in with present timelines and documents from the past, it was one that kept me listening and guessing.

I definitely recommend this one on audio as I feel it really brings the story to life. I think it would also be good as an ebook or physical read I just really loved the audio version so am partial to that method of taking in the story.

I liked the family drama aspect of the book and the slow revelation of the fully story over the course of the book. The conclusion was not my favorite and perhaps kept this one from a higher rating in my eyes but I predict it will be hit or miss for the readers of this one.

I recommend this to fans of mystery, family drama and magic!

Hello Goodreads, it’s me, ya girl ✨
And I’m back with another review at a questionable hour because, apparently, I like chaos.

I finished this book a while ago but I needed to put my sh*t together. Did I like it? Yes, but maybe not enough. Or not like I thought I did at first.

Acts of Violet is intriguing until everything starts to come out. Most of the issues between the sisters came from childhood and we are talking about them being full on señoras. (Hint: They needed therapy.) Here’s an example so you get what I’m saying: Sasha was the pretty sister and got the boy of her dreams whom she’s known since she was a bébé, Violet is not like other girls and a tomboy, and she gets mad because she called dibs on Sasha’s future husband when they were like 8 y.o and yeah, most of the problems between them are insignificant and childish.

Low key all characters are hard to like. Violet was egocentric, Sasha likes to play the martyr, Quinn needs la chancla, and so on.

I’m not saying don’t read it (Or maybe don’t, but listen to it instead haha, its format is more suitable for an audio book as it contains emails and a podcast.) It’s definitely not the worst book I’ve read, and it will keep you entertained for around 70% of it. Think of it as The Illusionist x The Witch of Portobello with a little less excitement.


A solid 3.5 stars.

Ps: Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan audio for this ARC!

It’s been almost ten years since Violet Volk disappeared. And still people are talking about her. With this anniversary approaching, there is an upcoming documentary, a book re-release, and of course a podcast. But with all that comes anxiety for Sasha, her husband Gabe, and their daughter Quinn.

Violet was a magician, a master who could use misdirection with such finesse that you would think she actually had some supernatural powers. She spent years sharpening her skills, working at a burlesque club until she was noticed by a late night talk show host who invited her onto his show and gave her a national audience for a breath-taking routine that no one watching could forget. That lead to more television appearances, to television specials of her own, to her own show in Las Vegas.

After some problems with the Vegas show (a string of mysterious accidents, including a death, that people have different theories about), Volk took some time away. And when she came back, she had reinvented herself as a self-help guru, complete with a bestselling book, You Are Magic, and a long tour. She followed this with another bestselling book and another tour, and then she finally agreed to one last magic show.

The show was done in the town where Violet and Sasha grew up, where Sasha lives still, working in the hair salon their mother had owned. The act had an illusion where Violet would be on stage, would disappear, and then reappear in the balcony. There was smoke and noise and misdirection. But when the spotlight turned on the place in the balcony where Violet was supposed to appear, there was no one there.

At first, those working backstage thought something had gone wrong with the trick and looked for where Violet could be, checking the stage, checking the balcony. They found nothing. Eventually they called the police, who did a thorough search of the theater. They found nothing. Violet Volk had disappeared. It was her greatest trick.

Ten years has gone by, and Sasha has had to endure those years not as someone in wonder of the greatest living magician and her most impressive illusion. She is a woman whose sister has gone missing. She has had to deal with her grief as well as the internet trolls who came after her, especially once the Violet Volk Is a Fraud website went up. Sasha got pulled into all the drama, even though she had nothing to do with Violet’s magic act or her disappearance.

Now there is a podcaster, Cameron Frank, who is working on a podcast called Strange Exits about the disappearance of Violet. He wants to interview Sasha about her sister, but she refuses to talk. He does find one of her teachers, her magician mentor from when she was a child, Violet’s ex-husband, a woman with experience in the paranormal (Missing 411 and MK Ultra both get mentions in that interview), and a mysterious person with a voice-changer who only uses a pseudonym and claims Violet was working for the government.

Everyone in this story has a different piece of Violet’s story, and as Sasha listens to the podcast episodes and hears stories from her daughter, she starts to see her sister differently. She understands some of the pressures that were on Violet that she hadn’t known about. That doesn’t mean she can forgive Violet for all the things she’d done through the years, but Sasha feels like maybe she could find some healing. Or at least, put an end to the sleepwalking. If only she could talk to Violet one more time.

Acts of Violet is the compelling story of a magician pulling off her greatest trick. But more than that, it’s a story of sisters who spent their lives struggling to find a place where they could find each other. Author Margarita Montimore has crafted this story of resentments and forgiveness, of understanding and grief, of love and family, by putting together podcast episodes, letters, emails, and memories, leading readers to put together the puzzle of Violet and her sister.

I listened to this one on audio, which had a large cast to offer all the different character voices. It’s a phenomenal cast, and I think that listening to Acts of Violet is an ideal way to experience this story, as you get to hear the podcasts instead of reading the transcripts. Getting to hear the voices of Sasha, Gabe, and Quinn add a lot to this story, and I loved hearing how they interacted with each other. It really brought this story to life.

I thought Acts of Violet was an amazing story. I did not see that ending coming at all, and I thought it added a lot to the emotional resolution of the story. It was there but it was hidden, making the entire story an act of magic, and I was so satisfied by that final scene, so happy about it, that just want to tell people to read this book. I felt the same way when I read Montimore’s Oona Out of Order. There is something special about her writing, something restorative and hopeful, that makes me feel better about the world when I finish one of her books. That is my favorite kind of magic.

A copy of the audio book for Acts of Violet was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of this!

After loving Oona Out of Order I was really excited for this one without needing to know much about it. It lends itself strongly to audiobook format, the podcast feels real, almost. Sasha’s POV was really interesting and I loved the fantastical vibes to the magic. I definitely recommend listening to this one!

have a favorite movie featuring magic? Do tell!
•
•
Acts of Violet is the latest novel from the author of Oona Out of Order. Once again, I finished and thought how much I love her writing!

Ten years after she goes missing, the world, especially her sister, is wondering what happened to Violet. As a famous magician, Violet seemed to have it all, and her sister Sasha is left reflecting on their tumultuous relationship and what was really happening in Violet’s life. As the tenth anniversary of her disappearance approaches, a podcast devoted to all things Violet is picking up steam and the host is desperate to get an interview with Sasha and her daughter and hopefully, the inside scoop.

Thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley, I listened to the audiobook and the full cast narration of this novel. A full cast audio is always a win for me and made this novel even better. It was clever, filled with family drama, and came to a satisfying, redemptive conclusion.
•
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read/listened to the audiobook version, and thoroughly enjoyed the multiple narrators and the documentary style format of the book. This is a book that was meant for narration with all the interviews, emails, messages, I do not think I would have enjoyed it as much reading the written format.

Violet Volk, a famous female magician, disappeared ten years ago after a pretty brutal expose was released.

Presently, the story follows her sister, Sasha, still reeling with the loss and secondary celebrity status as the world mourns and questions what happened to Violet.

Additionally, a podcaster is interviewing and speculating the whereabouts of Violet today.

Lots of mystery and intrigue and secondary plot of dealing with family celebrity, Acts of Violet was a great read. Again, the narration made the book for me.

I love books about magicians, and a bonus if they are women. This was an exciting read and I just loved the overall story.

I absolutely loved Oona Out of Order, so when I saw that Margarita Montimore had a new book coming out, I was so excited to get my hands on it! Montimore has a fantastic way of creating a magical realism element to her stories that makes you believe in magic.

In Acts of Violet, we are brought into the story of a missing person, Violet Volk. Violet was a famous illusionist with a volatile life that was lived in the spotlight. When she announces one last show after a hiatus, people flock to see her show. When her final act approaches, things appear to have gone wrong and Violet vanishes…for real.

The story is not told through Violet’s perspective at all. This story is really how Violet affected those she lived and worked with. We have the perspectives of Sasha, Violet’s older sister, and Cameron, a podcaster investigating Violet’s disappearance for the upcoming 10-year anniversary.

This story had me pulled into different directions of feelings. I loved many aspects of it, but I felt frustrated with others.
💕 I really enjoyed the characters. They were created with details that truly gave them life, and I felt invested in them.
💕 There is such an air of mystery from start to finish, and I was here for it! I needed to know what happened to Violet!
💕 I listened to the audio of this one, and it was absolutely fantastic! With a full cast of characters, and remarkable talent, this was truly a fantastic production!

🤷 The story felt unfinished. I got to the end and I felt left behind. I needed more answers, and I didn’t get them.
🤷 I kind of liked that this story was all about the impact that Violet’s actions have on others, but I would have loved at least one chapter from her perspective to help round-out the story.

So, overall, I thought this was a good story, and I enjoyed where it went. I just found myself needing more by the end. I would recommend this one for readers that enjoy magical realism, mysteries, and stories of family.

Do you enjoy reading books with unique formats? I absolutely LOVE it when a story is told through emails, text messages, newspaper clippings, random documents, podcast transcripts, and whatever else the author comes up with. I’ll admit, I’m usually not a fan of this untraditional format when it comes to audiobooks. I generally get confused, and find it very hard to follow. When I started listening to Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore and quickly realized that this was the format the author was going with, I got a little nervous. I immediately wished that I had a physical copy to read instead. But I shushed myself, and insisted I be patient. Let me tell you, I am very glad that I pushed through because this one ended up working SO well for me. With a full cast of narrators, sound effects, and music, it was like a movie in my mind! Such a great listening experience, indeed. Top it off with the disappearance of a famous magician, some family drama, cool magic tricks, oodles of mystery, and you got yourself an entertaining read. I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely go the audiobook route with this one if you get the chance. Trust me! 4/5 stars for Acts of Violet!

I read Oona Out Of Order a year ago with a bookclub and loved the freshness of the concept and storytelling so I was quite intrigued about reading Margarita Montimore’s new book - out on Tuesday July 5th - Acts Of Violet.
It is a fascinating story told in a variety of formats. The backbone is famous magician Violet’s disappearance in a show a couple of years ago and the fallout for her twin sister - and we get lots and lots of material, there is a podcast dedicated to finding out what happened to Violet. There are letters between Violet, her sister, and brother in law. There are email threads between various characters. Lastly, we have Sasha - Violet’s sister’s - portion which is her thinking in first person narration. These switching view points that keep going around really worked in this book and allowed for tons of background stories, they came together well.
The book is a mash up of different genres. The mystery of where Violet went is foundational to the story, but it feels more like a family drama with the sister’s relationship with it’s ups and downs, different choices and jealousies at the center of the story.