Violet Volk was one of the greatest magicians of our time, but ten years ago she completely vanished mid-act, leaving behind family, friends and tons of adoring fans. Although her sister, Sasha, has tried to live a quiet and normal life since that disappearance with her husband and daughter, Sasha’s never really been able to escape the memories and questions surrounding the completely surprising way that Violet left our world. With a milestone anniversary of Violet’s disappearance approaching, podcaster Cameron Frank is hoping to make a big name for himself with his show Strange Exits by doing all that he can to get to the bottom of what happened to Violet ten years earlier. Through alternating between first-person narrative accounts from Sasha and all sorts of mixed media from podcast interviews to newspaper articles to faxes, emails and texts, this is a story that’s propulsive, immersive and difficult to put down.

It’s a story that goes further than just being about magic - there’s some mystery, some family drama, themes of love and relationships, regrets and second chances, with even a little bit of historical fiction thrown in for good measure. It’s one that was absolutely MADE for audio! I absolutely loved the full cast and mixed media format - the podcast interviews and transitions between narratives were really well done and kept me hooked. I thought it was unique and fresh, and compulsively listenable.

While there was much to love about this book, there were also a couple things that didn’t work as well for me. The ending of stories is very important to me in shaping my reading experience, and this one really let me down and kept me wanting more - it was very abrupt and left me with more unanswered questions that I would’ve liked. Additionally, once I finished it and started reflecting on the characters, I felt like I really didn’t care for them all that much as a whole - particularly thinking about Sasha, although I did sympathize with her in the beginning, I ended up being a little disappointed in her selfishness in that she couldn’t see all of the amazing things she had in her life and instead was just focused on negativity towards her sister.

All in all, it was a super entertaining listen and a fun ride that would make for a really fun summer/vacation read, but just not one that is going to stick with me in the long term. I’d definitely recommend it on audio rather than print, as the enjoyable full cast and overall stellar production absolutely led me to give it an extra star.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I keep going back between 3 and 4 stars. I really enjoyed the premise and characters, and the audiobook was excellently produced. This would have been a 4.5 stars, but I felt like the ending fell a bit flat. Great for fans of Oona Out Of Order or The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin.

I’m so happy that this was good!

I read Oona Out of Order last year and it was one of my favorite reads of the year, so I was excited when Acts of Violet was announced. It’s easily my most anticipated new release of 2022!

I originally planned to read this in print, but when the audiobook became available to me (thank you Net Galley, Macmillan Audio, and Flatiron Books), I couldn’t wait to dive in. The production of this audiobook is next-level. With a whole cast of narrators, sound effects, and theme music, this is worthy of awards.

From the first few minutes, I was immersed in this story and the mystery of what happened to famous magician Violet Volk, so much so, I sometimes forgot that this wasn’t a true story.

Told in alternating perspectives, the book tells the story of how a famous magician disappears mid-act and 10 years pass by while her family and the public both try to figure out what happened and move on.

Not surprisingly, this is such a unique idea for a book, and Montimore executes it effortlessly.

There’s a touch of magical realism, sibling/family drama, mystery, and a true crime feeling.

If you liked Oona Out of Order, I would highly recommend this one too.

🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

First of all, the audiobook performance was amazing.

“Acts of Violet” is about the famous magician Violet Volk and her even more famous disappearance in the middle of one of her shows, never to be seen again. 10 years later, the public, her fans, and her family are still celebrating her magical achievements and trying to figure out what happened and where she is after her disappearance. As for her family, her sister Sasha has been trying to also live in peace while also dealing her her famous, or infamous, sister.

“Acts of Violet” combines a great story with our love of true crime and what happened to them podcasts. In searching for answers podcaster Cameron Frank starts a podcast series about strange disappearances, using the story of Violet Volk as his first season.

“Acts of Violet” is a great story, but the audiobook and its full cast was stellar. I mean, they performed a true podcast within the book. This is a great one to listen to, so get your audible credits ready for its release at the start of July.

A big thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for picking me to listen to and review this audiobook. It really was a pleasure.

#netgalley
#macmillanaudio
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#mybookishlife
#audiobook

3.75 stars

In the same way that I'm skeptical of magicians, I was a little concerned that I might not find a book about a magician to be super compelling. But this one comes with a little dash of *sisterhood is magic no matter what* and that makes for an engaging read: an even more engaging listen, if you are able to grab the audiobook, which features a cast of skilled narrators.

Sasha is the m.c., but this is ironic because she has never even felt like she holds this role in her own life. Sasha's sister, Violet, has stolen all of the family thunder by being a skilled magician, an intriguing person, and for the past ten years a mysteriously MISSING person. Most of Sasha's life has happened in the shadow of Violet's grandeur. This even trickles into her relationships with her immediate family: husband and daughter alike. On top of the more immediate personal challenges, Sasha also struggles with a strange public perception that her responses to Violet's life and current status are somehow wrong. When the novel opens, everyone is grappling with the impending ten-year anniversary of Violet's disappearance, and this added pressure creates more focus for Sasha, the rest of the family, and the culture at large.

There's an interesting balance here of complicated sisterly relationships and some questions about mysticism. For me, the connection between the sisters is really engaging and interesting to chart. I found myself struggling, at times, to make sense of what was happening with the mystical suggestions. They're not confusing in a literal sense, but I did experience them as distracting in some important cases.

This minor quibble aside, Montimore presents some memorable character studies here and delves into some deeper topics relating to the complexities and responsibilities of family. Specifically, there is some great content on how Sasha's experiences with her sister throughout her life help to shape her in modern times. Readers who enjoy this kind of focus as much as I do will find Montimore's latest an intriguing - and yep pretty magical - read.

Loved this audiobook.
This book would be perfect for generation X and millennials who love podcast. The sound production in the audiobook version is fantastic at making you feel like you are listening to the podcast mentioned in the book.
Acts of Violet is about a woman named Violet Volk, who is the best thing to happen to the magic world since Houdini. During her last show, ten years ago, Violet suddenly disappeared.
Violet’s sister Sasha has been expected to publicly mourn her sister‘s death. Sasha’s place of business has basically become a shrine to her sister, in order to keep customers coming back. Every year Sasha is expected to speak at vigils for her sister’s disappearance. This year is the 10th anniversary of violets to secure it in Sasha is cohorced into being on a podcast about her disappearance.
Does this podcast help Sasha find her sister? What happened to Violet? Will Violet ever come back?
Read Acts of Violet to find out.

I love audiobooks with full cast narrations and this book is very well done. I liked all of the narrators and the podcasts were set in very nicely and were like a show I would listen to on its own.

I enjoyed this book at the beginning (at least in part due to the narration), but found myself getting bogged down in the middle, and liked neither the magical/supernatural/scifi elements that came in nor the unsatisfying ending. The book was billed as more of a mystery, and it really wasn’t – it was more of a family drama. Maybe I was just expecting something different, but I just found this book to be overall OK.

I have not read this author’s previous book so I cannot compare this one to her debut, but I really enjoyed this audiobook. I found it completely satisfying except for a couple of nitpicky things. It was maybe a bit longer than it had to be, some of the podcast sections seemed too long. Also in an audiobook to have to hear the headings of emails being read it kind of tedious. Unlike some reviewers, I thought the ending was just right. I plan to go back and read Oona out of Order and then I can compare the two.
The full cast narration included some of my favorite voice actors. Thanks to Netgalley for this very enjoyable audiobook.

Violet Volk is a charismatic, cryptic, cunning magician who is always in the spotlight for one reason or another. No one can deny her showmanship and magical abilities, but who truly knows Violet? Certainly not her family.

When she disappears during a stage show, the world is set agog. Upon the eve of the 10 year anniversary of her disappearance, her mystery is still a hot topic; the public sensationalist reaction one that her sister and family could do without and were hoping put behind them. But the mystifying nature of Violet’s disappearance is haunting her sister Sasha, who is struggling with not only her traumatic and estranged relationship with her sister, but also her own bizarre occurrence of some form of sleepwalking.

This unusual magic realism story is rather unorthodox in its plot. It’s part family drama, part mystery with fantastical elements, with sci-fi flourishes mixed in. I listened to this story courtesy of NetGalley and MacMillan Audio and the assortment of voices really made for a realistic and impactful listening experience. The format of the book provides podcast episodes, newspaper articles and interviews, in addition to multiple points of view.

I did find the pace a bit slow at some points and wasn’t personally a fan of the amount of expletives and ample discussion of sexual orientation. I found some characters to be rather frustrating and didn’t fully understand Sasha’s stubborn reticence to any discussion with her adult daughter about Violet, especially when it was causing a rift between them.

The plot raises various questions and issues, but ultimately is leading up to a grand final reveal. Unfortunately, I found the conclusion to be rather abrupt, unbelievable and somewhat unsatisfying. The story was undoubtedly creative and unique, but also bizarre without much rhyme or reason. It was entertaining, but could have been so much more.

I absolutely loved Oona Out of Order and was very excited to have the opportunity to listen to and review this new release by Margarita Montimore!

This book starts with the disappearance of Violet and then builds with multiple POVs and different timelines. Theories swirl with whether Violet's disappearance was planned by Violet or more sinister. I thought the author did a good job of bringing the story together with the format being interviews about those who knew Violet and family accounts of her life, as well as the past timeline of Violet's rise to fame as a magician. Violet is an enigma who was raised with her estranged sister, Sasha, by Russian immigrant parents. Described as a curious and different child, the story portrays her as a this strong and abrasive personality as an adult. I enjoyed the magical realism worked into the book.

The narrators were amazing! I enjoyed the audio version of this book as it was done as if portions of the book were done as a podcast/interview. The narrators had good intonation, pace, and clear pronunciation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio version of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

I absolutely adored Oona out of Order and it’s no shock that Acts of Violet also knocked it out of the park for me.

Sasha’s sister, Violet, a famed and infamous magician, disappeared 10 years ago during the course of a stage show.

I loved the format, particularly because the podcast portions sounded like a show I would listen to. The book ping pongs between “current day” which is 2018, their childhood, the immediate years following her disappearance, and her rise to fame all culminating in an ending that I found very satisfying.

Read by an ensemble cast, the audiobook was well worth the listen. Though the subject matter is different, it gave a very Daisy Jones and the Six vibe because most characters get their own distinct sound, leading to a richer character development.

5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the book early. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Let’s talk about what I really liked first
I loved the multiple cast members for this audiobook. This is what kept me listening so fast.
Also, loved the sound effects.
The way the author wrote the book podcast style was brilliant.
I kept reading because I needed to see what happened to Violet.

What I didn’t like.
It was way too long. I felt like it was starting to drag.
And after 60% in it just got weird.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for advanced access to the audiobook of Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore in exchange for an honest review.

CW: biphobia, homophobia

Violet Volk is a pioneering female stage magician who actually went missing during one of her shows 10 years ago. The mystery surrounding her disappearance has enraptured the country as a podcast interviewing those related to the case (both directly and tangentially) is building in popularity. We follow Violet's sister and niece as they continue to process and puzzle over the hole that Violet left in their life.

Wow! I loved this! This book just hit me exactly at the right time. I found myself as dazzled by Violet's quirky character as her die hard fan base. I love Margarita Montimore's speculative writing and the fantastical elements that she incorporates into her stories that are deeply rooted in relationship. This book had mystery, queer representation, a sister relationship, and mixed media, which I absolutely love! Because this book heavily centers around the production of the podcast, it is especially well suited to the audiobook format. I would recommend this book to fans of Kevin Kwan, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and/or Robin Sloan.

One of my most anticipated for Summer 2022 Acts of Violet was such an interesting read!

Violet Volk, one of the worlds most famous magicians disappeared almost 10 years ago, right in the middle of her comeback show. No one has been able to find a trace of her, though the conspiracy theories are everywhere. With the anniversary of her disappearance coming up, her sister Sasha is being thrown back into the spot light, a place she’s never been comfortable with. As she’s forced to face her feelings around her sister, she’s also being chased by Podcast host Cameron Frank. Frank’s podcast wants to peel back the layers of who Violet really was, and the best way to do so is by getting an interview from Sasha to debate all the wild theories surrounding Violet’s disappearance.

This one is told in a variety of formats. We have the podcast that is dedicated to finding out what happened to Violet. We have letters between Violet, her sister, and brother in law. Then there are the email threads between various characters. Lastly, we have Sasha’s portion which is in first person narration. There are quite a few narrators but I think it really worked in this book and allowed for tons of background stories.

This book is definitely a mash up of different genres. The mystery of where Violet went is the foundation of the story, it doesn’t feel like your traditional mystery book. Instead, I felt this was more of a family drama, as we spend the majority of time unpacking the relationship between Violet and her sister Sasha . There is also a sprinkle of magical realism introduced into the story, which I won’t dive into for risk of spoilers.

I ended up mainly listening to this and while the emails were slightly harder to keep track of, Sasha’s POV and the podcast portions were excellent on audio. If you enjoy multiple narrators and narration formats than this one is for you. Podcast listeners will also enjoy this one.

Overall, the premise is unique and I really enjoyed the story. I was addicted to the story for the first half of the book and so investing in finding out what happened to Violet. The second half of the story dragged for me though. That combined with a lackluster/unsatisfying ending had be giving this a 3.5 rating, rounded up to 4 stars because I find the audio rendition and narrators excellent.

Acts of Violet comes out July 5th! Huge thank you to MacMillian Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

I thought the format of this book was really cool and well done, especially for an audiobook. It went through podcast episodes, articles, interviews, etc. many with a different narrator or inflection and was such a great way to tell this story. The narrators really brought it to life.

Throughout the story I felt really drawn in and curious to find out both more about Violet and what happened to her after her disappearance at her final performance.

It was an interesting choice to make Violet so morally gray, it made her really, really intriguing at times but I felt by the end that it let the ending build up and fall flat, partly due to learning about Violet’s behavior. Overall, the book was really cool and interesting until the ending, which is where I was ultimately disappointed. I also felt it could’ve been shortened down just a bit.

This was a solid 3.5 star read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank You to NetGalley, Flatiron books and MacMillan audio for the audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm struggling writing this review. I adored the first 95% of this book . The full cast audio recording is fantastic and the novel includes some sharp observations about celebrity, artifice and the nature of reality. All that said, the ending undermined so much of what had come before it. Still, it's a book that will stick with me for a while.

I had high hopes for this one. The title is clever and I looked forward to the audiobook with its stellar cast. And it was a fabulous production. The combo of podcast and other media like emails and text messages with the narrative from the past and present was compelling. What happened to Violet Volk??? Unfortunately the story itself is lacking and the end is much too abrupt and just weird. If I had read this in print, I would have awarded just three stars. The audio production earns an additional star.

A big thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While the story itself is more of a three star, this was a five star audiobook production! The experience of listening to this was so much fun. It's been awhile since I read a story told through mixed media and I forgot how much I enjoyed it!

I loved the set up of Acts of Violet. I thought it was clever of the author to never have Violet herself appear on page and we as reader paint a picture of her based solely on the thoughts and stories of others, some who worshipped her, some who didn't, and others whose feelings were complicated.

I thought that the sister relationship was interesting at first but seemed to drag by the end. I felt like we didn't get much closure when it came to the mystery itself. The ending felt sort of convenient.

This one started out really strong, I loved the premise, anything with a bit of magic and mystery is added to my TBR ASAP. The epistolary nature of the writing kept things moving along quickly and the audio did this really well! There were so many things about the audio that I loved, the voice actors and the sound effects. But for me, the ending fell a bit flat. The story was really an ode to sisters and the perceptions that keep us from connecting even with those closest to us. As much as I enjoyed Sasha and Violets growth it really wasn’t the story I thought I had signed up for. Still a great summer read with both levity and depth.

✏️ ARC Review: Publication Date, June 27!✏️

📚69/100
Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore
Format: 🎧(ALC e-book via NetGalley)

All the thanks to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the ALC in exchange for publishing an honest review!

Well, folks, I have a new auto-buy author in Margarita Montimore. I HIGHLY recommend going audiobook on this one- the shifting narrators are pretty core to the story, and it helped so much. I spent half my time trying to figure out what I’d even call the genre of this book, and I think that’s what I loved about it. *insert Bill Hader Stefon voice* This book’s got everything- it’s got magicians, there are complex sibling relationships, and, what’s that over there? Oh it’s the MULTIVERSE. Wild. And I love it.

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*Spoiler Free Summary*

As the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of celebrity magician, Violet Volk, approaches, her sister Sasha continues to try to press on through life without allowing the disturbance to uproot her quiet, typical life. At the same time, podcaster Cameron Frank has built massive interest around Violet. He has interviewed many people entwined with Violet, but Sasha remains elusive. The story’s narration alternates from Cameron’s podcasting process and Sasha’s internal turmoil.

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