Faith Gardner’s Violet Is Nowhere is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of loss and identity that truly resonated with me. Gardner's lyrical prose weaves a poignant story about grief and self-discovery, making the emotional journey both moving and profound. The protagonist’s struggle to reconcile with her past and the mysterious elements that drive the plot create a deeply engaging narrative. Gardner’s rich, evocative descriptions bring the story to life, drawing readers into a world where every emotion feels intensely real. If you’re drawn to literary fiction with a blend of emotional depth and atmospheric mystery, Violet Is Nowhere is definitely worth diving into.

This book was SO BORING. I am not kidding, it was one of the MOST boring books I have ever read in my life! I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for something, ANYTHING, to happen. Nothing did until the end. Even with that, the ending was weird and unrealistic. The "twist" was so incredibly lame and bad, it made me angry that I stuck it out. Wish I DNF this one. The chapters were way too long and I also hated all teh characters. I don't really have much else to say as I really disliked this book and regret reading it!

Thank you to Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fairly short at only 268 pages, but for some reason it seemed really slow-paced to me, and it felt like it dragged on and on. It could have been because of the super long chapters though.

That being said, the ending was fantastic and so interesting, and it really makes you think and ponder about your life, and decisions you've made!

I love all the Jolvix series books, they are like "near future" and always interesting, relatable, and make you think!

This is the second book in the world of Amen Maxine.

I enjoyed Amen Maxine and I was happy to be able to get a copy of Violet is Nowhere.

Violet is almost a famous rock star. She is becoming quite popular and even though she is in a band, it looks like her big break is about to happen. Then, she wakes up in a strange cabin. She has no way out. She is a captive and the only thing left behind is a cellphone with only one number. When she dials it, she gets a man named Bud on the other line.

Bud is a construction worker. He likes his beer and doesn't have any desire to improve himself. He had a couple of relationships that left him a little broken. When Violet dials him, at first he thinks it's all a joke but he can't shake the desperation he hears in the voice on the other side of the line. Soon, he is playing detective and trying to figure out, who captured her and why. He wants to help Violet get free.

Violet is Nowhere is a good installment but not as good as Amen Maxine. I felt bad for Violet and I was hoping for Budd to find her in time. The ending unfolded in an unexpected way, or at least part of it did.

I will continue reading the next book in this series. It has my attention.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Mirror House Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In a Nutshell: Once again an outlier, but this time, I am on the positive side! Enjoyed this book far more than ‘Amen, Maxine’. Better if read as a slowburn psych thriller than as a sci-fi thriller.

Story Synopsis:
Violet, an up-and-coming rockstar, wakes up in a strange cabin with no memory of what happened the previous night. There’s a mysterious note and a burner phone that has been pre-programmed to dial only one number.
When Bud, a construction worker, answers his phone, he has no idea whether to believe the stranger who tells him that she’s been kidnapped and doesn’t know where she is.
As per the instructions on the note, Violet and Bud have exactly one week to figure out the connection between them, else their lives might be in danger. With absolutely no clue of how to begin, will Bud be able to locate Violet and rescue her?
The story comes to us in the alternating first person povs of Violet and Bud.

While I had liked the first book of the Jolvix Episodes series – ‘Amen, Maxine’ – a lot, it still needed some improvement in its use of clichéd tropes and the OTT ending. Glad to report that this book didn’t have those issues, at least for me.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 Every single one of my friends here loved ‘Amen, Maxine’ and found this okay in comparison. To me, it went the other way around, probably because I wasn’t reading this as a sci-fi thriller but as a general psych thriller. I remember how ‘Amen, Maxine’ began as a drama and slowly increased the sci-fi and thriller elements. This went somewhat similarly. The sci-fi elements are minimal this time around and only appear in the final quarter or so, but that was more than enough to keep me happy.
😍 There is no build-up to the story, no prologue or background to tell you how Violet landed in the cabin. The book begins with her waking up there. So we also feel caught in the action right from page one. This approach ensured that the story had my attention from start to end.
😍 I liked Violet’s and Bud’s portrayals. Both of them weren’t shown as perfectly good or bad but as flawed. I always like stories better when the characters seem human but with some hope for redemption. Violet is sassy and selfish and vulnerable in turns. Bud is not the brightest spark in the room most of the times and is quite impulsive. As both of them were somewhat opposites in nature, each brought a different energy to the story. The connection between them goes through varied emotions and feels genuine rather than forced. Though the story is set within a single week, their rapport doesn’t feel rushed.
😍 No unreliable narrators – Hallelujah!
😍 It is quite fast-paced, easy to complete within a day. (Don’t confuse this feedback with ‘slow-burn’. The writing is fast-paced, but the suspense takes its own sweet time to unravel.) Despite the first person, there are no needless inner monologues.
😍 While the identity of the guilty party is clear the moment they make an appearance on the page, the rationale behind the crime and the aftermath aren't obvious at all.
😍 The ending is all kinds of freaky! While it is (almost) unbelievable, it creates a massive impact. I still don’t know how I feel about it, but I was blown away for sure as I had NOT seen that coming. If you are the kind of reader who wants all things tied neatly at the end, be warned: not gonna happen!
😍 The book offers a lot to introspect about our approach towards life, a lot!


Where the book could have worked better for me:
😔 The biggest negative is knowing that the story is set in the Jolvix universe. So you already know the guilty party much before the characters do, and really need to keep your patience until they figure it out. This spoils the fun of discovery that is so crucial in a thriller. I think I'd have enjoyed my journey even more had I not waited for Jolvix to make an appearance

All in all, I loved this novel much more than ‘Amen, Maxine’. This works wonderfully as a standalone, though you have some Easter Eggs from the first book. The stories in the two books are quite different, so better if you go in expecting a distinct tale than ‘Amen, Maxine’ version two.

Definitely recommended if you want a slow-burn psych thriller with realistic characters, sci-fi elements, and a mindboggling ending. I'm looking forward to more by this talented indie author.

4.25 stars.

My thanks to Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Violet Is Nowhere”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This is the second book in this series. I haven’t read the first one yet but will have to after finishing this one.
I enjoyed it and I usually try to avoid series but this one seems to be good.
Well written and held my interest.
Going to read book one next.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

<b>Violet Is Nowhere</b> is book #2 in the Jolvix series. Violet is a budding rock star who after performing in a show, wakes up locked up in a cabin with a note and a burner phone. The fridge in the cabin is stocked with all of her favorite things. The burner phone contains only on phone number which belongs to a construction worker named Bud. As per the note, they have one week to figure out the connection between if Violet wants to live.

For those that shy away from sci-fi, I wouldn't let that stop you from reading this series because the sci-fi is on the light side. It's more a mystery with a slight touch of sci-fi. This one moves at a slower pace, but I really enjoyed the conversions between Bud and Violet, the manner in which they tried to find the connection between them, and the buildup to the conclusion which made me do a double take causing me reread the ending. Well played, Faith Gardner!

<b>Amen Maxine</b> is still my favorite in the series, but this is another clever and well-written story by Faith Gardener. I am definitely looking forward to book #3 in the series which I have already started reading. 4 stars.

I loved Amen Maxine by Faith Gardner and was excited that she turned this into a series!
I have to admit, that usually I am not a big fan of series, I really can't explain why. And maybe as a result of that, this story did not grip me as much as Maxine!
At the beginning it felt hard to stick to the story, since there is a lot of getting-to-know the characters.
However that ending!!!! I have no idea how this author comes up with these ideas!!! So glad, that it turned the story around for me!
I am looking forward to reading part 3 of this series!
Thanky #NetGalley #Mirror House Press

This was good I thought it was a little more Si-Fi for my taste though given that I did still like it

This book is not what I was expecting, but that's not a bad thing. I thought from the blurb that it would be a thriller/horror with maybe a supernatural twist, and the sci fi elements came as a surprise. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨
Violet Is Nowhere
By Faith Gardner

This one. Wow!
The synopsis of this book was very intriguing and I was sold on that alone.

I do have to say that at about 70 percent in, this book takes a huge turn, that I did not see coming. Love when that happens.

I do think the way this played out, was a bit different, and not really my type of story. In saying that, this book did a great job of keeping me engaged and turning pages to find out what happened, and to me that’s still a great story!

This one is out now, so be sure to pick it up and let me know your thoughts on it!
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thanks so much to @netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review!
#violetisnowhere #netgalley #mirrorhousepress #arc #bookinfluencer #thriller #bookreview #bookrec #reader #checkitout #plottwist

This was such a unique read. The story line was new and unique. The characters were amazing and I was drawn to them. Richly told and full of twists and turns. I’ve never read a book quite like this one. I had no idea what to expect from one page to the next. And the ending…. Well nothing can prepare you for that finale.

I greatly enjoyed Amen Maxine by the author and was excited to see that she's written another novel set in the same futuristic universe!

This book felt a lot slower since bulk of it focuses on developing the two lead characters and their growing relationship. The chapters were pretty long but the writing flowed well, so this was still a relatively easy read. I also liked how it left me pondering about my life throughout.

Unfortunately, I wasn't that into the story. The tension and pull factor was lacking for me, such that I wasn't super invested in finding out what was going on. For some reason, I just never felt like the stakes were particularly high nor was Violet in mortal danger.

The ending was a banger though! It's my favourite part of the book and I thought it was brilliant. When it comes to creativity, you can bet that Faith Gardner always scores full marks.

I was excited about this near-future dystopian thriller because it sounded so interesting: A rising rock star is kidnapped from her LA home. She wakes up locked inside a cabin with a note and a burner phone that only dials one number to a stranger. The mysterious note says the two have just one week to figure out the connection between them. Otherwise someone or something will take her life. Sounds intriguing, right? Unfortunately, I found the pacing really off and it didn’t get interesting until more than halfway in. The futuristic dystopian twist was interesting, but almost anti-climactic? I may not be the target audience, but this one was just okay for me. Also: there was so much language – I can appreciate the appropriately placed cussword, especially in a book, but this was a little over the top.

This was a fascinating read. Told in two POVs from the perspectives of Violet, the rock star wannabe, and Bud, the jack-of-all trades nice guy. You will want to keep reading to find out what connects Violet and Bud to each other and to Amen Maxine. As with the first book in the Jolvix Episodes, this one also examines the cost of a culture which blindly follows the promise of technology without examining the cost to our humanity.

Thank you to Mirror House Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is part two in the "Jolvix Episodes" by Faith Gardner. I just read the first one, "Amen, Maxine" which I gave five stars. That was a amazing, anxiety inducing book (Without a doubt one of my favorite books of the year) so I was excited to have the chance to read the second one, "Violet is Nowhere"

This one features Violet, a musician in a rock band who awakens in a deserted house she has no memory of and finds she is locked inside with one phone which can only dial one number. That number is Bud, a construction worker from Texas now living in the Bay area. They have no idea who each other are but have one week to find the connection or something will take her life.

This one goes back in forth with POVs between Bud and Violet and while overall I didn't like it as much as "Amen, Maxine" it did have the anxiety and sense of dread and doom that we saw in "Amen, Maxine" Faith Gardner is truly gifted in writing phycological suspense as we quickly are put in the middle of Bud and Violet as they try and figure out who the other person is and why they are connected before time runs out for Violet.

This one is a very slow burn which is why I didn't like it as much as Amen, Maxine but still really good and the start of a very good series for Faith Gardner.

I really appreciate Mirror House Press for allowing me to review this book and it is already published so go read it!

Advance Reader Copy given free for honest review.

Hmmm, not really sure what to think about this one.

The plot hooks you right away; a musician kidnapped and locked in a cabin, her only way out is through phoning a random man and finding out how they are connected.

The first 90% of the book is tense, you shift between Bud & Violet’s perspectives. They become more than characters in a story, we get to know them through this ordeal.

The ending was a surprise and let down. I was devastated with the conclusion and it made me feel like “What was the point of caring about anything in this book”?

I’ll still be recommending it, but honestly if there were some alternate version endings that would be soooo much better in my opinion. I can’t handle that being the only ending 😭.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Xpresso Book Tours for a copy.

I didn't think I could love anything else in the Jolvic Episodes series as much as I did Amen Maxine and even though this didn't rank as high, I still think Faith Gardner is an amazing writer. Coming in as a psychological thriller and still in her line item as a Sci-Fi, it is Escape Games in overdrive!!
Imagine waking up in a remote cabin with no way to exit its barred entries and windows with only a burner phone linked to a lifeline! This lifeline is a phone-a-stranger that is somehow linked to you, but you are unsure how. You have one week to put the pieces together to save your own life.

Violet, a rising pop star, finds herself in that situation and when she frantically calls this number over a 100x, she connects to an alcoholic named Bud. At this point you begin to have anxiety for their desperation, frustration, confusion and helplessness. I could understand it from both sides especially Bud's skepticism with a stranger on the other end. He captures the edginess in her voice and feels compelled to help her and find out his connection to this woman.

This is very original and will blow you away until the end. I was surprised by the ending and will not give anything away, but I feel it is worth reading even if you are like me and don't care for the Sci-Fi genre. It does not drown you in it, but will amaze you. I'm definitely hooked on this author's talent!

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Just as Violet finds herself on the cusp of stardom, she wakes up locked in the cabin with no idea how she got there. The only clue she has is a cell phone that dials one number and a note that says they have one week to find their connection to each other. If they don’t, they might not survive. When she calls the number and is connected with Bud, they figure out this might not be so easy.

I loved Violet’s voice from the very beginning. The writing was so good and kept me interested when I typically get annoyed with mystery plot lines. As I too often do, I went into this book not even knowing there was a previous book in the series. I’m not sure if they are interconnected but this one was great on its own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!