Violet City

I really enjoyed this book. It’s fast paced and action packed. I enjoyed it all but would have loved it more if the author would’ve delved more into the world building. I really liked Rowan’s character development. I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for these characters and in this world.

Thank you netgalley, the publisher, and author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me realise how much YA-books have changed over the last few years, because this read like a throw-back to the early golden days of the genre, when Twilight and The Hunger Games were new and in fashion - it was almost like a trip down memory lane.

It's quite a short book and moves at non-stop breakneck speed, and I blew through it in two days, unable to stop reading. It just keeps pulling you along to find out what comes next.
There's a fun aliens-are-taking-over-the-earth plot, a budding romance between the attractive alien and our heroine, the appropriate dash of angst and longing and everything is wrapped up in a neat, satisfying ending.
You could certainly read this as a stand-alone, but obviously it's the first in a series, and even though you're pretty sure what's going to happen in the next book (I'm being intentionally very vague here to avoid any kind of spoiler), you're still left wanting to find out how!

Now I'm an adult and haven't been this book's target audience for rather more than 20 years, and the adult reader in me would point out some things that didn't quite work for me, but the book is not aimed at people like me, and it seems unfair to project reading expectations onto a book that does not set out to fulfill them in the first place. So I left those out in my review on purpose. 15- or even 20-year old me would have loved this book and probably re-read it right after finishing it, and what more could you possibly ask for? And yes, I might have tried drawing Rowan. A lot.

So if you like well-written YA romances with a sci-fi/alien angle, you really cannot go wrong with this.

I want to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

5 Stars
This review can contain minor spoilers.
"Violet City" by Page Morgan is an action packed Sci-fi that kept me hooked from the very first page. There wasn't a dull moment in the whole book and, while I was reading it, I kept wondering what would I have done if I had been in all the crazy situations our main character found herself in. Penelope is on a school field trip when an alien spaceship hovers over New York city and starts shooting people with some kind of weird alien weapon. So, even if she has a hard time believing that what she sees is real, she knows she has to survive and make it home, to her mother and make sure she is safe. That's her main goal throughout the whole book, but somehow she gets involved into something bigger than her quest and we get to learn more about the invaders and the mysterious male alien she seems to be stuck with. Aside from the story itself, which I found fascinating and engaging, I found very realistic how humans behaved throughout the invasion: everyone looked out only for themselves and that's how I imagine things would be if a similar situation happened for real. The only thing I didn't undestand about this book, is what happens between Penelope and her classmate, Lee, while they are running for their life. He kind of gets physical with her and I guess I could blame Lee's behaviour on the fact that he was terrified. Still, I didn't find the situation plausible enough, but that's just me. Anyway, I loved this book and I can't wait to read what happens next, so I will be definitely waiting for a sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

This was one of the most unexpected reads of this month.

I'm not normally a big fan of Sci-Fi history's but I couldn't stop reading it... It was fast-paced, action-packed but easy to read. I actually read the book in about 2 days, picking it up as soon as I had free time.

With enemies to lover romance in between a "aliens are taking over the earth" plot the book kept me captivated with the "just one more chapter" feeling.

Really recommend this book and will be definitely reading more books by this author.

I want to thank Netgalley, Page Morgan, and Books Go Social for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will talk about the characters first; Pen is a smart character. I was skeptical at first when she said that she's the kind of character who rationalizes everything and as I read further I kind of hoping that she really does rationalize. And it did not disappoint. She's actually rational even in the moments that scare her. Even when their whole world is ending she still find a solution to her problems. She's not like the other protagonist that is smart but then their emotions get ahead of them. But Pen doesn't like that, she consider first what she wants and what is needed or right. I like also how she asks questions about almost everything in this book. As for Rowan, he is so adorable. He's this kind of character that is serious and mysterious but he is also innocent in his own way. I think the chemistry of Pen and Rowan is so enjoyable to read. And their relationship is properly developed.

One thing I like reading in this book is how the author wrote the proper reaction of people in shock when death is in front of them. For example when Pen saw someone that is dead she has a reaction of what a person react in real life when they see a dead body. I think this kind of writing is important because I don't see reactions like these in a post-apocalyptic world books. Also, the sarcasm and humor in this book is really on point.

As i'm going further into the book it is becoming more interesting because you can't clearly tell who is the real enemy. You don't know whose character you should trust or not, beside Rowan and Pen.

For the things that i'm having difficulty with the book, i'm having a hard time picturing each scene the characters are in because most of the words are so sci-fi-y although not to the point that you will not get what is happening. Also one of the thing that this book is lacking of is the plot not being properly developed. I feel like it is so rush. I'm a little underwhelmed with the political aspect. I can see this book is just really focusing on the romance trope.

Overall, I rated this book 4 out of 5 star. Although this book lack some plot development, the chemistry and romance between the two main character are so enjoyable to read. Also this book is a quick read. So if you want some light and easy read, I recommend this book to you!

A couple of weeks ago I saw this book here on Goodreads and it immediately grabbed my attention. I'm in a sci-fi mood at the moment, but I also don't want to read too heavy books because my brain is not capable of understanding those. This book sounded like the perfect solution. A Sci-Fi, but just not too complicated. And then I discovered that the book was on Netgalley and that I could just click read now! I got the book right away and I really looked forward to reading it.

The book turned out to be exactly what I had expected it to be. If you love all those more classic YA's like Twilight, Fallen and Beautiful Creatures you will for sure enjoy this story too! Although there is certainly a lot going on, the book is in the first place a romance. A romance between a human girl and an alien boy while aliens are taking over the world and killing half of the population. And yet I enjoyed it immensely!

Mostly because the romance felt quite natural in a way. Of course, they only know each other for a few days when the romance escalates, but during those days they've gotten to know each other's world, where they come from, how they grew up and they've also seen loads of each other's personality. And since the book never presents this relationship as the kind of relationship worth sacrificing everything for, I just enjoyed the cuteness of an alien discovering human tenderness.

Of course, I would have loved to learn and see way more of the politics. I mean, taking over the world is not an easy task and it's implied that it went differently in different area's of the world, but it's also quite powerful that among all this the story focusses on two people and how they're dealing with everything. It also makes the conflict personal, it makes both of them understand what's going on and why they are reacting the way they are.

I will for sure read the next book in this series too, because I'm quite curious how it will continue and which parts of the universe we might explore!

I was initially torn whether to rate this 4 or 5 stars, but since reading this book I haven't been able to stop thinking about it! So I've decided to settle on an unofficial 4.5 (rounded up). Violet City is an alien-invasion sci-fi, which follows Penelope Simmins, your average teenager, and 'Rowan', her alien captor, a Volkranian who eerily resembles a human. The first chapter jumps straight into the action and I was hooked straight away, I binged the entire book in less than 24 hours, because I just needed to know what happened next! It was fast-paced, action-packed and all-round fantastic!

My favourite thing about this book was definitely the romance, especially the chemistry and tension built between the 2 main characters. I think it happened very naturally (even though they hadn't known each other very long) I think the progression of their character development made it feel like they'd known each other forever. I also loved the tiny bit of spice, which I wasn't expecting as this is classed as YA, but it was a nice surprise.

Also, we need to talk about THE ENDING! I won't go into the nature of the plot, but just know this one hits hard, and I NEED the sequel ASAP Page!! (please say there is one, I'll wish for it for the rest of my living days). My heart feels like it's been ripped to shreds.

The only slight fault (it's not even a fault to be honest) is that at the beginning of the book Penelope does act like your stereotypical dumb teenager and some of the stuff she does made me cringe and think "what are you doing girl?!" However, I do think it accurately reflects how the average person would react when panicking, in contrast to female leads usually shown in YA literature.

I would recommend this book to fans of sci-fi & paranormal romance (or those who are just wanting to try it - I feel like this is a great start!)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Today is the publication day for Violet CIty by Page Morgan. Violet CIty is a YA romance between a human and a human-looking alien. The story revolves around Pen, who a normal teenage girl. Suddenly, the aliens invade, and an alien who Pen nicknames Rowan saves her. Here an excerpt from when Pen first meets Rowan:

"It’s a guy. A guy, with brown hair that reaches almost to his ears. There’s a stylish wave to it, like he might actually have stopped to comb through it before he got dressed in his robotic suit and started up his space pod to come attack my city.
He has eyes. Just two of them, thank goodness, and they’re normal size—not huge dinner plates like the green aliens I’ve seen on TV all my life. He has lips, a chin, and smooth cheeks. Ears, too. The only weird thing about him, the only feature that stands out as non-human, is a band of silver metal around his neck."

Sometimes you're just in the mood for a light, fluffy romance, and you're not interested in anything deep and dark. That's exactly when you should read Violet City. It is a fun, light-hearted romance between a human and paranormal creature that I would recommend for fans of Twilight, Hush, Hush, etc. except it's not as dark. If that's what you're in the mood for, you won't regret checking out this book!

You are very much thrown into the world right from the beginning! I was so confused with the main character for some of the beginning. There were some parts where I actually enjoyed the main love interest, Rowan, more than I did the main character. Their love is definitely a slow burn, but the dystopian Earth and alien dynamic was actually really interesting and not what I expected from this novel. By the end of the novel, I was wishing for more romance and at least an afterward of their story, but ended up being left with a little sadness in my heart. Overall, it was a very good story and very fast paced! It was a different take on an alien invasion that I actually really enjoyed!
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity of reading this book in exchange for a review

It's been a long time since I couldn't put down a book or stop breathing quickly. I loved the feisty heroine and her stubbornness. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one in series.

Violet City by Page Morgan

In this book, we see an alien invasion of New York City through Penelope “Pen” Simmons’s eyes. We follow her as she realizes her sewage treatment plant field trip has just gone from boring to deadly. Pen and her classmates try to escape the aliens and their weapons, but Pen ends up going from one bad situation to another. When an alien unintentionally rescues her, Pen decides it doesn’t hurt to stay with the alien who hasn’t killed her yet. As they stumble through dangerous situations, they start questioning who the real enemy is. Ultimately, they both have to decide which race is worth dying for.

My favorite part of the book was Pen. She is such a well thought out character. I think in a lot of stories, the heroine is often overcome by her emotions and lets those emotions make decisions for her. Decisions where I, as the reader, am yelling at the character to get some control and THINK! But I respect Pen because she does think! She’s seen some hard things in her young life. She knows enough to know that panicking or doing what is easy, won’t help her. Pen has the thought process of a real survivor. Pen is a convincing character because her decisions and motivations are realistic.

I also loved the complexity of Rowan. He is the alien that saves Pen, though maybe unintentionally. He is introduced as kind of a soldier type who just follows orders. That seems to be his comfort zone, but he is unable to stay there. Pen is constantly pushing him to evaluate what he is doing and challenging him to think differently. My favorite thing about Rowan is that he truly listens to Pen. He listens to what she wants him to do and actually does it. No matter what it might cost him, he listens.

Finally, I want to talk about Page Morgan’s writing style. She’s amazing! I felt like I could see New York City being invaded. Her world building is woven seamlessly into the story. She made an alien invasion seem real instead of outlandish.

I liked this book. It was paced well and didn’t get weighed down by explanatory information that we didn’t need. The story moved! It also surprised me frequently. I have read a lot of YA sci-fi/fantasy books, but Page Morgan took me in some new directions. I will definitely check out her other books.

I loved this book, and the base behind it. The plot is interesting, and the characters I absolutely fell in love with. One of my friends' birthdays are coming up, and this is the perfect plot for her. I love it, and I def. recommend to people.

This book is not flawless. Not at all. Nor it's the most original story I have read.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the ride. The author made me care for the characters and eager to know what will happen in the next book (there better be a second instalment after that ending!).

VIOLET CITY by Page Morgan is one of my favorite sci-fi reads in recent years! It's just so fun and fast-paced, and the banter between Pen and Rowan is (insert all the hearts!!!!!!). If you like a hearty dose of romance in your sci-fi, I can't recommend this one enough!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I’d read the description, but still didn’t know exactly what to expect.

Violet City is an alien invasion story and a romance all in one. You’d think the combination wouldn’t work, but it does, it really does.

I loved the characters - well, the ones you’re supposed to anyway. Penelope is sarcastic and I love it. She has such an attitude even though she’s scared to death.

Rowan is also quite funny. His manner of speech is hilarious to see, especially when he says certain things. He’s also not quite as keen on what’s happening as one might think.

The book is a quick read and keeps you interested and entertained the entire time. If you like alien invasion stories or quirky romances, this is the book for you.

Had so much fun reading this! An alien-human, enemies to lovers dynamic isn't something I knew I needed until now... and all I want is more. I really hope there's a sequel in the works even though that ending could technically wrap the story up, but I really want there to be more.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this YA scifi romance. Penelope finds herself in the middle of an alien invasion and due to her wit and Rowans fascination with her courage she stays alive. I loved how real and sassy Penelope is portrayed and she doesn't easily give in to her feelings for Rowan. Rowan is a high commanding officer sent to terminate humans for the survival of his race. What we discover is that Rowan is a rebel and his attraction to Penelope makes him seem more human. Awesome world building and solid characterization. Can't wait to read the next installment.

this was a really entertaining take on scifi and aliens. It had a great story with a interesting plot. It was a fun read and the characters felt like real people.

So I got this book a while ago and even started it but then it somehow disappeared from my Kindle apps and I couldn't find it again until MIRACULOUSLY it appeared on my new Kindle right after I bought and set it up a couple months ago. Of course after that I knew I had to commit to finally finishing it so here I am!

This book is surprisingly delightful! I highly recommend it for fans of Twilight or Lux because it is 100% most definitely an alien love story. One of the things I really liked that was very different from Twilight and Lux is that the aliens aren't just hanging out and blending in with society, the book starts off with a full blown alien attack! This also makes the stakes much higher for the entire book rather than just at the climax and for a shorter book that is a definite plus. It also adds some depth to the feelings of the main characters because they are unsure why they as enemies are drawn to each other.

If you're looking for something unique or mature and sophisticated or something mind-blowing or hard-hitting - this is NOT the book for you. It has some romance but it's not steamy, it's your basic YA Romantasy vibe and if that's what you're looking for you probably won't be disappointed because I found myself thoroughly engrossed. A solid 3.5/5 for sure.