Not everyone likes to read, and I’m not some magician who can pull a book that everyone can agree is good out of my hat. But the book that I would really recommend is Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott. The main character is a teenager named Domino Ray who is mysterious and  unfamiliar, yet strangely real and down-to-earth. She must go on a journey that will change her life forever. The setting is a small, remote town in Texas called Pox. Domino lives in Detroit but must go to Pox to earn enough money to bail her roommate/best friend named Dizzy out of jail. Her trip to Pox brings her to a remote little house which contains a large entertainment business only known in the town that is owned by a women named Madam Karina. Domino realizes she has to work her way up through the ranks to earn enough money for her new boyfriend Cain, and her new best friend Poppet, as well as an old lady named Angie and her doberman to escape Pox.

In the book Violet Grenade, Domino is put through an emotional rollercoaster which started when her dad left her and her mom on their own, which resulted in her mom committing many unforgivable acts.

The book Violet Grenade is an enthralling portrayal of our own insecurities that are represented through each character. Domino represents the trouble we have from trying recover from a childhood trauma. Cain simultaneously represents our anger when we cannot control ourselves as well as our fear of not being able to control our anger. Poppet represents some people’s inability to adapt to change easily.

The reason I would recommend this book is that it is a beautiful story of a girl who evolves from one who kept to herself to this bold, courageous young woman who learns that no matter what traumatized her as a child, she is not alone, that people who have gone through similar things do exist, she just has to look for them.

The primary reason I like this book is because it touches on our deepest insecurities, one of which is that we hate being made fun of. Another one it shows is our craving for love from our friends and family. But the most prominent one it represents is our challenge of healing mentally from a loved one betraying us like Domino’s father did to her and her mother.

My favorite character was one not mentioned yet. He is calice yet kind, malicious yet benevolent. In fact he isn’t really a character at all per se. His name is Wilson, but he is not physically there. He is a mental manifestation of the pent-up feelings of Domino when her dad left combined with the “things” her mother forced her to do. He is actually a disembodied voice in her mind, yet he has the ability to take complete control of her. In other words, he can suppress her so he is in control of her mind and body. Over time, Domino begins to trust Wilson and they even became best friends.

Now let’s talk about the two characters I thought were great, yet a little boring;

Madam Karina is a wonderfully crazy, evil, vindictive woman who forces respect from the girls at her home. Even her “teacher’s pet” so to speak is planning to leave when the chance presents itself. Though she is an interesting character, she lacks depth. If I were to describe Domino as a real person, I would say she is outgoing, kind, intricate and pretty much perfect. If I were to describe Madam Karina on the other hand, I would say she is dull, but the reason I still like her is that she is a very effective villain.

And last but certainly never least are the Carnation girls. I will admit that they are good characters, but when they appeared in the book, it felt like they were only there just for the sake of being there. They had a lot to live up to as some of the antagonists, but fell short of two very crucial things that would make villainous characters good, one of them being no real motive. They only bullied Domino because they could. They also did not have any feeling of intimidation or maliciousness, which is often what an antagonist needs to be a good character. If I’m being honest, their lackluster way of treating Domino became lackadaisical after a while.

But over all, Violet Grenade is an amazing book that I could read multiple times over and still be enthralled by it. The main characters are portrayed in just the right way, not too deep and exciting, but not too boring and monotonous. They are portrayed with the best of both worlds.