Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

[description from Amazon]

High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out -- doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T -- and to everyone's shock, she's a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize -- Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare....

Review:

I knew I would like this book for three reasons: 1) author's name is Danielle. Danielle is a great name. 2) Shy people are cool. I would know. 3) Music is also cool. I'm not a radio person since all the stations around here suck, but I can appreciate a good radio station when I hear one. Thankfully, I was right about me liking this book, since it was quite, quite good.

Thanks to this book, I finally have an answer to the "what book character are you most like?" question. Tere's shyness, while unusually extreme, is completely realistic, and I think, being really shy, that I would know. She describes her anxiety when talking to people and why she is the was she is so well, so that it's impossible not to believe her extreme shyness is real. I loved how Tere wasn't just defined by her shyness, as it may seem. She is defined by her rocky relationship with her mother, her strong feelings, her music, her inability to be close to people, even her best friend, and the confidence she gains when people like her words. She's a refreshingly realistic character, which I appreciated greatly. The supporting characters are not as developed as Tere, but they aren't stereotyped, and there is noticeable growth in some of them.

It took a while for Tere to finally land her radio show, but once she did, the book flew by. The confidence Tere gains from the show, and a school project, is visible throughout the whole book, up until the very end. Every situation affects her in some way, and she comments on everything with her unique voice.

The ending, albeit predictable and cheesy, is cute and perfect for Tere.

Shrinking Violet is a fantastic read, and I can't wait for more from Danielle.


8.5/10

Links: Danielle's site/My interview with Danielle/Danielle's blog

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