Shrinking Violet

Diary #5

by Jean Ure

I am a twin. Unfortunately! It's not always easy being a twin, especially when one of you is lily loudmouth and the other a shinking violet.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade

171 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Prolific English children and young adult author.

Had her first book published while still in high school, then studied theater at Webber-Douglas in London. Her most well-known work is the Point Crime novel Dance with Death. Others include Plague 99, After the Plague (previously "Come Lucky April"), Big Tom, Family Fan Club and Shrinking Violet, as well as the fantasy The Wizard In the Woods.

Today, Ure is very popular with British female teenage readers with novels such as Shrinking Violet, Family Fan Club and Passion Flower.

Ure has also translated Danish writer Sven Hassel's WWII novels to English.

Reviews

[hanh]

This is a book I was fond of in childhood I was a shy girl and it was a book I could relate to. I would recommend if you have a shy little girl in your life to have this book in her sights not to force it into her hands because, like the girl in this book, I didn't want to discuss my own anxiety or have adults meddle (lol).

[Nour Chebly]

till now it is a very nice story and i would like to finish it till the end !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

[Fayra]

A cute coming-of-age fiction read about finding your voice and learning that it's okay to be different; you don't have to change who you are just to fit in.

Shrinking Violet follows Violet, a shy, introverted girl whose outgoing twin sister couldn't be more different from her. Growing up in her sister's shadow, Violet struggles w confidence, friendships and believing that her quiet personality is enough. Along the way, she finds comfort in a pen pal, takes small steps to make new friends and gradually begins to see her own worth.

I really enjoyed Jean Ure's writing. It's simple yet engaging, w lovely vocabulary that makes it a great read for young adults. Although it's a fairly light story, it captures those awkward feelings of growing up, wanting to fit in and slowly discovering your own confidence. It's gentle and quietly encouraging.

One of my favourite lines was:
"Well, I'm sorry, but people who live in glass houses..."

"It means that we do not mock the way other people look unless we want to be mocked in return."

A simple reminder to be kind, because we never know what someone else is going through.

[Ishita]

It was an amazing book and I really like it but I felt there were parts in there that just did not need to be there and I could have stopped when violet made a pen pal but I understand that they had that stage of meeting in the hospital which is why I am saying they could have left parts out and put 5days later

[Lucy]

Yet more nostalgia from my childhood.

[Scarlet]

OK can get boring at some point not one of my favourites

[Dannuel Delizo]

Tiger Lily VS Shrinking Violet. This book was ACE drooling. I should've read this when I was 3. My mom told me I loved reading Pocahontas and Disney books when I was that age. But those things were naff! She should've bought me books like Jean Ure's creative writings! So back to the book, I think I have an obsession with British writers and British angst stories. BLOODY GORGE, isnt it?

Well, the lesson is that everyone could be "shrieky" or "shrinking". In this case, Violet was just delicately shy and her twin Lily was inevitably intimidating her. It happens all the time. On the other hand, they were just 10 years old FOR BLIMEY'S SAKE.

[Sumayyah]

Lily and Violet are twins—physically identical but quite opposite in character. Lily is brash, up-front and in your face. Lily Loudmouth, her dad calls her. Violet is timid and shy. She lives very much in Lily's shadow—a shrinking violet. Finding it difficult to make friends, Violet finds the perfect solution in Katie, her new pen pal. Soon the two are writing at a fast and furious pace and become very attached to each other. That is, until Katie suggests that they meet. it is okay but not that interested) the book was not catching my attention. but i would say it was okay.

[xX♥..annakinz..♥Xx]

THE BLURB

sometimes i feel like telling lily that she is ruining my life. if she werent so shreiky, i might not be so shrinky.


'...the story is timless, the descriptions of the girls and their relationship spot on.'

[Diyanarahim96]

So this novel I read it when I was really young n I could relate to it because I'm a shy person n I have an older sister who is outgoing n loud. This novel teaches me so what if u're not an outgoing person what if u're a quiet person u just have to be urself n be happy w it

[Romy Nehme]

Very nice story! It was fun to read! it tlks about twins where one is shreiking and other is shrinking. The shrinking is called violet, she gets a pen pal which she meets and the end of the story!

[Hajare]

The story was good..but sometimes i feel a little bored...maybe it's need more humour sense.. :)

[CJ Johnson]

As a twin, I lived to find books that were about fellow twinsies. Love Jean Ure, she is an author every young girl should read. Shrinking Violet would have to be my personal favourite of hers

[Farah Abtar]

want to reread this!!

[Juliet]

I loved this book when I was a kid!
Recommended to young readers everywhere

[Amy]

Book I read when I was a preteen