Shrinking Violet

Diary #5

by Jean Ure

The fifth gloriously funny and poignant book in Jean Ure’s series of ‘secret’ diary stories. 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…

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade

176 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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Ishita · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet more nostalgia from my childhood.

[Scarlet · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Dannuel Delizo · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[CJ Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

want to reread this!!

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book I read when I was a preteen