Violet Syrup

by Sophia Molen

In pursuit of color, fire, and the unknown.

Ophelia abandons her home in Amsterdam and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes her across the globe. Led by strange connections and coincidences, she sets out on a solo trip to Lanzarote, travels to Arizona and California, and finally settles on the island of Bali, where she grapples with heartbreak and rebels against life. Ophelia senses that life could easily flip upside down. Where is the edge of it? How far is she allowed to go?

Violet Syrup is Sophia Molen's debut novel. Tender, dark, and philosophical in nature, Violet Syrup is a love letter to life, meant for anyone who feels and thinks deeply.

Genres: Fiction, Summer, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Travel, Summer Reads, Chick Lit

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2024

Reviews

[Hannah]

I thought this would be right up my alley, but honestly it became quite a slog to get through. The first few chapters are quite strangely written, with a lot of flowery language (I'm sensing heavy use of a thesaurus) and over-the-top metaphors. Thankfully this did ease off somewhat and the rest of the book flowed a bit better.

I feel bad for saying this since the book is apparently largely autobiographical, but the main issue for me was that the protagonist was just so unlikeable; judgemental, arrogant and juvenile - a lot of "no one else understands me, I'm just sooooo deep".

The book is filled with pseudo intellectualism and thoughts and revelations that are clearly supposed to be
profound, but are actually either obvious or nonsensical. An especially eye-roll inducing example - after a spate of motorcycle accidents in Bali she ponders "could it be something to do with the moon?"... of course nothing at all to do with the increase in young westerners to the island driving around drunk late at night...

I also found it interesting that she labels others pretentious or boring on her travels, when she is essentially living out a rather cliched existence, particularly in Bali where she spends her time drinking, chatting spiritualism with other 'digital nomads' and seemingly avoiding any real interaction with the locals (sidenote: didn't love the part where she runs over a dog and just leaves it to die...).

There's also no real narrative here, but I could've forgiven that if I'd enjoyed spending time with the lead character.

[Patricia Tsai]

One of those books I couldn’t put down until I finished it! Beautifully written and deeply soulful, ‘Violet Syrup’ explores the philosophical pondering and innermost thoughts of its protagonist, Ophelia. It’s intimate, raw and deeply relatable as a late 20s/early 30s woman navigating life in this modern world. Blended with exotic travels and stories of love, this book left me feeling very inspired, leaving no boundaries and limits in life. A must read!

[Ester Poldervaart]

I loved this book so so much!🤍
The thoughts you read from Ophelia, are just so well writing.
The self discovery journey is just wonderful.

[Marja Sophie]

Getting through this book felt like an uphill battle, and I believe a significant reason for that is Ophelia's incredibly unlikable nature. She has such an inflated sense of self-worth, yet her accomplishments are virtually nonexistent and she often acts very childish and egoistical. Plus she seems like an incredibly unpleasant person to be with overall, which made it hard to sympathise with her. No one is good enough for her and she constantly makes condescending remarks about other people.
I mean just read the following excerpt:

“The word ‘simple’ echoed through me.
Simple.
I examined the word from different angles.
Simple. Simple.
The concept of simple-mindedness felt pleasant, but a feeling of shame took over—shame for having a complex mind.”

Being such a complex thinker must be tough!! Honestly, I found the book more superficial than philosophical, and it mostly just felt way too verbose. It really didn’t have much depth, and every idea was laid out so clearly that I can’t help but wonder if the author thinks the readers are a bit slow?

The writing was a major contributing factor to my distaste for it. Many grammatical errors and the general feeling is one of "thesaurus, please find me a cool sounding synonym for this basic term."

[Rozie]

To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from this book. Thought it was going to be a story about a privileged influencer, but I liked the cover and was curious…….

This book inspired me so much!! I love how the main character basically falls in love with life a little more…
I love how she learns, what she does in life and what she reads. I’m so inspired by her insights as I recognize so much in it myself. I think it’s gives a free spirit millennial kinda vibe that makes me feel like I can also go and do the things I wanna do in life. If that makes any sense…. What is better than reading a novel that makes you wanna become a better version of yourself?

Thank you Sophia for writing this book. Hope you will continue your beautiful writing🥰

[Valentina F]

violet syrup left me speechless. it is a 10/10 , i loved how it is written
i couldnt stop reading, and its been a while since a book made me want to stay all day attached to it.

[Inti Molins]

Reads very easy! Really spoke to me because I feel like I am living a lot of things Ophelia is going through. Really love the spiritual and philosophical touch Sophia gives the book, made me feel even more conected because all things said and spoken could have been mine or are similar to my own thoughts and or feelings about life, the world, people around me, myself,… Would recommend!!!

[Francisca]

I read this at the perfect time. It was lovely to go on Ophelia's journey with her

[Laura]

The perfect summer book. With its short & enticing chapters it’s incredibly addictive. I love how we’re taken on a journey through Ophelia’s head spins, and philosophical explorations. Super beautifully written, highly recommend!

[Holly Foreman]

got like 70% through this and then got overwhelming bored.
only read it cause im in bali rn and i wanted a fun story about bali but omg this felt so incohesive and messy i couldn’t finish it and that rarely happens to me anymore

[Poli]

The story line is very beautiful however all the things happening around the main character seemed to me a a bit too surface level. She travels to so many places and meets so many people even develops a few romantic relationships but none of them go very much in depth which in my opinion was a miss. It’s a very easy read but leaves you with a feeling that you didn’t really understand many of the motives that the main character took.

[Dael Gunterman]

Violet Syrup was truly a treat to read. Not only is the book well written but also easy to follow for a book with a philosophical touch. I love how Sophia subtly shared insights of her struggles with mental health in a relatable way. All and all I loved reading this!

[Ana Paula]

This book is definitely about the journey and not the end goal. We follow along as Ophelia grows and learns through life and changes her mindset and perspective. I believe that some more subtle themes might have gone over my head but that is the beauty of this book, you will pick and choice the aspects that do speak to you at this point of your own journey and if I reread this book in a year or 5 years, different aspects will be revealed to me then.
It was incredible nice to see Lisbon from a foreign perspective and it made me appreciate my home country even more. I definitely recommend this book to all of us people that are interest in growth and learning about ourselves and what is around us.

Some quotes that I have highlighted:
“I couldn’t cope with the idea that the world was harboring joy and suffering equally. The world surely must be more beautiful than that, right?”

“Was I supposed to accept the present moment or actively pursue a different lifestyle?”

“An everyday moment laden with inconceivable beauty.”

[matilde]

4.5 ; i have a book club with my girlfriends and and as soon as i saw the cover from this book and read the synopses i knew this would be the perfect book for this month. i loved the way the author talked about the places she visited and her thoughts while being there, especially the way she talked about the city with so much love and fascination and realness. it’s one of my favourite books of the year, so beautifully written and so deeply felt

[Elly Pfitzner]

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. There were some beautiful locations, descriptions and philosophical ideas mentioned - it had the elements for a successful Eat-Pray-Love-esque novel. Instead, it felt like a superficial list of descriptions, a diverse and lengthy range of events, characters that we never knew enough about to connect with, and superficial application of some deep philosophical concepts.

[Morgane Bras]

Ik volg Sophia op IG en was enthousiast toen ik zag dat ze een boek schreef. Ik wist: dit moet ik hebben. Ook gewoon die cover.

Maar mijn verwachtingen lagen te hoog. Het boek is te onsamenhangend en te filosofisch, er lijkt geen plot te zijn. Het duurde lang voor ik deze uithad. Er waren wel nog mooie quotes.

[Anna Chavchanidze]

I loved this! In certain moments it felt like I was reading about myself. It felt as though the writer took a peak into my mind and was able to describe certain feelings that I myself didn’t know how to describe myself.

The way you will read this book and if it resonates with you or not will very much depend on where you currently are in life and how you position yourself towards the ‘standard way of living’

Just as the cover says, this book is indeed for those that feel and think deeply…about the meaning of life and our personal story experiencing it.

[Tyasha Clementina]

2.75*
This book started off so good and so relatable I expected to give it 4 stars but then towards the end the writer took down her pants and shat on the plot. Its like she didnt feel like writing an actual story any more so just rushed through it with some of her opinions on AI and Gen Z and capitalism without any woven relevant storyline. I also hate books that mention Covid but thats besides the point.

[Laura Elenbaas]

Absolutely loved and enjoyed this book, read it in two sittings. The story is so recognizable and it feels like your getting a peak into Ophelia’s complex mind. It’s fun, interesting and makes you think about life in a deeper way!

[rita rodrigues ♡]

todas as vezes eu digo que é a última vez que eu compro um livro porque a capa é bonita, mas se calhar é desta – insuportáveis meditações e questionamentos exaustivos de uma personagem que honestamente não tem mais nada que fazer

[Cris]

de los mejores que he leido este año sin duda!!!! 🎆🌶️🪩
una chica vive en Amsterdam y no le gusta su vida de ciudad así que decide tener un trabajo online y viajar por el mundo (my dream) a bali, Lisboa, África y Lanzarote

capítulos cortos y super filosófico de la vida en general

[Jana Rumpf]

Knjigo sem prebrala samo zaradi trme, da ne bom končala sredi branja. Eno samo trpljenje je bilo to branje. Pretirano olepšan jezik s polno pseudo-intelektualnosti, ampak nobena "globoka" misel ni bila dejansko razvita. Kot ljudje, pri katerih opaziš, da govorijo in so sami sebi najbolj všeč, ker se jim zdi, da govorijo inteligentne stvari, čeprav je vse en bullshit, ko se enkrat poglobiš v kontekst? Če bi bila ta knjiga človek, bi bila tak človek. Ena najslabših knjig zadnjih nekaj let.

[Francisca Mateus]

I read this book in three sittings; it’s incredibly fluid and easy to read.
The writing is beautifully and extremely relatable for those in their twenties, feels like a breath of fresh air.
I could relate to most of her anxieties and struggles.

I enjoyed following Ophelia’s journey as she navigated her way from feeling lost to finally finding a sense of belonging. I especially loved how she described Lisbon, my hometown, capturing its beauty and authenticity.

My only complaint is that I wish the characters were more explored/ developed as none of the relationships/ friendships are very deep.

Excited to read what comes next from her.

[Fanny van Iersel]

Ik ga niet voor je liegen, dit is gewoon any other white girl ever. Ze kan goed schrijven, het is poëtisch, de invalshoeken filosofisch en het uitgangspunt romantisch. Maar het verhaal is cliché en te voorspelbaar. Er wordt niets in mijn ziel gepakt, laat staan geschud. Het voelde als een filosofisch boek voor kinderen maar dan niet geschreven voor kinderen? Ik fuckte er niet zo mee.

[Mirjam]

Mwah. Bit boring at times. Didn’t really connect with the FMC. She’s got some issuesss ✨

[Carolina]

It all came together in the end.
Some quotes will stick with me for the rest of my life <3

[Pauline]

Tof tussendoortje

[Dajana]

Beautiful and the coziest book I've ever read, holding my focus longer than any other.

[Isabella]

I don't believe that this book was "for me," even though I initially believed it was.

I purchased a physical copy of "Violet Syrup" from my local independent bookstore in Madrid. When I was checking out, the bookseller said to me excitedly, "Did you know that it's written by an influencer based in Portugal?" Of course I knew; I was buying it because I was influenced by her. Plus, on the surface, the story of a young woman finding her way through travel and the exploration of a non-traditional life felt like something to which I would easily relate.

Unfortunately, this ended up being a book where the idea was there, but the execution was not. Personally, I think a book should be held up by three pillars: character, plot, and strong writing. These don't all necessarily have to be there for me to enjoy a book. I often enjoy a thriller or romance that has a fun plot, but lacks memorable characters and strong writing. On the other hand, lord knows I'll sit and marinate with a book like Beautiful World, Where Are You where the characters are everything and "nothing really happens" because the plot isn't really as paramount. With "Violet Syrup," I felt that none of these three pillars were strong enough to support my interest as a reader.

The main character, Ophelia, is really the only character that is fleshed out. Her parents appear, but only at the start of the novel. She has some friends that pop into and out of her life, seemingly randomly, and without any contribution to the plot.

Nothing really happens in this book in a way that made sense to me. Ophelia will go to sleep in one country, then I would turn the page and she's woken up in another place altogether. It was jarring, discontinuous, and, often, the side quests of the character really didn't do anything to advance the plot or the character development. Ultimately, Ophelia really only "needed" to travel to Bali, back home, and then to Portugal for this plot to play out.

The writing, for me, was distracting and I didn't ever reach that place as a reader where I was able to suspend my disbelief because there was always something snagging as I read. The writing relies heavily on simile: "After consuming two double espressos, our bodies were brimming with energy, and our hands trembled, turbulent like frothing milk. I wondered whether this whole chaos of life was something I had to go through to become, over time, as soft and velvety as a flat white." In one chapter, the main character watches a man with whom she has spent the night making eggs on the stove and wonders if he will take care of "her eggs" as well. This baffled me and the comparison between an omelette and a human baby felt a little ridiculous, but perhaps this is a valid logical pathway for someone whose biological clock is ticking. There were also moments where the writing didn't sound authentic to how these characters—or any person at all—would think. For example, I could only imagine Yoda when I read this sentence: "I grew familiar with them but hadn't noticed that they'd climb in my bed, as a deep sleeper I usually was." The book also includes strange and, for me, unnecessary poetic interludes that added to the feeling of disjointedness throughout the book.

As other reviews mention, the book starts of very disconnected and does get a bit smoother as you get into it. That being said, I did almost put this book down, but ended up reading the whole thing because I committed to reviewing it honestly and I think in order to do so, you must read a book in its entirety.

This book was simply not for me, but I do believe that it might be for some people. If you loved books like The Alchemist or The Secret, I think you might enjoy "Violet Syrup." I also think lovers of more esoteric reads like Audition could find "Violet Syrup" interesting.

I look forward to what Sophia Molen writes in the future and hope that it is closer to memoir than fiction! Instead of telling a story through characters like Ophelia, I'd be interested to hear about her own seemingly very similar life experiences.

[Havi]

There was barely any plot