Book Review: Shrinking Violet

"Bella, eat your heart out. Tere is the girl every young woman truly wants to be... Brilliant work, Danielle Joseph." - Ellen Hopkins

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....

The book shows the life of Teresa Adams, an introvert teenager who is always afraid to speak her mind, as she slowly metamorphosized and gained confidence  through the help of her friend, Galvin and her The SLAM FM radio station family.

TERESA ADAMS. She is a very shy person and every time she wants to speak, it's as if her mouth is full of peanut butter which makes her tongue retreat back to where it belongs. She has a passion for music and she wants to become a DJ. Actually, she has been a DJ for so long inside the solitude of her room. Upon hearing the resignation of a DJ, she quickly volunteers to help seeing this as an opportunity to hone her talent as a DJ. With the help of her friends (Jason, Audrey, Pop Tart) she quickly learned the ropes and instantly became a hit. In a few weeks time, Sweet T became the new sensation in the radio waves.

JASON & DEREK. I like Jason. He is the friend who encourages Tere to be confident  and to be just herself when speaking on-air. Derek ,on the other hand is an asshole but eh can also be good. He was the one who came up with the promo where the songwriter with the best song will be given the chance to meet and escort Sweet T to her prom - complete with limousine and live coverage and an airtime for his song.

GAVIN. He is Tere's classmate in two of her classes. He was some kind of a goth to others because he always uses black clothes plus he grows his hair longer than is customary. I like him though because he's not judgmental. He made Tere believed in herself.

DELILAH. Oh well, so much for monster mothers. I guess I cannot blame her for being the person she is. It might be an after effect of her childhood. I hated her at first but then she's making an effort to change so who am I to judge her?

I like the DJ-ish introductions at the end of each chapter. It gave hints of what's supposed to happen next. I might check out the songs and bands mentioned in this book later on. I must also applaud the author for making no such rush in transforming Tere's character. It's always a step-by-step process.

Overall, I like the story though it's a bit predictable. I expected a little conflict towards the end. I figured out that Gavin already knew her secret even before it was revealed. Anyway, it's refreshing and it's a quick read. If you want a breather, then this will do.