I had an indulgent summer slash early fall, from a literary perspective. I rarely departed from the YA/teen novel category. This is not SO unusual, I do subscribe to two teen magazines (Teen Vogue and Seventeen). Teen novels are like grilled cheese sandwiches. You feel sort of guilty ordering them because they’re kind of juvenile, they aren’t REALLY substantial enough to constitute a balanced meal, but they’re SO good and there’s really no substitute when you’re craving one. So when I received my copy of Violet on the Runway by my former mediabistro.com teacher Melissa Walker, I immediately dropped Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground (sorry, bookclub… I picked it back up, don’t worry) and devoured it. Melissa’s experience as a former writer and editor for ELLEgirl gives Violet on the Runway an authentic feel. Basically, smarmy Angela, a modeling agent discovers Violet, a high school senior working at a movie theater in her hometown of Chapel Hill.

I was roped in after reading up to page 12: “Toto’s ‘Africa’ was on, and I was thinking how sad it was that it wouldn’t take a lot to take me away from anyone or anything in my boring little life–when I heard Joanie, the somewhat excitable overweight lady in the ticket box, arguing with a customer.” Violet is utterly relateable in an Angela Chase sort of way. So much so that I finished the book in a mere two days and eagerly anticipate the next book in the series, Violet by Design.

The book covers the politics of high school, the transformation of Violet into uber chic Violet, (which naturally begins with her haircut and highlights), and the torture of having to speak to your parents at dinner when you’re a teen. She then moves to New York to work as a model and quickly enters a world of Fashion Week, Prada, Marquee, and Page Six. Melissa also introduces us to the word “vurp” (a combo of vomit and burp) which I cannot stop using. Throughout the book, you’re simultaneously rooting for Violet to be ANTM and for her to go home to North Carolina. Click here to order the book.

In other teen-related news, I’ve also been loving Gossip Girl on CW11. I’ve read several of the books and was delighted to watch the show. What do you think? And isn’t Serena’s hair PHENOM?

P.S. Melissa hosts “Win it Wednesdays” on her blog where you can enter to win Lancome Juicy Tubes! What’s better?