Blog Tour Review: The Sound of Violet by Allen Wolf

Posted September 23, 2021 by Lisa Mandina in Blog Tour, Review / 2 Comments

Blog Tour Review:  The Sound of Violet by Allen Wolf

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blog Tour Review:  The Sound of Violet by Allen WolfThe Sound of Violet by Allen Wolf
Published by Morning Star Publishing on September 21, 2021
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 226
Source: the publisher
Format: Paperback
My Rating: three-stars
Goodreads
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Synopsis:

Desperate to find a soulmate, Shawn goes on one awkward date after another until he encounters the alluring Violet. He starts dating her, but his autism keeps him from realizing that she’s actually a prostitute.

Shawn thinks he’s found a potential wife while Violet thinks she’s found her ticket to a brand new life. This hilarious and dramatic award-winning story has been adapted into a major motion picture.

PRAISE FOR THE SOUND OF VIOLET:

“Wolf, an award-winning filmmaker, has adapted this first novel from his own original screenplay, and its cinematic potential clearly shows. The high-concept narrative is entertaining, well-paced, and highly visual … It’s a charming, humorous, and hopeful tale. A quirky, touching love story that offers insights into autism, religion, and personal tragedy.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A wonderfully well-written, funny, romantic love story. Unique and inspirational. The Sound of Violet is not your average romance. Rarely do I find myself so captivated by a book that I cannot put it down for nearly two hours. Pick up this book and get lost in the beauty of their relationship. My only complaint would be that the story had an ending, as all stories do, and I did so want to keep reading on. Most highly recommended. The Sound of Violet is simply remarkable.” – Readers’ Favorite

“By turning conventions of contemporary romance on its stilettos and swapping out the typical sassy, fashion-obsessed female protagonist for an autistic male who reads jokes from index cards, Wolf puts a fresh spin on the genre. Adapted from his award-winning screenplay, The Sound of Violet shows signs of its origins with snappy dialogue and humorous, well-staged scenes … A sweet and entertaining romantic comedy, The Sound of Violet touches on autism and the power of faith. It will appeal to any reader who enjoys a blend of quirky characters, humor, and drama.” – Blue Ink Review

“Heartfelt, out-of-the-ordinary romance … This warm, witty story does not shy away from serious themes like exploitation, redemption, and true love. The Sound of Violet explores heavy issues with a light touch. It’s easy to see this being adapted into an enjoyable movie …” – Foreword Reviews

Q & A with the Author:

How did you come up with the story for The Sound of Violet?

A friend and I were laughing about the challenges of navigating the dating world in Los Angeles years ago. Even though I was married, those days were still vivid in my mind. Those conversations inspired me to write The Sound of Violet about two dating-challenged people from entirely different walks of life and the opposite from each other in significant ways. The woman is paid to be with men and has a skewed view of love. The man is autistic and struggles with forming relationships as well as physical touch. And he has his own idealistic view of relationships. I thought bringing those two together would make a fascinating and dynamic story and could teach us something about love.

I can relate to Shawn’s dating journey because it reflects some of my journey when I was a single man in Los Angeles. Even though I’m not on the autism spectrum, I struggled with many of my main character’s issues, such as meaningfully connecting with women, being naïve in relationships, and struggling with building intimacy. The woman he falls in love with works as a prostitute, which he doesn’t realize. I thought that would be a compelling contrast with Shawn, who has a faith background and saved himself for marriage. He resists touching because it’s too intense for him, while she’s forced to touch others. I thought that would make a compelling story.

You wear many different hats beyond being an author. How do you balance being an author, a filmmaker, a game creator, and a podcaster?

I start most days around 4:00 a.m. and sometimes even earlier. In those early morning hours, I’m able to work on my creative projects without interruption. I try to work on a project consistently and chip away at it day after day. Then, one day it’s finished, and I’m able to move on to something else. Starting any new project feels like standing at the base of an enormous mountain, and it can feel overwhelming to think of what’s ahead. But if I can move forward with one small step after another, eventually, I discover I’ve made it to the summit. It takes a lot of perseverance, but it’s worth it when I see my creative work come to life and hear how what I’m doing is having a positive impact on people’s lives.

What are your current creative influences?

The works of C.S. Lewis inspire me, and I have read his books numerous times. I recently finished reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe to my kids for the first time. I’m always impressed by how C.S. Lewis can weave together a powerful story with a deeper meaning. JRR Tolkien also inspires me for the same reasons. I’m also a huge fan of Liane Moriarty and love how she captures the inner lives of her characters in her novels.

How can we see a trailer of The Sound of Violet?

Anyone who purchases the novel will get a sneak preview of the trailer. Readers send their receipt or transaction number to info@thesoundofviolet.com, and they’ll be one of the first people to see the trailer.

My Review:

The very first sentence of this book was like the author can read my thoughts:

“Shawn didn’t feel like an adult because adults were married, and he struggled to get through a date.”

I honestly thought a woman I worked with once at a bookstore was older than me when I first started working there because she was married and had two kids. Come to find out later on, she was the exact same age as me.

So obviously, I was definitely intrigued right away. The story was original with the hero, Shawn, being a man with autism, but he was at a very high functioning level. While he did still live with his grandmother, he went to work at an office every day on his own, and actually dated and lived a basically normal life. He did have the same issues with touching and not quite understanding cues from facial expressions, not to mention how he pretty much took everything people said literally, as is a trait of many or most people with autism.

Now the title has to do with another characteristic he had, one that is not something necessarily related to autism, as I know people who are not autistic that have synesthesia. But certain colors or objects made sounds to him. We get to experience a couple of his disastrous dates, and can see how he is struggling. While it seems really romantic that he wants to get married, we do soon find out part of it is because he is worried about having someone to take care of him when his grandmother dies. Which he stresses about because of when he lost his grandfather.

Violet is actually a prostitute, and he meets her at one of his company’s parties. He thinks they are hitting off and sets up what he assumes is going to be a dinner date with her. Not realizing that she is thinking he is hiring her. All of the misunderstandings that follow from that lead to a strange yet unique relationship/friendship developing between the two.

I’m actually looking forward to seeing the movie of this when it comes out next year. The book wasn’t bad, but honestly I think it will work better for me as a movie, but that has to do with my preference for writing styles I think. This was a simple, easy read. I only had a few issues with it. I do have to mention that some of the actual justice system things that we are told about at the end of the book are so unrealistic. There is no way someone like this bad guy would get through a whole trial and sentenced before the characters heal from the injuries he gave them. In the end we did get the happily ever after for Shawn and Violet, and I like how Shawn seemed able to grow and get past some of his issues. I know that he said he was seeing someone to help with that, and I feel like maybe more of that should have been in the book, because it almost seemed like he was cured of them just so easily, and I don’t know if that is realistic either. But it is fiction, and we all want the HEA and for things to work out!

About the Author:

Allen Wolf has won multiple awards as an author, filmmaker, and game creator. He is also the host of the popular Navigating Hollywood podcast where he interviews film and TV professionals about what it takes to thrive in entertainment.

He married his Persian princess, and they are raising their kids in Los Angeles. Allen loves traveling around the world and hearing people’s life stories. He is an avid fan of Disneyland where he has visited over 500 times. Allen wrote, directed, and produced the feature film adaption of The Sound of Violet which will debut in theaters in late 2022.


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