VeganCleopatra

3.5 stars

Ultraviolet is a difficult book to rate as some aspects I really loved and other aspects were a bit underwhelming. I absolutely loved that Alison had synesthesia, that is a fascinating condition and honestly it made me want to experience it. Her being put in a mental hospital and not trusting her own sanity was compelling and it made it difficult to know whether she was crazy or not (although knowing there is a paranormal twist rather ruins the height of this situation). Despite knowing there was a paranormal element, I still enjoyed the twist about two-thirds through the book. The aspects of the paranormal part of the book that are revealed during the last third of the book make me really interested in the sequel. I only had a few issues with the book but I just could not come to give the book a full four star rating. The writing suffers from purple prose at times, although this can be argued as being due to the synesthesia. Also, the relationship between Faraday and Alison felt odd to me at times, although I could understand the attraction. But a number of questions arose for me, such as how old is Faraday exactly with the time difference? Why did Alison not contemplate whether Faraday was the crazy one? Despite her skepticism with other things she was quick to believe Faraday, despite her ability to tell when one is lying I would have expected more caution. Aside from these minor issues, parts of the book were a bit slow but nothing debilitating. Overall I really enjoyed the book and really look forward to Quicksilver.