Domestic Violets
By Matthew Norman
Paperback | Kindle
Harper Perennial
Release Date: August 9, 2011

Have you wished that you’d have everything you ever wanted by the time you reached a certain age? Meet Tom Violet, he’s just like you. He wants to be rich and famous with a gorgeous wife and a career as a novelist by the age of 35. Well, Tom is 35 now and has a beautiful wife, but hasn’t become a successful novelist like his Pulitzer Prize-winning father. He’s written a novel which sits in a desk and Tom works a soul crushing job that he doesn’t love. Did I also mention he has a crush on his young female co-worker? Tom Violet’s life is not the one he wanted but he’s going to try to change it.

Domestic Violets is the debut novel by author Matthew Norman. Before reading this novel, I heard a lot of internet buzz surrounding this book. People who had read it were ranting and raving about how good the book was. I can honestly tell you that the book is fantastic and one of the best books I’ve read in the last decade. Norman has a skill with storytelling. The book balances humor and drama very well. One minute you’re laughing then you’re feeling bad for the main character of Tom Violet.

Tom Violent is a very relatable character. I think everyone has wanted their life to be everything they’ve ever wanted and sometimes it just doesn’t go the way as planned. Tom is definitely a model character of those situations. He’s married but he and his wife are having marital issues, his job is a joke to him, his father is a famous writer and he aspires to be famous for writing as well. His father also has an issue with staying with one woman. He’s a rock star of the publishing world. Tom also has a crush on his 20-year-old co-worker, which only causes trouble for him throughout the novel.

I had a lot of fun reading Domestic Violets. It was a fantastic read from start to finish. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s not only witty and smart, but it’s also one of the best books that I’ve read in a long time. If you like a good, relatable, and engaging story then may I suggest Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman? You’ll definitely love it!