Review: The List

Author: Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Push
Pages: 332
Format: ARC
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Summary:  An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

My Favorite Lines:

“It didn't matter if I was the kind of girl who had sex, or the kind of girl who had her portrait on on a wall in the library, or the kind of girl who who got into the best college, or the kind of girl who didn't tell her parents everything, or the kind of girl who teachers loved. 

I just needed to be okay with all the kinds of girl I was.”

Why I Loved It:  Ah, the joys of being in high school *so glad I escaped those halls* and finding your place among the masses.  I normally think out my reviews when I shower.  I think about what I loved, what I didn't, and so on.  This has been a hard review to come up with, and that shower was a long one.  But before I delve into that, can I say that the lockers at my school were not even close to that pretty.  I love that color.

Anywho, on to my review.  I honestly did like the book.  I thought it was a good, quick read.  Since I spend large portions of time in a middle school, I can see a lot of truth to the dynamics of the book.  *I know middle school is younger, but people, this kind of crazy starts young*  The premise of eight girls, four pretty and four deemed not so pretty, discovering their name on a list posted all over school of the chosen prettiest and ugliest girls in each grade and how much such a list would affect their lives was fascinating to me.  When Ms. Vivian discussed it on a panel, I really got into how the idea came about. It really is an interesting idea.  And throughout the book, she targets some serious issues found among teenage girls such as anorexia, bulimia, peer pressure, sibling rivalry, and of course the joys of *of course it's not a popularity contest*  voting for homecoming queen.  

This is the kind of book that I wouldn't recommend to adults *such as myself* because while it is a fabulous book, it's fabulousness is going to stick more with the teens dealing with the issues in the book in the world around them.  Let's face it, students may not post a list up everywhere in school, but there IS a list at every high school.  If you are on that list, you know.  Everyday in high school revolves around this kind of imaginary list that the school lives by.  It's true.  So the idea of the book was actually pretty awesome, in my opinion.

The book alternates perspectives going through all the girls, revolving until the book is completed.  This means, the reader gets a look into how each girl handles discovering the list, dealing with it, and how it affects their lives.  For the most part, this book is not happy.  I was very sad and a bit angry throughout the book because its very real.  The actions of each character is what paints the story, the emotions, and what makes the story rich.  Such behavior is real, it happens, and kids are cruel.  The book clearly depicts that.

What I didn't love is how Jennifer, the girl that has been most ugly for four years in a row * an all-time record* is suddenly taken in by the popular girls and put in the middle of a campaign for homecoming queen.  It just didn't work for me, and really I just got angry a lot towards the end.  The end also left me with some questions about some of the girls.  I know that some of the stories had a bit of a conclusion, but some seemed to be left out to dry so to speak.

Regardless, I did enjoy the book.  It kept my interest, and it speaks true of what kids can be like in the world of high school.  

Who Should Read It:  Young adults.  Teens.  High school kids.  If you fit the above category, and you like contemporary, this book is for you.

       

Review: Burn for Burn

Author(s): Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Series: Burn for Burn #1
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Summary:  Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Why I Loved It:  At the risk of being cliche, revenge has never been so sweet.  I read this book pretty early into last semester.  Thursdays were library days, so I think I took it with me on a Thursday and wrapped it up by sixth period.  And I have at least one thing to say.  WHY WOULD YOU END THE BOOK LIKE THAT???

Ok.  Much better.  Now the ending just makes me desperately want to read Fire With Fire.  It's one of the major nerd girl problems: finishing a book in a day and having to wait a year for the sequel.  I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.  I can't say I had read a book like this lately.

Three girls- Mary, Lillia, and Kat -are determined that they are going to get even.  Each girl comes from a pretty different background, but their desire for payback brings them together on a mission.  Personally, I loved Kat.  Like REALLY liked Kat.  Her feisty attitude kept me reading.

I was a little worried at the beginning of the book because these books can veer off into predictable pretty quickly, but I found that Ms. Han and Ms. Vivian did a great job with keeping the book fresh and different.  The book keeps you on your toes as you read.  You can't help but anticipate the next act of revenge.  Another strength I found was the well-written minor characters.  They really pulled together the book.

I found it pretty interesting how the mild paranormal influence that peeks out here and there throughout the book just pretty much explodes on you in the end.  I will say this:  the authors made sure I had to read the next book.

My only mild concern was that the main characters could have used a little bit more development.  I wanted to understand them better.  Every so often, a character would do something, and I would wonder why in the world they would do that.  It just seemed so off the wall.  Either way, that may just be me.

In the end, the book was well-written and lured me into the pages.  I will definitely pick up the next book in the series when it is released.

Who Should Read It:  It's a great contemporary read.  If you were that kid in school that was always wanting someone to get their comeuppance, you might really enjoy this book.  I have a feeling that paranormal might be an even bigger influence in the next book.  That pulls in you paranormal peeps.

          

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Summary:  The start of a brand-new young adult trilogy about three very different girls who overcome their differences and band together to seek revenge on those who have wronged them, uncovering a supernatural secret about what brought them together and why in the process.  Each book will roate back and forth between the perspectives of all three characters.  

Why I Can't Wait: I know that summary doesn't give you much.  The summary is enough to make me want to read it.  But if that summary was horrible, I would still read it.  Guess why?  I think the answer is pretty clear.  Jenny Han AND Siobhan Vivian are co-writing it.  Does anyone else realize how awesome that is?  I got to meet Siobhan at TBC, and she is amazing.  But enough about the incredible authors.  For me, the summary sounds like contemporary meets paranormal.  I'm so excited about such a combo.  And of course, the cover is beautiful.  I already love this book.

Expected Publication:  September 18, 2012 by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers