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 ...
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Feb 13, 2012
Elena
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The List is a cautionary tale about a fictional Mount Washington High School that allows a list the week before every homecoming with the prettiest and the ugliest girls listed for each grade. How the eight girls identified react to this status and how it affects their lives is realistically presented in a thought provoking and touching manner. Even the girls chosen as prettiest suffer as victims of the notoriety because labels can hurt self-esteem and pressure individuals to act in a cert
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Oct 07, 2011
I stayed up way too late to finish this. I couldn't stop!
It's quite a talented trick that Vivian pulls off - 8 main characters with a 3rd person omniscient narrator and I still felt emotionally involved in their stories. There's a very strong authorial voice. I always felt like there was someone telling me the stories of these girls. So there was a duality while I was reading.
Vivian is very good at writing realistic-feeling situations. I really was transported back to More...
It's quite a talented trick that Vivian pulls off - 8 main characters with a 3rd person omniscient narrator and I still felt emotionally involved in their stories. There's a very strong authorial voice. I always felt like there was someone telling me the stories of these girls. So there was a duality while I was reading.
Vivian is very good at writing realistic-feeling situations. I really was transported back to More...
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Jan 13, 2012
Arlene
rated it: 
Thank you Flannery from The Readventurer for allowing me to read this ARC. :D
With trembling hands, she quickly finishes pinning the dress and puts it on…then she twists her hair up, adds a bit of lipstick. She gets ready without looking in the mirror…. She doesn’t need to see herself. She already knows. She will never be pretty...
So here’s what happens every year at Mount Washington High School. A week before Homecoming, students walk the halls in search of The List poste More...
With trembling hands, she quickly finishes pinning the dress and puts it on…then she twists her hair up, adds a bit of lipstick. She gets ready without looking in the mirror…. She doesn’t need to see herself. She already knows. She will never be pretty...
So here’s what happens every year at Mount Washington High School. A week before Homecoming, students walk the halls in search of The List poste More...
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(23 people liked it)
Oct 15, 2011
Rachee
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I heard Siobhan Vivian speak at an awards banquet and totally enjoyed her speech. She was fun, she was real and when she shared the reasons why she writes young adult books I was hooked. The List follows the point of view of eight girls for one week as they each learn that they have been placed on The List of the two most prettiest and ugliest students in each grade. Each character is very real, their new found lives after learning how their school sees them is a pleasure to read as the boo More...
Feb 15, 2012
Adriana
rated it: 
Kirkus reviews called this one "riveting" but they must have been reading a different advance copy because I didn't find it riveting at all. The story is based around the idea that a LIST is put out each year at Mount Washington High School naming the prettiest and ugliest girl in each grade. No one knows who makes the list, the only thing that makes it official is the Mt. Washington stamp that adorns it. First off I was not thrilled with 8 different characters, it took me over half
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Feb 04, 2012
Christiana
rated it:
The List blew me away. Consider me impressed. It follows all eight girls without ever feeling confusing. And there's so much to talk about in this book (I think it would make a great adult discussion book): feminism, self-fulfilling prophecies, identity; that I don't see many places. It was hard to read a couple times, but I appreciate that Vivian pulls no punches and tells these girl's stories in their entireties. I don't know if I would classify this as a favorite book as much as an impor
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Feb 01, 2012
Marianne
rated it: 
good, but not ground breaking (at least not yet)
I am thinking too many characters. I get why there are eight, but I feel like I need a cheat sheet at the start of every chapter. Which one is this again...oh yeah. Pretty mean girl, etc.
OK...now that I have finished I will add that I still feel that there were too many characters. Maybe a book designer could help this through some form of visual cue.
I liked the ending much more than I liked the middle.
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I am thinking too many characters. I get why there are eight, but I feel like I need a cheat sheet at the start of every chapter. Which one is this again...oh yeah. Pretty mean girl, etc.
OK...now that I have finished I will add that I still feel that there were too many characters. Maybe a book designer could help this through some form of visual cue.
I liked the ending much more than I liked the middle.
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Jan 29, 2012
Shanda
rated it:
I got a copy of this book at the ALA conference last week, and though it wasn't the best book I have ever read, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know about these characters. All of them were interesting characters and I wanted to hear their stories. I cared about the freshman and junior "ugly" and the sophmore and junior "pretty" and would have liked to heard more about their stories. It left a lot of questions unanswered, but at the end of the day, I enjoyed it and rec
Jan 27, 2012
Janssen
rated it:
I'm the queen of losing track of multiple voices, so it's amazing to me that I could keep track of EIGHT separate narratives. Very nicely done.
I didn't LOVE this book, but I liked it quite well. Lots to ponder and an ending I didn't expect.
(Also, I'm curious if you would really smell THAT bad after four days without showering. Without exercising or it being summer? Bart and I had a discussion that was WAY too long about this topic).
I didn't LOVE this book, but I liked it quite well. Lots to ponder and an ending I didn't expect.
(Also, I'm curious if you would really smell THAT bad after four days without showering. Without exercising or it being summer? Bart and I had a discussion that was WAY too long about this topic).
Jan 24, 2012
Makalia
rated it:
I thought that the list was a very good book. I recommend this to a person who like to read about teenage drama. My favorite part of this book was when I found out who wrote the list. I was surprised but I really thought there was more to the person that wrote the list than there was. I also like that the person explained why the person did put the people on the list.
Jan 25, 2012
Jen
rated it:
There were A LOT of characters to keep track of in this book. I had to keep flipping back to the list in the beginning to remember who they all were. The story covers some heavy teen issues and that was sometimes hard to read. I loved the last few sentences. The symbolism in the last line was classic.
Sep 01, 2011
I'm still not such a contemp fan, but let's see what Siobhan Vivian can do with a semi-recycled idea. How much angst? How much hope? How much thrill?
I know I sound sarcastic. But, for once, I'm not trying to be. I'm genuinely interested in where this book is going to go.
I know I sound sarcastic. But, for once, I'm not trying to be. I'm genuinely interested in where this book is going to go.
Dec 04, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
Interesting story line for teenn girls. the writing was not very good. i enjoyed the characters and their issues but i don't feel that it went into enough detail to really get the young readers to understand the seriousness of some of the topics. if you are going to tell a story, make it mean something, especially to this age group.
Jan 27, 2012
Julie
rated it:
You wanna know what? I loved this book. It had it's flaws, yeah. But at the heart of it, I really loved it. Towards the end there's this whole spooky feel to it, that sold me. 150%. I might write a lengthier review at a later date, but I think I need to let this simmer for now.
Jan 28, 2012
Becky
rated it:
Heartbreakingly and uncomfortably beautiful. I wanted a bit more though. A great balance of eight girls, but I had a little trouble following who was who at the beginning.
A book all educators and women should read.
A book all educators and women should read.
Jan 25, 2012
Danielle
rated it:
Eight voices is too many. And the book ended before there was any sort of resolution to most of the stories. I loved NOt That Kind of Girl. This book? Not so much.
Jan 18, 2012
Suzanne
rated it:
Hmmm, maybe a 3. I'll have to decide and put something a little more substantial on about it.
Overall: concept interesting; execution muddy and uninspired, imo.
Overall: concept interesting; execution muddy and uninspired, imo.
Feb 08, 2012
Lalitha
rated it:
Thought provoking and raw. Only fault with it was that some characters weren't as fleshed out as others. Loved it, though.
Jan 29, 2012
Inge
rated it:
More like a 4.5. Couldn't put it down: http://magpielibrarian.wordpress.com/201...
Jan 27, 2012
Melanie
rated it:
Lots of characters to keep up with in this one, but I really liked it. It sucked me in like a Lifetime movie, and I liked the little twist at the end.
Jan 13, 2012
I really really want to read this book! I think it'll be very emotionall and sensity.
Oct 01, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
4.5.
This is Siobhan's best book yet. The eight girls are extremely well fleshed and all unique. This is not a multiple points of view book, but it's instead in the vein of The Chocolate War, and you can definitely tell the inspiration within it.
Each of these girls is heartbreaking, and their stories are so unique and yet so intertwined. The ending! ARGH. It's the right kind of ending and the kind I love.
Longer review to come. It's too bad there is such a long wait More...
This is Siobhan's best book yet. The eight girls are extremely well fleshed and all unique. This is not a multiple points of view book, but it's instead in the vein of The Chocolate War, and you can definitely tell the inspiration within it.
Each of these girls is heartbreaking, and their stories are so unique and yet so intertwined. The ending! ARGH. It's the right kind of ending and the kind I love.
Longer review to come. It's too bad there is such a long wait More...
Oct 25, 2011
Mrs.
rated it:
The latest from Siobhan Vivian, a look at the often cruel social hierarchy in high school, is deft, cutting, and current. She captures perfectly the mixed feelings popularity - and unpopularity - can bring. Once I started reading about the eight very different girls featured I couldn't stop until I knew what happened to them! A wrenching ad real teen read.
--Review by Lauren
--Review by Lauren
