Vanessa is wise beyond her years. She's never really fit in at school, where all the kids act and dress the same. She's an artist who expresses her...
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reviews
May 15, 2011
Nancy
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This is a quick read and I found the story to be very relevant. Vanessa is the girl you know. She wants to be identified as someone. She wants to be herself but doesn't know who she is. She identifies with some form of fashion statement and colors her hair according to her mood. She wears a colored string according to her mood. She's ready for the next big thing which is nebulous but it's definitely not high school.
Vanessa gets a job at an art store and identifies with some o More...
Vanessa gets a job at an art store and identifies with some o More...
Aug 23, 2011
Erica
rated it:
My Not-So-Still Life was an interesting read for me. I don’t really have that huge of an opinion about it, there were some things I liked and some things that I wasn’t as crazy about, with all the pieces falling in at about a perfect center.
I really liked Liz Gallagher’s writing, it was beautiful prose. Some of her descriptions got a bit lengthy though. I felt like so much of the book was Vanessa’s descriptions, which made sense, as she is an artist and I feel would see the world that More...
I really liked Liz Gallagher’s writing, it was beautiful prose. Some of her descriptions got a bit lengthy though. I felt like so much of the book was Vanessa’s descriptions, which made sense, as she is an artist and I feel would see the world that More...
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Jul 18, 2011
Mariama
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I think this Book is a great adventure into the life of a not so average teenager who looks at her life and the world as a big canvas waiting to be painted by her!!! This book even though using simplistic words is a young adult novel that i think the artist, the undefined, and the searching for their identity teenager would enjoy. This book showes the growing up process of Vannessa who's eager to get out into the world and become an adult so she can be the master of her own destiny. But along th
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Jul 11, 2011
Page
rated it: 
My Not-So-Still Life is a companion book for The Opposite of Invisible - I was unaware that it was a companion book and felt like I was missing something while reading My Not-So-Still Life. I would advise reading The Opposite of Invisible first; maybe it will help understand what happen with Vanessa and Jewel; that relationship is basically the catalyst for Vanessa's behavior in My Not-So-Still Life.
My Not-So-Still Life is told from Vanessa's point of view - she is an artist and like More...
My Not-So-Still Life is told from Vanessa's point of view - she is an artist and like More...
Jun 24, 2011
Saba
rated it: 
Just finished this today, and I loved it. I feel like the conflicts faced by the main character represent a lot of teenagers who, sometimes and to varying degrees, feel kind of trapped by their environment (hello). Vanessa might be a bit of an extreme case, with her insistence on standing out and being a walking work of art and her general impatience with all things high school, but I guess sometimes that's what it takes for the author to really convey a message strongly. I also loved how art- t
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May 03, 2011
Cari
rated it:
My Not So Still Life is a really short novel by Liz Gallagher. It’s also the companion novel to The Opposite of Invisible which I have not read. I figured that since My Not So Still Life is a companion novel I should be able to just jump directly into the story without trying to figure out everyone’s backstory, but that didn’t happen.
My Not So Still Life is about Vanessa who is suppose to be all about art but I didn’t feel that art was the main focus of the novel. Vanessa like most tee More...
My Not So Still Life is about Vanessa who is suppose to be all about art but I didn’t feel that art was the main focus of the novel. Vanessa like most tee More...
Jan 07, 2012
Luann
rated it:
Ever read a book that's trying too hard to make a point, but it never comes full circle (because the resolution is oh-so-common sense?
This is it.
The MC is completely so self-absorbed, I'm not sure she could find her way out of a box. Harsh, yes.
The main reason I have trouble with this book is that there's no twist. There's nothing that sets this book about teen angst apart from others I've read. She wants to hurry up and grow up. Don't most teens?
That said, I did like the fa More...
This is it.
The MC is completely so self-absorbed, I'm not sure she could find her way out of a box. Harsh, yes.
The main reason I have trouble with this book is that there's no twist. There's nothing that sets this book about teen angst apart from others I've read. She wants to hurry up and grow up. Don't most teens?
That said, I did like the fa More...
Sep 19, 2011
StorySnoops
rated it:
My Not-So-Still Life is a quick read that will be appreciated by any teen girl who has felt that she is in a hurry to just get past high school, where she doesn't really fit in. This is the companion book to The Opposite of Invisible, which it may be helpful (but not necessary) to read to understand Vanessa's background and motivations. Artistic types will enjoy Vanessa's musings on the definition of real art, and her attempts at self-expression through it. The majority of the story is quite
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May 18, 2011
Britta
rated it:
I enjoyed My Not-So-Still Life quite a bit. It was a really quick read filled with humor and interesting insights of life.
This novel follows Vanessa, a teenage girl who, instead of trying to fit in, has tried to stand out. She is constantly changing her hair color, she wears a colored string on her wrist to depict her mood (purple is the best, black, which comes after red, is the worst) and she is on a never-ending search to define herself in the artistic world. She can’t wait until sh More...
This novel follows Vanessa, a teenage girl who, instead of trying to fit in, has tried to stand out. She is constantly changing her hair color, she wears a colored string on her wrist to depict her mood (purple is the best, black, which comes after red, is the worst) and she is on a never-ending search to define herself in the artistic world. She can’t wait until sh More...
Apr 17, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
2.5
This book will have appeal for the artist types who don't feel like they belong. I think there's also appeal for more reluctant readers, since it's short and a quick read.
For me, though, Vanessa was never a fully developed character and a lot of what she did seemed really young and immature for a sophomore in high school. I know that's the point, but I would have appreciated her better as a younger character -- 7th or 8th grade -- but that wouldn't have worked in the More...
This book will have appeal for the artist types who don't feel like they belong. I think there's also appeal for more reluctant readers, since it's short and a quick read.
For me, though, Vanessa was never a fully developed character and a lot of what she did seemed really young and immature for a sophomore in high school. I know that's the point, but I would have appreciated her better as a younger character -- 7th or 8th grade -- but that wouldn't have worked in the More...
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Jun 02, 2011
Lauren (365 Days of Reading)
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Summary: Vanessa is ready to be an adult, although you might not be able to see that from her appearance—bright pink hair and vibrant clothing. She has friends her own age, but is captivated by the people she meets while working at Palette, her local art store. Vanessa takes steps to become more independent and adult-like, but is she growing up too fast?
My thoughts: The narrator and protagonist of My Not-So-Still Life, Vanessa, is a perfect portrait of a restless teen. She has things More...
My thoughts: The narrator and protagonist of My Not-So-Still Life, Vanessa, is a perfect portrait of a restless teen. She has things More...
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Nov 24, 2011
Ashley
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This is basically a story of how Vanessa learns that growing up to fast may not always be the best thing, and just being who you are is sometimes the best feeling you can have.
I can't say that I got to much out of this story. I wasn't really interested in the characters, or what was going on with them. If I'm going to love a story I have to be able to love the characters as well, and not just the story. If that doesn't happen then the story better be full of awesomeness. More...
I can't say that I got to much out of this story. I wasn't really interested in the characters, or what was going on with them. If I'm going to love a story I have to be able to love the characters as well, and not just the story. If that doesn't happen then the story better be full of awesomeness. More...
Aug 09, 2011
Anna
rated it:
I loved Liz Gallagher's first novel, The Opposite of Invisible. I gobbled it up - I read it in one day. However, I was a little bit disappointed with this novel.
I didn't have a problem connecting with the characters. I connected with all the main characters and could understand where they were coming from when they were talking. That wasn't a problem.
The other thing I didn't have a problem with was the setting. The setting was wonderfully described and I could pictur More...
I didn't have a problem connecting with the characters. I connected with all the main characters and could understand where they were coming from when they were talking. That wasn't a problem.
The other thing I didn't have a problem with was the setting. The setting was wonderfully described and I could pictur More...
Jun 21, 2011
Midnite
rated it:
I loved Liz Gallagher's first novel, The Opposite of Invisible, and have been looking forward to reading something new by her. I was disappointed when I learned her next book would be a companion novel featuring Vanessa, a minor character from Opposite. Vanessa played an interesting role in The Opposite of Invisible as the girl Jewel starts to date while his best friend Alice (Opposite's narrator) dates a cute boy in their class. But she was also "the other woman" to me. The girl I cou
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May 15, 2011
Steph Su
rated it:
I read Liz Gallagher’s first book, The Opposite of Invisible, and fell in love with her sparse but powerful and relatable prose. Therefore, I went into Liz’s second book, MY NOT-SO-STILL LIFE, with great anticipation. Perhaps a little too much—for while MY NOT-SO-STILL LIFE is a solid addition to the YA contemporary genre, it didn’t have the lasting emotional impact I had found in The Opposite of Invisible.
Given a few allowances, I think that Vanessa is a very relatable protagonist. Sh More...
Given a few allowances, I think that Vanessa is a very relatable protagonist. Sh More...
Jun 06, 2011
Diana
rated it: 
As a Seattleite, I loved the way Gallagher brought Seattle to life, especially in her depictions of the Seattle art scene. I was drawn in (no pun intended) by the main character's desire to grow up quickly and to get attention from her art, and the consequences of some of her impulsive decisions. The novel reads quickly, but is deeper than it might appear; it asks great questions about art, and what it means to make an artistic statement.
Sep 17, 2011
Tiffany
rated it:
The book was different from others I have read. I normally read paranormals but I do like the fact that Vanessa was atristic and had artistic true friends. Initially she was the teen who was so sure of herself and what she wanted that she did not stop to think about things. I am glad that she realized some mistakes that she was about to make...specifically with James. Overall, great coming into your own story. Liz Gallagher
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Nov 02, 2011
Aislyn
rated it:
I thought it would be better, it was just a show of reality as the same. Never changing always just one continuos cycle and just how horrible it is, also not to judge first inpresions. And how everything ends not-so-great sometimes. I hated it, but it wasn't horrible.
Sep 29, 2011
P.E. at Tantalizing Illusions
rated it:
I just didn't get into this because it's not my kind of story. It is cool looking though.
Maybe it's because I'm not into art?
Maybe it's because I'm not into art?
Sep 23, 2011
Lindi
rated it:
Sixteen-year-old Vanessa is in a hurry to be out of school and on to real life. Luckily for her her friends are much wiser.
May 22, 2011
Helen
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Brilliant. The characters are so real, the dialogue is so natural, the prose is so simple and clear.
Feb 18, 2012
Feb 18, 2012
Feb 17, 2012
