Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Vivian Divine Is Dead” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Vivian Divine Is Dead

Lauren Sabel (Goodreads Author)

3.03 · Rating details · 659 ratings · 172 reviews

Filled with surprising twists and poignant moments, Lauren Sabel brings a fresh new voice to contemporary fiction with Vivian Divine Is Dead. Creepy, clever, funny, and romantic.

When a death threat arrives with teen celebrity Vivian Divine's fan mail, Vivian has no choice but to go on the run to Mexico. She soon discovers, though, that her Oscar-nominated performance killi ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 277 pages

Published June 3rd 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Vivian Divine Is Dead, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Vivian Divine Is Dead

Lists with This Book

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Best Typography on a Book Cover

633 books — 197 voters

YA Books - Publishing June 2014

52 books — 57 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.03 ·

Rating details

· 659 ratings · 172 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Vivian Divine Is Dead

Jun 21, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

Shelves: tstl, on-the-run, why-do-i-hate-myself, shits-and-giggles, mary-sue, insta-love, ya, romance, boring-main-character

A line pops into my head, one I repeated dozens of times to get the right balance of hope and desperation that the Zombie Killer is known for. All that stands between me and the end of the world...is a bobby pin.

I have two, motherfuckers.

Vaya con dios, mi amigo.

A line pops into my head, one I repeated dozens of times to get the right balance of hope and desperation that the Zombie Killer is known for. All that stands between me and the end of the world...is a bobby pin.

I have two, motherfuckers.

Vaya con dios, mi amigo.

No, that's not a quote from the book. It's my advice to you, it means "go with god, my friend," and you're going to need that advice should you insist upon reading this book.

It's one of those so-bad-it's-almost-good books.

It's insta-love, and that's pretty much it. We have omg HE'S SUCH AN ASSHOLE and YOU ARE A FUCKING MORONIC PRINCESS and then 5 seconds later I LOVE HIM. What the fuck.

Ok, so here's kind of a spoiler, but not really. The book is entitled Vivian Divine is Dead. I know that this is huge news. Shocking. Absolutely flabbergasting, jaw-dropping, and all of that good shit but Vivian Divine doesn't die.

I wish she had. The book might have been more interesting otherwise.

The Summary:

I try not to think about the day Pierre and I first fell in love. It was a year ago, when we were wrapping up Zombie Killer, my blockbuster about an orphan who saves the human race.

Sure, Vivian Divine may be a famous Hollywood movie star, Oscar-nominated by age 16, with a famous director father and the 3rd most beautiful (and very dead) mother (as chosen by Time magazine), but as far as she's concerned, everything in her life has been about the movie Zombie Killer, in which she has acted. Remember that movie.

But no really, her life kind of sucks right now because:

1. Mommy is dead, from MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

2. Daddy tried to kill himself from ZE PAIN

3. Her boyfriend, Pierre, just cheated on her with her much skinner best friend, Sparrow (not much of a best friend anymore!). Her heart is totally, irretrievably broken.

Pierre was the only one who could make me feel better, and the only boy who ever whispered, This is forever.

Oh yeah, and um.

4. Someone's sending her death threats. Hence the title of the book. Vivian Divine really, really thinks she's going to die.

And apparently, shit, it's true! People are trying to kill her! What's the poor Vivian Divine to do? She's never attended school, she's never done a single fucking thing for herself.

I hate asking for help. Luckily, I never have to. A team of specialists is paid to take care of my every need, to anticipate what I might want and have it prepared ahead of time. If they don’t have the right brand of mango lip balm ready for me after a shoot, they’re done.

So Vivian Divine is totally fucked when her only way of escaping CERTAIN DOOM is to escape to Mexico!

Ay, caramba! (I know there's supposed to be another exclamation mark before the Ay, but I'm too tired to look it up in Character Map, ok?)

So with a mysterious, awesome new disguise---you know how when you go incognito, you're supposed to look plain and all that good shit so that you don't attract attention?

I’m normally cute: big blue eyes, pouty lips, long copper curls. But this is gorgeous. My short black hair falls straight and glossy as a waterfall; my eyes are melting chocolate.

Someone forgot to tell Vivian Divine.

But it's ok, because the instant she meets trouble...Vivian Divine falls into insta-love.

Standing in front of me is the sexiest guy I’ve ever seen. His eyes are a rugged green, his black hair shaggy on his shoulders. His cargo pants hang off his slim hips, and a white undershirt clings to his chest. My personal trainer would kill for his body.

“Hola.” I’m completely tongue-tied.

Nick is instantly contemptuous of her. This spoiled little princess who is clearly out of her league in the wilds of México. Such a fool. What could this toughened, experienced, battle-weary boy ever see in Hollywood Royalty Vivian Divine?

“You’re a spoiled brat. You have no problems,” Nick says. “You think your life’s so tough, but your rich mommy and daddy take care of everything for you.” He snatches my orange soda from my hand, takes the last sip, and tosses it into the trash. “You don’t know what real pain is.”

Uh huh! YOU TELL HER, NICK! Don't let that prissy little princess worm her way into her heart. And true to his words, Nick holds steady for all of 5 seconds.

“When I met you on the bus, I thought you were just another rich American,” he continues. “But you’re not. You’re...different.”

OH, NO, NOT THE D WORD!!!!!!!!

But the romance aside, THERE'S STILL PEOPLE TRYING TO KILL VIVIAN DIVINE. Even in Mexico! But it's all good, Vivian Divine was in Zombie Killer, remember? Her experience from Zombie Killer not only helps her endure wearing contacts when she's donning her disguise...

[She] finds me a pair of brown contacts, which I’m used to wearing, thanks to my months of demon-red contacts in Zombie Killer.

And helps her tolerate hunger during her days on the run in Mexico.

I’ve never been this hungry before (except for all-night shoots for Zombie Killer.

But it helps Vivian to prove herself to Nick when he's being an asshat to her.

Anger races through me, and I remember the judo move I learned for the all-night shoot of Zombie Killer. I’ll show you petty problems.

And it helps her to protect herself against the BAD BAD GUYS. Vivian is trapped in a moving car? It's all good. She can jump out of the car if she needs to, thanks to her experience with Zombie Killer.

I’ve done it before. I jumped out of a moving car for a stunt in Zombie Killer.

If someone tries to attack her, it's all good, because she's learned judo on the set of Zombie Killer.

What if someone jumps out and attacks me? What do I do? I try to recall the judo moves I learned for Zombie Killer.

If she needs encouragement...Vivian can just remember her mother's words of advice...for acting in Zombie Killer.

I remember my mom telling me the day before she disappeared, when I was filming the fight scene for Zombie Killer. In that scene, when the zombies had me almost beaten, the Zombie Killer realized that sometimes not fighting is as powerful as fighting.

MEXICO JA JA JA: The Mexico portrayed in this book can best be described in one word: stupid. People can eat rodents if they need to. There are fucking mariachi bands everywhere. They eat tacos every meal of the day. They eat cricket tacos. They speak in complete English sentences...but certain words have to constantly be in Spanish. A guy can speak for an entire paragraph in fluent English, but when he refers to his mother, it's always mi madre . Come on, now.

Divinely Insipid:

Hiding from a killer with an armed stranger in Mexico? Am I crazy?

Yes, yes you are.

Vivian Divine is Hollywood Royalty, which is the synonym for I have no common sense whatsoever outside of what I learned in movies. She has spent her entire life as an actor. She has never been to school. Her parents are famous and wealthy. She has always been waited on hand and foot. She doesn't know what it's like to be in the real world, so when she gets immersed into it, into the wilds of Mexico, of all things, she drowns. It takes a big, strong man to protect her, because Vivian Divine can't do jack shit.

All her experience is gleaned from movies. She sees a fucking house. It looks like a house in [insert movie here] that she's been in. It happens repeatedly. To Vivian, Mexico looks like a movie set.

I’ve seen this church before, I realize, on the studio’s back lot. It’s the “Traditional Mafia Church” set.

To Vivian, everything that happens is the equivalent of a movie scene.

It feels like my story’s ending. It’s a story with a tragic ending, one where the heroine starves to death on the side of a mountain, all alone, with only a lamb to keep her company.

And I must be frank, there's no other way to put it. Vivian Divine, by rights, should have died because she is a fucking moron who wouldn't last 1.5 seconds in downtown LA, much less Mexico.

The Romance: For someone who falls into insta-love so quickly, Vivian Divine can't forget about her ex-boyfriend, Pierre.

His eyes seem to breathe me in, all of me, not just little useful pieces like Pierre’s used to do. But maybe I’m just imagining it.

I expect Nick to look confused, like Pierre did when I told him, but he’s nodding like he understands.

If Pierre was here, he’d pretend he knew how to do it, burn himself, and then make me start the fire.

It’s the complete opposite of Pierre’s bathroom, which is stuffed with expensive colognes and hair gel, but then again, Pierre has more beauty products than I do.

I know all about sleeping pills. Pierre takes them to get a few hours of sleep before his shoots so that he won’t have bags under his eyes.

All this happens throughout the book. She is constantly thinking about Pierre and comparing/contrasting them. Enough already. And then not a few days passes before Vivian Divine realizes...

I see your soul, I want to say, but I bite my tongue, and hope he sees mine.

The insta-love is terrible. Nick hated her in the beginning, and then for no reason at all, they start to fall in love right after she tells him the equivalent of I'M NOT AS SHALLOW AS YOU THINK I AM, without any proof, without any character development whatsoever. And before you know it, this happens.

“Nobody knows,” Nick says. “But when the locals look at them, they see angels.”
“What do you see?”
“Something even better,” Nick says, looking right at me.

God won't help you. Watch a telenovela instead. ...more

flag 176 likes · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2014 Rashika (is tired) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: light-cozy-mystery, read-2014, disappointing, icky-romance, e-arcs, ya, wimpy-or-i-no-like-mcs, stupid-guys, brainless-characters

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

Vivian Divine is Dead is so bad that it’s almost comical. I was craughing after finishing it. No joke. With its clichés and "coincidences", this book is like a big fat joke. This is something that would be a million times better on TV than on paper. When you write a book, it’s important you close all the loop holes or at least attempt to. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in this book. What we have here instead are dramatic twists that are ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2013 Melanie rated it did not like it

Shelves: death, could-have-been-so-much-better, young-adult, romance, action, books-i-own, contemporary, e-arc, mystery, f-a-i-l

Oh, what a book. Blythe and I did a discussion review on the blog.

What we didn't like:
- how forgetful it was (though that's sorta a good thing. LIKE WHO WOULD WANT TO REMEMBER SUCH A NIGHTMARISH NOVEL)
- how it tricked us and went downhill from chapter 1. The first chapter was actually decent
- how predicable and unsurprising the twists were.
- Vivian was a spoiled brat and was a total idiot. Whenever she was in trouble, someone was there to save her.
- apparently the love interest is the hottest ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2014 Nasty Lady MJ rated it did not like it

To see full review click on the below link:

My Blog

Did I ever mention I wanted to write soap operas…

I’m sure I did.

This book is what gives soaps a bad name. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen a soap opera that is this messed up since the network was purposely trying to cancel All My Children and they had Dixie die by tainted pancakes.

God, that was a horrible storyline.

Vivian Divine read like that era of daytime television that many people have tried to forget its existence. To be honest, I wasn’t p ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Nov 15, 2013 Tara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, arc

This novel is so impressive in so many ways that it's hard to know where to start writing about it. I could comment on the beautiful descriptive language that the author uses to evoke both Hollywood and rural Mexico. I could talk about the dark threats that hover over Vivian from the first page, keeping the tension thick chapter after chapter. Or I could focus on Vivian herself, and her journey from spoiled starlet to determined, responsible young woman.

Put all of these elements together, though ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2013 Olivia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Awesome book for young adults!! It captures the essence of some real life issues teens go through and how they deal with them so it was very easy to relate to the characters and really feel like I was in the story with them. It was such a fast read because it was such a page turner! I kept wanting to know what happened next and couldn't seem to put the book down. Will definitely be recommending this to all of my friends as a must read! Will love to read more from this author in the future!! ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2013 Laura Resau rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this book! It's wildly original, unlike anything else out there in the YA world... which makes it especially delightful and worth reading. The writing is wonderful, and so is the voice... I would follow Vivian anywhere on her adventures (and hope to do so in a sequel!) The story is fast-paced and utterly intriguing, with romance and travel and adventure-- just what I look for in a novel. I was so impressed with this debut and look forward to reading Lauren Sabel's future books. ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

May 16, 2014 B rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2014-reads, caught-in-a-bad-romance, losing-my-faith-in-humanity, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, meh, take-your-insta-love-and-leave, unmet-potential, 2014-reviews, arc, didn-t-see-that-coming

more like Vivian Divine is Dead on Arrival amirite

(discussion review with Mel to come on the 6th)

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2013 Jenny Goebel rated it it was amazing

This book blew me away!

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2013 Isamlq rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley

Vivian Divine is Dead. What an utter waste! It had me at the title but lost me somewhere after chapter two.

Too much like a telenovela, and this was despite the setting. That whole thing about doubt suspension being directly proportional to how entertaining something is still holds true, because things while unbelievable were also either frustrating or boring or some other negative participle. I just couldn't get with it!

Why?

Well, the lead for starters. Vivian Divine is not divine at all. There' ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2014 Alex rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fantastic read! This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept it throughout the whole story. I was never bored with this book. It is very fast paced and it would be a great read for many teenage readers! I would recommend this book to any teenagers that are looking for a fast paced read. Great job!

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2014 Phil rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: ANYONE

This book is AMAZING in so many different ways! It was fast paced and kept me turning the pages which I loved! The suspense and emotion between the two main characters kept me interested and feeling like I was actually there with them. There was also such a huge plot twist towards the end that just blew my mind!! I loved loved loved this book and can't wait to read more from this author!! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 16, 2013 Bekka added it

Couldn't finish. Continuity issues within the first fifteen pages and a lot of blahblahblahhhing on about a boy and true love and ugh. No. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2014 Dark Faerie Tales rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-kaitlin

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Vivian Divine is Dead is a gripping masterpiece with a creepy, exciting premise.

Opening Sentence: My name is Vivian Divine.

The Review:

Vivian Divine is a child star. Her mother, Pearl Divine, was named World’s Sexiest Woman multiple times and her father is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. Her life should be perfect, but it’s spiraled out of control. Her boyfriend Pierre was caught by the paparazzi kissing her best friend. Her mo Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Vivian Divine is Dead is a gripping masterpiece with a creepy, exciting premise.

Opening Sentence: My name is Vivian Divine.

The Review:

Vivian Divine is a child star. Her mother, Pearl Divine, was named World’s Sexiest Woman multiple times and her father is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. Her life should be perfect, but it’s spiraled out of control. Her boyfriend Pierre was caught by the paparazzi kissing her best friend. Her mother was murdered and her father tried to kill himself, and would have if Vivian hadn’t stopped him in time. And Vivian just got a note, the same note that her mother got days before she was murdered, that tells her of her impending death. Now Vivian must go on the run, trying to save herself from whatever had got her mother.

Vivian Divine is a fantastic character. She’s like any other teenager, struggling with self-confidence while having to deal with what might be her death. Her emotions are described so wonderfully. Throughout the book, she finds strength in herself, and realizes that she isn’t as weak as she seemed. And then there is Nick — the love interest, who by the way, I thought was perfect. This character is lovable and not too perfect, as some authors make the mistake of doing to their characters.

Right from the get go, we are immersed into Vivian’s life and hooked almost immediately. I was so glued to the pages it was almost painful to shut off the light, since it was pretty late. It doesn’t take long to really understand Vivian and sympathize with her. She has such a unique personality and yet is like any other adolescent on the face of the earth. There aren’t many calm moments in this book, but when there is, it almost makes the peaceful moment more peaceful because of the chaos that usually occupies the chapters.

If I could say one downside of Vivian Divine is Dead it would have to be the mystery aspect. It was sometimes confusing to connect the dots and piece it together, but Vivian would already completely understand and be moving on. I wish that sometimes she had clarified. It wasn’t that bad, but I certainly was confused a few times, make no mistake. It’s a good thing the story was so enthralling that I didn’t care too much! Sadly, though, that knocked it down one star to the still-killer four star rating.

Vivian Divine is Dead is an exciting thrill ride through the life of one child star just trying to stay alive. It has betrayal, mystery, and love on every other page, seamlessly threading together into an amazing novel. If you don’t love this than I would be very surprised. Plus, you get to see more into the Mexican culture, which is lots of fun. Just a note: Spanish is used in this book, but if you have a basic understanding (cómo, bueno, etc.) than you should be good. Oftentimes it is translated but sometimes it isn’t — keep that in mind. Otherwise, make sure to pick this up as soon as possible!

Notable Scene:

“We need to talk to you,” Sparrow says, pushing through the reporters. Her whiny voice reminds me of the nights we used to stay up with Mar, listening to stories about first kisses and true love. Since Sparrow went to an all-girls school and I was homeschooled by a private tutor neither of us knew much about boys, until I started dating Pierre. Before she stole him from me. “It was a mistake.”

“Kissing my boyfriend was a mistake?” I shriek so loudly the reporters take a step back before lunging forward again. Get is together. Never lose your temper in front of a camera. I can see the headlines: Teen Star Slaps Former Best Friend in Fit of Rage. Career Plunges.

FTC Advisory: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Vivian Divine is Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2013 Sam rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reviews, books-i-own, e-reads

Huge thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for an advance copy of this book.

2.5, rounded to a 3.

Vivian Divine is Dead might be one of the weirdest books I've read in a long time. The pace moves at lightning speed with no sense of stopping, and yet when you reach the end of the book, you question a little bit as to what the heck you just read. This book is weird. Like, really weird at times.

I think the best way to describe this book is Stockholm Syndrome. Vivian is kidnapped, yet she' ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2013 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: r2r-read, young-adult, read-2014, mystery

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
16-year-old Vivian Divine is a famous movie star, and her mother who was also a movie star was brutally murdered six months ago.
Now Vivian has received a video detailing how she too will be murdered in just 3 days, if she can’t disappear for a while that is.
Is the same person threatening Vivian the one who killed her mother? And can she escape before she too meets the same e ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 25, 2014 Jen Ryland added it

Shelves: debut-challenge-2014

Picture this: you're standing around at a party and this random person sidles up and starts telling you about something that happened to them. Their story sounds like the plot of a completely implausible action movie. You're listening, thinking: "Is this person for real?" That's how I felt while reading this book.

In the first few pages, Vivian tells the reader that she's an Oscar nominated 16 year-old actress whose famous mother was just murdered, famous father recently attempted suicide, and (y ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2014 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it did not like it

Shelves: edelweiss, disappointing

So this is not how I usually start a review, but I really really, hated this book.

This book talks about Vivian Divine whose mother died just recently. Her life is a mess, not counting the fact that she has nightmares, she caught her father trying to commit suicide and her mother's death, but also her boyfriend has cheated on her with her best friend. To top it all off, someone sent her a video with her death on it. The only thing to do? Run and hide.

Now to be fair, there were definitely plot twi ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2013 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, arc-book-read

This isn't one of those books that you go into expecting an in depth look into the characters or a heart felt read or anything even truly mind blowing, instead it gives you exactly what most books should, an escape from reality for however long it takes you to finish it.

This is a hard book to review. The writing was fabulous in some aspects and lacked in others. The plot was wild and out there but still maintained some originality which, lets face it, is becoming harder and harder to find in the ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 07, 2016 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, 2016-audiobook-challenge

This was a fun, light and very silly book. It was painfully predictable but still entertaining. I listened to the audio version and the narrator sounded quite good speaking Spanish (to this non-Spanish speaker) and the voices of the different characters were distinctive and well done. There were a few English words that were pronounced strangely, as in wrong to my ear, near the beginning but I didn't notice it later on. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2013 Louisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really felt bad for her, seeing what happens to her, that she's told she's going to die, and yeah, how she works through all the things surrounding that and her mom's death, loved all the twists in this book! Though I kinda want a sequel, because it's almost wrapped, there's just the one thread! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2014 Morgan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: little-bit-of-romance, fantasy, 2014-releases, standalone

This book had an interesting concept but that is the only thing I really liked about it except the setting. I just felt like the characters were just that, characters. I'm sorry this review so short! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2017 Cait S rated it did not like it

I am struggling to think of the last time I hated a book this much. Even flipping back through my other one star reviews, this one seems to take the cake. It contains every possible thing I hate in a book...and then does it The Most.

1) Vivian Divine Is Dead? No. Vivian Divine Is A Pathetic Useless White Girl Who Bumbles Around Mexico Making Disparaging Remarks About Those Poor Uncivilized Savages. Honestly, the way this book is written is why I'm so uncomfortable with the term "savage" used how I am struggling to think of the last time I hated a book this much. Even flipping back through my other one star reviews, this one seems to take the cake. It contains every possible thing I hate in a book...and then does it The Most.

1) Vivian Divine Is Dead? No. Vivian Divine Is A Pathetic Useless White Girl Who Bumbles Around Mexico Making Disparaging Remarks About Those Poor Uncivilized Savages. Honestly, the way this book is written is why I'm so uncomfortable with the term "savage" used how it's used now. To mean something deep cutting, brutal, hurtful, wild. You know, like how people used to use that term for...people. This whole book all I could see was Vivian walking around with a torch and pitchfork screaming "SAVAGES!" The worst part is that I genuinely think the author thought she was doing some sort of favor to Mexican culture by setting it alongside the pettiness that is white Hollywood. But no. Both author and character just come away seeming like insensitive, culture appropriating jerks.

2) More ranting on Vivian because she's fucking terrible. It really annoys me that the writing is so amateurish that I can SEE where she was trying to go with Vivian. She was trying to make her terrible for a purpose. There was a reason Vivian is literally the most useless human to ever exist inside the pages of a novel. Unfortunately, like I mentioned above, the author does The Most and makes Vivian so despicable, so irredeemable, that none of those reasons matter. There is no way to relate to someone who is such a rotting pile of trash so any lesson or comparisons we were supposed to take away... Also trash.

3) Insta-love! Ohhh if I thought the writing couldn't get weaker, my friends, it somehow does. I love the whole enemies to lovers trope as much as the next person...when it's done with any skill whatsoever. Unfortunately here, Vivian and Nick go from loathing each other to ~~becoming one being beneath the stars~~ in about, I don't know, two chapters. Nick turns to her at one point and says "At first I thought you were just another spoiled American--"

AND THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IT. Because that's what she is. But no. He follows it up with the most cliche line given to every YA girl in every cliche YA book. You know what it is. Say it with me.

"But you're not like other girls."

Go fuck yourself. I don't have anything else to add there.

So add all that together with an utterly predictable plot, writing that gets progressively worse as the book goes on, and not a single likable character for miles.... And you get Vivian Divine Is Dead. Which I wish were the case. Because I hate her. And myself a little bit for ever picking up this fucking dumpster fire of a book. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2016 Monique rated it did not like it

Shelves: wanksters-one-star-books, forever-young-ya-fiction

Okay another book down, this free time is wonderful—such blessed and happy holidays 2016 has been a year of change, struggle and growth and I am ready to see what 2017 will bring, whew but as far as my favorite pastime I have been sorely missing with school and teaching I must say I even miss books that I struggle through, books that I should not have read and those I will myself to finish—yup yup those who have been with me through a few reads-my wanksters….Those books that I promise myself if Okay another book down, this free time is wonderful—such blessed and happy holidays 2016 has been a year of change, struggle and growth and I am ready to see what 2017 will bring, whew but as far as my favorite pastime I have been sorely missing with school and teaching I must say I even miss books that I struggle through, books that I should not have read and those I will myself to finish—yup yup those who have been with me through a few reads-my wanksters….Those books that I promise myself if I make it to 100 pages with that I have to finish but never really enjoy and don’t recommend and I have come across one I believe my first one of the year which is amazing for me but well deserved nonetheless as this book was all over the place, confusing for no reason and just pretty pointless. So I am trying to read through my Young Adult new read section so I can intelligently converse and recommend reads to my scholars when they are able to check out (oh soon soon) and now I have selected a curious read that unknowingly dealt with Mexico, a mafia, the Day of the Dead, kidnappings, hidden paternity, betrayals and swooning irrational teenage love. Alright so the story starts with a child okay teen but childlike actress Vivian is dealing with the death of her beautiful famous actress mother and an emotionally distant director father in addition to filming a new movie, discovering her boyfriend was having an affair with her best friend and coincidentally receiving kidnapping threats in the mail with people looking for her. Desperate to know if the people threatening her are connected to what happened to her mother and cautioned to leave by her bodyguard nanny Mary she sets off to Mexico to a safehouse to wait out the results of the threats and it is there the book unravels pretty fast. On the bus ride there she loses her bag and has to depend on a devastatingly handsome boy named Nick with secrets of his own and shady men following her..the way the chapters end really foreshadow suspense that you never really feel but there are many questions that arise and you are curious to know more and the same silly stereotypical characters continue to appear with the gangster with a heart, the muscle guy, the old wise woman, a helpful girl and a guide that knows more than they say with secrets everyone plays close but the reveals seem sloppy and forced. Sprinkled liberally with Spanish language and the flighty hormonal teenage daydreams of our heroine this story winds through cemeteries, there is mention of Dia de Muerte traditions but overall I found this story silly and disjointed. I struggled to finish this and aside from the beautiful cover and the references to the Day of the Dead and Spanish language reference I cant say anything too good about this book for real it was just eh….Need to read something amazing now, no more time for this LOL>.. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 15, 2013 Katie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Vivian Divine is Dead is a unique addition to the young adult contemporary suspense genre. Lauren Sabel crafted a very twisted mystery that left me guessing until the very end. It’s not often that I’m unable to figure things out but that was definitely the case with this one.

Vivian Divine is a spoiled rotten movie star. She was really hard to like at first. Her mom was murdered and her dad pretty much gave up on life after that but that didn’t give her the right to be the bitch that she was. She Vivian Divine is Dead is a unique addition to the young adult contemporary suspense genre. Lauren Sabel crafted a very twisted mystery that left me guessing until the very end. It’s not often that I’m unable to figure things out but that was definitely the case with this one.

Vivian Divine is a spoiled rotten movie star. She was really hard to like at first. Her mom was murdered and her dad pretty much gave up on life after that but that didn’t give her the right to be the bitch that she was. She expected people to wait on her and she couldn’t fend for herself to save her life. She talked down to people and she thought very highly of herself. She was like that for most of the book and I thought that might be the one thing that would make me hate Vivian Divine is Dead but that actually wasn’t the case. She did develop as a character and I was already hooked on the story so I never once thought about giving up on this one.

Nicholas, Marcos, Scars, Isabel, and pretty much all the rest of the secondary characters were a little flat. Nicholas was this handsome stranger who Vivian met on the bus to Mexico. Since he spoke English, Vivian decided to rely on him to help keep her safe. He honestly didn’t have much going on other than being handsome. There was a little back-story to him but not enough to really get me interested in knowing more about him. He wasn’t well-developed and while I liked him well enough, I wasn’t invested in his relationship with Vivian. Marcos and Scars were worse than Nicholas. I had no interest in them and found them to be more of an annoyance than anything else. Scars had no personality and was really just known for being a big bad ass with scars. He was not really all that creepy if you ask me. Marcos was a little better developed but still lacking. As for Isabel, she was the only one I really cared for. She had more back-story than any of them and was the most developed of them all.

The story was the truly interesting part of the book. Vivian Divine goes on the run after receiving a death threat. Seems like a simple plot but there was a lot more going on than I ever expected. Not once was I able to guess who was behind the death threat or why. There was also a mystery surrounding Vivian’s mom and what exactly happened to her. I had no clue how Lauren Sabel was going to tie everything together in the end but she managed it wonderfully. Admittedly, the story was a little all over the place at times but it was still entertaining.

Overall, Vivian Divine is Dead is a great debut from Lauren Sabel and I will plan to check out more from her in the future. Hopefully that includes a sequel to Vivian Divine is Dead since I could use a little more from these characters! ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 14, 2014 Bella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Glad to get this one I needed something fresh and new to read, I some times think the covers like this one will turn me away because it seems young and it was a little but don’t always judge a book by its cover!

Vivian divine is a 16 year old movie star. Her mother, Pearl Divine, was one too before she was murdered, six moths before the present time in the book. Her father is a director in Hollywood, and is very successful. He ignores Vivian after Pearl died. Her life has many complications rece Glad to get this one I needed something fresh and new to read, I some times think the covers like this one will turn me away because it seems young and it was a little but don’t always judge a book by its cover!

Vivian divine is a 16 year old movie star. Her mother, Pearl Divine, was one too before she was murdered, six moths before the present time in the book. Her father is a director in Hollywood, and is very successful. He ignores Vivian after Pearl died. Her life has many complications recently. Her boyfriend Pierre kissing her best friend, and caught by the press, and her mother being killed and her father trying to kill himself.

Then she receives a threat in the mail about how she is going to die in a few days, she learns from her bodyguard that the same thing happened to her mother and now Vivian is not sure what to do. Her bodyguard told her to run away and disappear for a while it is the only way to be safe. So she leaves for Mexico to meet up with a man that her bodyguard sets her up with and hopes this guy will keep her safeRight when she arrives Vivian meets a boy who she says is the “sexiest thing she’s ever seen” named Nicolas but is he all hot and sexy? Is anyone who they seem to be and will she be safe here? Take the adventure in this one with Vivian!!

It was certainly a page-turner in my opinion. I was a little confuses at some point and could not follow along but by the end it was easy to put everything together. I did love how Sabel wrote a story that made me keep guessing and made me want keep getting to the next page to see what was going to happen!

I love the character of Vivian Divine. The story was really interesting and kept me hooked. Nicolas was perfect and seemed to be mean but then was also so romantic and cute but yes had his flaws as well but we all love a hot buy right!? I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for more to come! If you’re looking for a good book to read this is definitely a good book to leave you guessing, and a surprising ending!
...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2015 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: guest-reviews

4.5/5

REVIEW BY MOLLY 8:1

Vivian Divine is a child movie star, Her Mother, Pearl Divine is the best and sexiest movie star and her father is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. Her life should be perfect, but it has spiraled out of control. Her Mother is murdered and her father tries to kill himself. A few days later Vivian gets the exact same note her mother did before she died, telling her she is next. Now Vivian must go on the run from whatever killed her mother.

Vivian, like any ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 15, 2014 Mariko (The Storybook Kingdom) rated it did not like it

This review is also posted on The Storybook Kingdom

I think I'll just jump into this one and start with the good, because there really isn't that much good I can say about Vivian Divine is Dead. It's short. So in the end I didn't feel like I lost out on a lot of reading time. Besides that there really wasn't all that much I liked about it. I was promised "creepy, witty, fast-paced adventure". I got confusion, cheesiness, and a bad soap opera.

I didn't like one character in this book. I can usually ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 13, 2014 Heather Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reads

Vivian Divine is Dead is unlike any book that I’ve read this year. The title alone is one that captured my attention from the second I heard about the book and the cover is one that is hard to take your eyes off of. As for the story? The story is an original gem and one that captivated me the second I started reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, Vivian, and the elements she brought to the story written by Lauren Sabel. For me, I am intrigued by the lives of celebrities and this story ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2014 Bridget Jensen rated it really liked it

Surprisingly good. I really liked it, its broadly predictable but there are a lot of small surprises. Overall a fun read
I will say however that the author pushed clichés pretty far, exagerated the "poor/ruggedly handsome boy resents rich girl for being priviledged--and he calls her PRINCESS just to drive the point home!" so much that not only did I start strongly disliking the love interest instantly, but their developing love felt so rushed and out of nowhere it was funny. Like author chill
They ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Vivian Divine Is Dead (ARC) by Lauren Sabel - Starting January 27th 2014	11	26	Jan 27, 2014 02:51PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

71 users

Mystery

45 users

Contemporary

36 users

Romance

18 users

Fiction

17 users

Thriller

16 users

Suspense

11 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

11 users

Adventure

6 users

Young Adult > Teen

5 users

See top shelves…

About Lauren Sabel

Lauren Sabel

139 followers

Originally from the Rocky Mountains, Lauren Sabel has returned to the cool mountain air of Boulder, Colorado after living in several wonderful cities that she will always love and continue to visit year after year.

Lauren loves her husband, her kids, her family, her friends, and stories that end happily. She also loves digging into her mind and revealing tiny gems she didn’t know were there.

Lauren ...more