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My Not-So-Still Life

Liz Gallagher (Goodreads Author)

3.19 · Rating details · 309 ratings · 56 reviews

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 talent in the wacky colors she dyes her hair, her makeup and clothes. She's working on her biggest art project, and counting the days until she's grown up and can really start living. That adult world seems closer when Vanessa ...more

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Hardcover, 192 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by Wendy Lamb Books

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· 309 ratings · 56 reviews

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Apr 16, 2011 Kelly rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

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 context of the sexual si ...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Lauren rated it really liked it

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 she’s good ...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Page Turners Blog rated it it was ok

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 most artis ...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Luann Schindler rated it it was ok

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 fact that it incorpora ...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Nancy rated it it was ok

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 of the characters th ...more

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Mar 01, 2017 Kyleigh rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2017

So maybe part of my problem was that I have so many books I want to read and I wanted to get through this one and it did have a slow beginning. But it picked up and it wasn't too bad. ...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Joséphine (Word Revel) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: art, growing-up, text-fiction, target-young-adult, friendship, self-discovery, family, format-ebooks, 4-stars, read-2012

I read "The Opposite of Invisible" before reading this, so her references to Jewel and Alice made sense. I liked knowing who Vanessa was after getting to know Alice in the previous book. I also liked that it gave a sense of continuity to life and was a reminder that every person thinks differently. So yes, I thought it was genius to write about two characters whose lives once intertwined but don't anymore, while acknowledging each of their existences in overlapping settings.

In terms of the voice ...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Erica rated it liked 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 way.

Not a ...more

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May 25, 2011 Esther rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, author-female, w-usa, won, __given-away, zz-2015, zz-2015-from-my-own-shelves

This was a bit meh!
There are no surprises in the story line and everything came to a conclusion just as I expected.
In addition the book manages to combine two of my least favourite tropes from YA and chick-lit: over-enthusiastic misunderstanding of everything going on around you and endless listing of the protagonist's sartorial choices.
I couldn't like the protagonist and there were so many cliches and clunky descriptions it seemed like the author had as much trouble expressing the main characte ...more

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Jul 13, 2015 Brigette Helton rated it liked it

This book was short but still good. I think it showed good emotion for what a teenager could be going through. Many teenagers are in such a rush to grow up & have things change like the protagonist Vanessa in this book. Some of the emotions she was feeling I could relate to right now with what I am going through myself as a senior college student. I think it has good lessons in it so I will be keeping it for my future classroom if I teach older students.

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Jun 14, 2016 Nidah (SleepDreamWrite) rated it liked it

Love the cover, very eye catching. So it seems this does have Jewel and Alice from the book Opposite of Invisible. I remembered thinking it was okay but still liked it.

I feel the same way about this one. I did like the friendships between Vanessa, Nick and Holly, Vanessa's relationship with her mom and Grampie and her new friends at the art supply store, etc. And the arc Vanessa has throughout the book.

So the book was an okay but has its moments kind of read. ...more

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Aug 17, 2012 PhobicPrerogative rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: sorta-read-dnf-skipped-to-the-end

Vanessa may have been wise beyond her years but she was such a snotty main character! That hoity-toity attitude she had about those who are not artistic individuals like her was hard to stomach.
If she had been more down-to-earth about being different, I could have progressed with the book. But she wasn't, which made me dislike her, in turn making me not bother with the book anymore. ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Susan rated it it was ok

Shelves: read_and_review, ya_realistic

Gallagher's writing is pedestrian, and Vanessa is a pill. ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 Dorky Girl rated it liked it

I gave this book three stars because I really didn't like the main character very much in the way that she was rude to everyone and how she treated her friends. I thought the main character was very narcissistic and very stupid for her age. Also I would like to point out that my library had a stamp on the inside of the book that said Interest Level 9 - 12 and I thought the ages should have been from like 12 - 15. I just think 9 is a little to young to be reading about fake IDs and sex but maybe ...more

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Mar 19, 2021 Jennifer rated it it was ok

The cover wins major, major points! I love her hair and I wish I was ballsy enough to do the makeup! But the story was blah. The book was definitely a snapshot into the mind of a seemingly normal artistic teen who meddles a bit too much in her friends’ lives and doesn’t focus on her own issues. It never got over the hump into greatness though. And, unfortunately, Vanessa’s almost-sexual-encounter with James puts the book into an arena that means I couldn’t suggest it to the tweens who would bene ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Han rated it it was ok

At first, I didn't think I would like this book because of the "I'm so grown-up and ready to get out of this town" appeal; I see it in so many other characters, but the art and artist plot-line really drew me in. So, if you enjoy art and relate to wanting to grow up ASAP? This is the book for you. ...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Stephanie rated it it was ok

This was one of those books that, personally, felt as if it had no real content to it. It was a book that I simply went through the motions of reading but didn’t really connect with anyone or anything in the book. It was a quick read but I think I wasted my time reading it because, to be perfectly honest, there was no reason for this book to exist. There was no content, the characters were useless, and basically there was nothing going for this book. I feel like I am being way too brutal with th This was one of those books that, personally, felt as if it had no real content to it. It was a book that I simply went through the motions of reading but didn’t really connect with anyone or anything in the book. It was a quick read but I think I wasted my time reading it because, to be perfectly honest, there was no reason for this book to exist. There was no content, the characters were useless, and basically there was nothing going for this book. I feel like I am being way too brutal with this novel but it’s true.

Vanessa, the main character in this book, was all over the place. She was so young yet she felt as if she was old and wise but she really wasn’t. She’s only 16 and to me, that’s way too young to be doing some of the stuff she wanted to do especially with that guy who was much older than she was. While I enjoyed her passion for art, I thought she came across as a little too obsessive. That whole “I need art. I am art” became a little too much for me. I was like, just get over it already. And the fact that she judged other people’s art in her head was also annoying. I mean, art comes in a lot of different form and somehow she didn’t get that or something because she wanted art to be only her version of art. Also, while I found her relationship with her family to be endearing, I found her extremely overbearing with her friends. There were many times when it felt as if she forced decisions upon her friends without realizing their hesitations or doubts. It was as if she didn’t care about what they thought. I found her selfish, rude, naïve, stupid, and basically just very young. I guess it’s quite obvious that I didn’t like her.

The characters around her – her friends, family, coworkers, teachers, classmates – were very secondary. I didn’t find much information from anyone really and everyone seemed very distant. It was obvious that the author only focused her character building with Vanessa since she was the main person but I wish the other characters had some depth as well especially her gay friend. I thought there might have been some potential there but alas.

Even though I did not find the plot itself nor its characters to be particularly interesting nor relatable, I did find the writing style to be quite nice. It was easy for me to read through the lyrical pages rather quickly. I guess the one negative thing I would say about the writing style is that it’s a little choppy but that’s because the plot was very choppy. There would be two paragraphs in a scene and then it jumps to a different scene so the writing had to keep up with that. If the plot matched the writing style then it would’ve been a lot better.

Overall, not such a great book. Time to read the next book on my list. ...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Saba rated it really liked 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 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- themed this book was, it made me want to get started on making something of my own... I think the art-ness (I'm so eloquent :P) in the book was meant to represent identity, and one thing Vanessa kind of struggles with throughout the book is looking into what exactly makes something a work of art and if it's even possible to pinpoint a solid definition. I think maybe the way the book concludes concerning this question also has to do with how you should approach being a person (for lack of a better way to put it), that it helps to maintain an open minded, questioning approach.

I really enjoyed Liz Gallagher's style, simple but so elegant and... I don't know, it really works. I loved her references to the cherry blossoms in Seattle, makes me really want to go see them.

Writing this, I think I really should revisit the book sometime soon, because I feel like maybe I haven't completely appreciated the big picture of what the author is trying to say. Overall, highly recommended. Especially to anyone who wants a colorful shock of art for a change.

And now to the things not directly related to the story: The cover, *beautiful,* actually the reason I picked up the book... because I don't care what people say, you *can* judge a book by its cover, at least a little bit some of the time. It's certainly not fail safe, but I thing it's at least (unfortunately) a reasonably good indicator of how excited the publisher is about the book and how much effort they've put into publicity and whatever, especially in the YA world. I think. The only thing I didn't like was the font they used for the word 'life.' I think they could've used something alittle more.. barney quirky, I guess. As in the kids' TV show. It's just... meh, I don't like it.

Another thing that bothered me was how, under the author bio, there was this bit that was like 'Liz Gallagher went to (some MFA program) where she studied next to literary rock stars.' or something to that effect. I mean... it's not even name dropping. It's just lame. I felt like it was braggy and unnecessary. But I'm not saying it wasn't one of the things that contributed to me buying the book not having heard of it before, which is something I don't do that often. So I guess it did its job in that respect.
...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Midnite rated it it was ok

Shelves: most-anticipated-reads-2011

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 couldn't root 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 couldn't root for because I wanted Jewel to end up with Alice. I also didn't find her that compelling.

Admittedly, I came into My Not-So-Still Life wishing it was about Jewel and Alice since I enjoyed them so much in The Opposite of Invisible, and their story didn't seem finished to me, but I still came into it trusting Ms. Gallagher would give me a story I would fall in love with. Though she employs the same spare style she used in The Opposite of Invisble, it doesn't work as well in My Not-So-Still Life.

Unfortunately, Vanessa really isn't that interesting. She should be. She's an aspiring artist who expresses herself by wearing different colored strings to alert the world of the mood she's in and dyeing her hair pink. She lives with her grandfather and single mother who let her just be herself. But instead of being cool, Vanessa seems lost. She still holds a place in her broken heart for Jewel, but she;s trying to move on by hanging out with her best friends Nick and Holly. When she gets a job at a local art store, she immediately decides Maye, one of the owners, is her role model. But Maye doesn't really do anything to merit that so it doesn't seem all that believable. Vanessa also decides she will love a skateboarder named James, but James is 19 and Maye doesn't think Vanessa should hang out with him.

In the end, I didn't like Vanessa or James or Nick or Holly. The novel also managed to make me rethink why I liked Jewel so much, which was a huge mistake on the author's part. (I think he was meant to be worried about Vanessa during their very brief encounters, but I wasn't 100% sure what the author was trying to say and wished she'd just passed on Jewel running into Vanessa and James altogether.)

My Not-So-Still LIfe is only 177 pages. If you loved The Opposite of Invisible, it won't hurt to revisit this world because the book is so short. ...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Britta rated it liked 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 she graduate 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 she graduates high school and is on her own, free to explore and create without the boundaries that restrict her now. But when her eagerness to grow up gets her in difficult situations and jeopardizes her relationships with her family and friends, Vanessa gets a rude awakening and vision into what her future might hold if she continues down on this path.

I really liked Vanessa. She is incredibly dramatic, but then again, most teenagers are. She is funny, abrupt, opinionated, creative and curious, but secretly confused and angry. If you can’t tell by the description I just gave, Vanessa is very complex. On one hand, she can’t wait to grow up and face the world head on, demanding her presence be know. But on the other, she sees her grandfather is getting older and she feels guilty that her mother has no time for herself. This dilemma is something way too many teens face – choosing between your family and the future you want.

Also, through Vanessa’s artistic eye, the reader has the pleasure of seeing the world in a whole new light. There are some descriptions of places, events and objects that are so simple, yet so interesting. Vanessa will take note of something, not making a big deal about it, but what she notices sometimes really made me think. I don’t really know how to describe it, but I bet if you read this novel for yourself, you would understand.

The plot was interesting, but it was not really the focal point of the novel. This story was more character driven; focusing on Vanessa has she goes through the dramatic, internal realization that there is no rush to grow up.

So overall, I’d say pick this one up. It is an insanely quick read, and it touches on problems many people face – finding your place in the world, as well as stopping yourself from growing up too quickly before you miss out on all the glory of childhood. ...more

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Nov 15, 2015 Bell rated it it was amazing

Vanessa is a young girl who can't wait till school is over and she can be in the real word. While everyone else is living their age, Vanessa try's to act older, getting a job, planning what type of tattoos she wants to get and hanging out with older people. That's why Vanessa is astatic when she places a job at her favorite art store. Vanessa has her whole life planned out and she knows who she is, or does she? Someone would want to read this book because it's cool to see how Vanessa changes thr Vanessa is a young girl who can't wait till school is over and she can be in the real word. While everyone else is living their age, Vanessa try's to act older, getting a job, planning what type of tattoos she wants to get and hanging out with older people. That's why Vanessa is astatic when she places a job at her favorite art store. Vanessa has her whole life planned out and she knows who she is, or does she? Someone would want to read this book because it's cool to see how Vanessa changes through out the book. Even some of the other characters change for the better through out the book. The story is also very interesting, there is never a dull moment. Most people were not really drawn to Vanessa due to her being so different (she dyes her hair bright colors regularly and wears very bright and crazy makeup)but she had no problems with this because she shuts most people out. She has two very close friends that she is very closer to and she is also very close to her mom and grandpa. I believe the most significant relationship in the book was Vanessa and her best friend. Her best friend is a girl who is very intelligent and well rounded and strict to herself. I felt through out the story Vanessa learns a lot from her, like that she doesn't need to grow up to fast and she doesn't really need to stand out as much as she is. In my opinion the most important conflict was Vanessa with herself. As she was trying to grow up as fast as she could she was trying to make everyone else around her do the same (her two best friends). She then realized what she was doing and started to question it, should she really be growing up this fast? It did take her a while, but she soon realized she needed to slow down and she should not force other people to grow up or be situations they don't want to be in. I would probably recommend this book to people that enjoy art or are a little quirky. Through the book she talks a lot about art, and this book got me more interested in art and it made me question it more. Now when I look at an art piece I think about what it represents and what the artist is trying to show us, because the whole time that's what Vanessa was trying to figure out about herself. ...more

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Feb 09, 2015 Lisa rated it it was ok

My Not-So-Still Life is the story of an average teenager, who is ready to grow up, do important things, and who feels stuck in high school. Vanessa wants to be different, unique and wants to explore the person she really is. Which in her case, is dying her hair crazy bright colors, wearing bold makeup and dressing up like no one around her does.

Vanessa finds high school completely useless, and finally wants to go out in the world and do something that has purpose; for her that's art! Its seems l My Not-So-Still Life is the story of an average teenager, who is ready to grow up, do important things, and who feels stuck in high school. Vanessa wants to be different, unique and wants to explore the person she really is. Which in her case, is dying her hair crazy bright colors, wearing bold makeup and dressing up like no one around her does.

Vanessa finds high school completely useless, and finally wants to go out in the world and do something that has purpose; for her that's art! Its seems like her dream comes true when she scores a job at her favorite craft store. Not only are her bosses really cool, but Vanessa doesn't mind the cute older guy that seems to spend a lot of time there.

What could be better than working at your favorite store? With cool people? And getting out of the house more often? Nothing!

But things quickly turn sour when Vanessa gets herself in a tough situation with the cute older guy from the store, and she finds herself taking half naked photos for his calender.
When things get a bit too hot and heavy, Vanessa escapes the entire situation. Her mom forces her to quit work, and instead to stay focused on school. Vanessa quickly learns that being yourself and sticking out, doesn't mean dying your hair crazy colors, and wearing extremely bold makeup. But being unique can be done in settle ways too.

My Not-So-Still Life was a light read. Its a book you can take outside or to the beach and read it in an afternoon. With that, I didn't invest myself too much into it. The book is extremely short, and there wasn't much time for me to connect with the main character. I understood why she felt so stuck, because when I was in high school taking P.E. and art classes the whole to pass time, I felt the same way. I was ready for college and continuing on with calculus, accounting and economics classes.

Overall I found the story to be enjoyable. I wasn't completely invested, but that's okay because I feel like that wasn't required for this book. I enjoyed it while it lasted. ...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Steph Su rated it liked it

Shelves: wtf-covers

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. She’s an art ...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Mariama Konneh rated it liked it

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 ...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Ashley (Bookaholics Anonymous) rated it liked it

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. At times I thought Vane ...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Anna rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2011, romance, three-stars, library

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 picture it clearly in my head as I ...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Sara rated it liked it

I think I got this book because I liked the artistic part of it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I liked it. I'm starting to read more realistic books, but I am still a fantasy lover at heart. I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of how I felt about photography when I was a student. It also reminded me of how i felt as a teenager. I was similar to this character in the way my mind worked at that age. I wanted to live more when I finished high school and started college though. I was very ...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) added it

The biggest problem I had with My Not-So-Still Life was with the main character, Vanessa, which unfortunately is a huge issue and hard to overcome. While I did like that she enjoyed art (and, subsequently, that she got to work in an art store), I did not like her poor decision making in attempts to drastically change her life. She wants to be older, wants to be seen as mature and not as a high schooler. I identified with some of her feelings (as I'm sure most high schoolers do at some point), bu ...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Sabrina rated it liked it

It was overall good, but it was confusing at certain times and I felt that the author rushed to finish the novel. It also seemed that the author wasn't detailed enough, and I felt that the author should have done something regarding Jewel, Vanessa's ex boyfriend because the last time he was mentioned or really talked about was when Vanessa was in the thrift shop. I also disliked that there was such a quick romance between James and Vanessa, it was almost like the author just threw it in there. L ...more

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May 08, 2013 Danielle rated it liked it

The book my not so still life takes place in a lot of settings for example, an art store and a house. The main charchter Is a 16 year old named Vannesa. She is also my favorite charchter. This book is about Vannesa and she is not considerd normal because she has pink hair. In the begaing she releizes that she will never be normal. Than in the middle of the book all she wants to do is grow up. Than in the last part of the book her friends worry that the guy she meet is not the right guy for her a ...more

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