The List

In high school there are the "hot" girls and the "not-so-hot" girls, but no one writes it down on paper. It is not something out in the open for everyone to see. In Siobhan Vivian's The List, those girls are labeled ugliest and hottest girl for each class, and the label will change them forever. Every year the List comes out. There is an ugliest girl and a hottest girl in each grade. No one knows who makes the lists or how the official (stolen) school seal that marks the official list gets passed down from year to year, but they accept the list as a part of their high school lives. This year is no different from previous years for most people, but it is a life-changer for the 8 girls on the list. One has been on the list all 4 years of her high school career... as the ugliest girl in her grade. One only makes the list after her anorexia slims her down. One embraces her Ugly status by writing UGLY across her forehead and refusing to shower for the whole week leading up to the Homecoming game. But one thing is for certain: the list affects every single girl it names. And while you might think it would help the lives of the Hottest girls, you would be miserably wrong. Being named Hottest only makes your friends jealous and guys think they have a right to hit on you or think you are a trophy to be won. Being on the list tests every relationship you have ever had, your values, and worst of all, what you think of yourself. The List has changed these girls... but you won't believe how. This was a deceptively awesome book, I must say. I assumed it would be rife with cliches and stereotypes and full of pink plush morals and "typical", but it really wasn't. Instead, it surprised me. Time and time again, what happened to these girls REALLY surprised me. I thought I knew what was going to happen to the Ugly girls vs. the Hot girls, but I found myself flipping the pages time and time again with that "What the heck?!" shocked look on my face. It was a really refreshing read! But at the same time, it was a frighteningly accurate reveal into the world of high school culture. We, as adults, sit on the outside of the true happenings of our schools, and although we have lived through it, we have also outgrown it, making our opinions jaded. I mean, can you honestly remember what it felt like to live through high school? I can honestly say I have tried somewhat (un)successfully to block it from my mind, but every now and then I see something going on where I teach and all those memories come rushing back. This would be an excellent book for any high school aged girl through adult trying to understand the lives and roles of teenagers these days. And to try and pretend judgment and criticism are not a part of adolescence is simply ridiculous. Sometimes we, as adults, just need to immerse ourselves in their world, even through a story like this one, to see the truth of what they live through every day. It might make you a little more sympathetic as you give them detention or scold them for not finishing their work. We see the world through our adult eyes, but we forget that as teenagers, we didn't even know who we were at that point. Vivian did a great job with this story explaining the lives of teenagers and I am sure all adolescents would find at least one character to relate to. Even if they don't want to admit it!

I loved this book for a number of reasons, the main one being that, being a young person of around this age, I could relate so well to the book that I could basically pin certain characters as people that I know. This book really captures the essence of the judgement placed upon girls (and boys) in high school, how quickly your view on someone can change because of something silly like a list, something so simple, not at all dignified or of great importance. I guess simplicity is what counts in books for teenagers like me who are a little slow on the intake. The characters were very believable, not going to such an extent as a cliché of stereotypical high school students with the one queen bee and the others just roaming around aimlessly with their unimportant cliques, I mean, there was Margo obviously who was the top girl, but she wasn't a slave driver or anything. She genuinely appreciated her friends and didn't treat everyone like they were less than her which was a nice change of pace. I like that the author touched on inner beauty. And I don't mean the little speech they give you in school or girl scouts or whatever about being beautiful no matter what anyone says, but more the opposite, telling a story of a girl who is pretty on the outside but oh so ugly on the inside, and her little realization of what she does to people. Having the pretty girl be the vulnerable one made things interesting. I was left at the end with so many questions about everyone, Danielle especially, I really wish they were answered or that the author writes a sequel, because this is a great book and that's the only reason I'd leave out a star. A great read for 13-15 year olds. Those older may not enjoy it as much, but give it a try if you're looking for a quick, fun read.

The List is a great Novel that I feel, in some way, will help a lot of teenage girls through their high school years. Some people might say that its the classic teenage fiction, but The List is not. It is so much more than that! Honestly,what I learned from the list is that people who have no right, that don't even know you, will try to define you for who they think you are. Especially, in high school when everyone is trying to figure these things out, but it is up to you to look past all the people that won't matter in your future, move on, and know what makes you, you. Know matter what anybody else has to say about it. I also learned that, people come in and out of your life for many different reasons! Some are true friends, that will truly be there with you through thick and thin. Others are only there for the good times. There are also the people who really pull through for you when you need them to most. Then, there are the people who come into your life and help you realize things about yourself, that you maybe never could have figured out, without them. The List is a meaningful novel that shows the point of views from just about any girl you can find in high school. The fake girl who finally gets what has been coming to her. The innocent home-schooled girl who finally gets to break out of her shell. The athletic girl who strives to be the best in what she loves most. The social butterfly that wants to move up in the social ladder. A girl who everyone thinks is pretty, but no one knows what she puts herself through to appear that way. The "life sucks" girl who's to cool to care. The girl who gets her high school fairy tale. Then, the one girl, who stirs up all the trouble because she's just trying to fill the whole, and be recognized after being overlooked for so many years. I guarantee to all that read my review that you will not be disappointed by The List. This is what The List helped opened my eyes to. What will you learn from The List? It will be different for everyone I'm sure, but read and see what it means to you.

The List is written by Siobhan Vivian and was published in 2012. The first part of the book introduces all of the eight characters. After that, it follows each of the characters and their life throughout homecoming week. One of the crucial plot points is that on the Monday of homecoming week, a list is released with the names of the prettiest and ugliest girl from each grade. My favorite storyline from the book was definitely Candace’s. She experiences a personality change by the end of the book. She starts off by being full of herself and then turning into someone who can show compassion. The second concept I liked about the book was how some of the characters interacted with each other. Margo and Jennifer's storylines are intertwined, even before this week started. Another item I liked about the book was the theme of the book. The overall theme is that beauty is on the inside and you need to accept yourself. Something I did not like about this book is that it ended abruptly. Just as Margo is getting crowned homecoming queen the book ends, I wanted to see if she gets the stamp from Jennifer and what happens on Sunday. I realize the first few chapters are needed but it is just introducing all of the characters which makes it hard to process. I felt like it was an immense amount of information to process and put together all of the connections on how everyone knew each other. The last piece I disliked about the book was how the book shifted points of view. I found myself not knowing what point of view it was in by the end of the book. I wouldn’t recommend this book to a friend, because I did not get intrigued about what was going to happen next; everything was mostly predictable. They shouldn't turn this book into a movie. There are already tons of movies about high school and this storyline isn't any different.

The List is a book by Siobhan Vivan. It’s about how something so little like a list can really impact a teenager's year through high school and how people see them. The story is based on a list posted every year stating the prettiest and the ugliest girl in each grade. If you were on the list named as the ugliest or even the prettiest it could impact your year tremendously. This book does have an amazing story about all the girls on the list points of view but it is also a great book teaching about mental health and how something so little can make someone’s year as easy as a piece of cake or a time that can destroy your mental health. Yes, your name is just on a sheet of paper. But that sheet of paper is posted all around school and everyone knows it. This book can teach teens the importance of how hard some things could be for others. It shows that putting others down can really make a change in their life. Calling someone ugly doesn’t make you any prettier and The List really teaches that lesson. In the story even the girls who are called the prettiest also are struggling because they have so much pressure on them. If teens read this story it shows the importance of teen mental health and how you or others can impact it in a positive or a negative way.

I loved this book. The storyline was unique and the author did a great job of giving each character a separate voice. Told my teenage daughter to read it too. Yes the ending is abrupt but I was prepared for it ahead of time. It is the first book I’ve read in a while where I had to sit back and think about when it ended. The moment she chooses as the final scene makes sense, it is the moment the list is meant to influence the most.

I liked this book because it is honest. It tells girls out there that every other girl in the world feels as insecure as they do, even if they don't look it. The List is a YA book about a high school that posts a list of the ugliest and prettiest girls of each class every year. This post is a praising and hazing ritual that tells the female population of the school who they should look up to and who they should ostracize if they want to survive high school. The drama of the list pressures the ugliest to improve themselves and the prettiest to stay on top. Meanwhile, there's a hunt for the maker of the list so that the cruel tradition can be put to an end. In the end, being pretty and ugly doesn't separate the girls that much; they're all just trying to survive high school in one piece. High school is hard to get through and it's interesting to imagine it with a definitive list of the prettiest and ugliest girls in school. I really enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it to my friends. It offers self-empowering message and reminds readers to pay attention to how they treat others, because inner beauty will always win. It was a very heartwarming read. The List was more rewarding than I expected it to be and a very quick read.

This book just draws you in. The characters are so believable and full of life and emotion. The book follows the eight girls on the "list". The "list" is a piece of paper posted everywhere in the school that states the prettiest and ugliest girl in each high school class (freshman, sophomore etc.). While it may seem that being deemed prettiest is the best thing ever, we realize that the girls who are labeled regardless of which label they get are messed up in some way by this list. The ending is both phenomenal and aggravating. While I definitely did not predict the ending, there was no neat tie up at the end. I guess it matches real life in the fact that there are no perfect endings, but at the same time I really wanted a little more closure on the girls' issues! Even so, this book was phenomenal and very well written. I encourage everyone to read it. It makes you remember that there's more to everyone than what meets the eye.