The List

Okay I haven't read the book yet but I think it would be great. I'm just getting it today and I can't wait but I'm giving the book 4 stars because I think its going to be little hard trying to figure out who's who I don't like books like that but I think it would be different this time I just can't wait. Get this book :)

Do we need ratings on books now? Totally bugged when my teen came in to tell me the 'f' word had just been used in this book. No, not prudes here, just a much higher standard for books; and, life in general, than this. I want my money back!

** spoiler alert ** So I didn't really like this at all. It was too all over the place, and I didn't feel like any of the girls' stories were complete by the end of it. Maybe if there were only two or four girls featured, it would be been less hectic and easier to follow. I did like Danielle's story as well as Margo's relationship with Matthew. But everything else left too many questions unanswered to leave me satisfied. Like did Bridget continue having body issues or did Lisa tell? Did Abby turn her grades around and did Fern stop hating her. Did Margo finally get with Matthew? Did Jennifer give her the stamp? Did Sarah stay with Milo and stop being a huge jerk all the time? Did Lauren get in trouble for sneaking out of the house and actually have to leave school? I'm sure there's some storylines I'm forgetting and that kind of proves my point. I struggled through it to finish and considered putting it down multiple times. In the end, I just wanted to get through it, so I could move on to other, better books.

“To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself.”

----Simone de Beauvoir

Siobhan Vivian, the New York Times bestselling author, has penned an incredibly enlightening and an entrancing contemporary young adult fiction, The List in which the author has woven a story about eight high school teenage girls from various grades who are picked up for a list that labels four of the girls as the ugliest in their high school and rest four as the prettiest, but little did they knew that before the homecoming dance, this list would actually ruin their lives and their relationships, no matter how good or bad they are labelled as.

Synopsis:

This riveting exploration of physical appearance and the status it confers opens a cultural conversation that’s needed to happen for a long time.

Every year during homecoming week, a list is posted anonymously at Mount Washington High naming the prettiest and ugliest girls in each class. Abby, who finds it easier to get credit for her looks than hard work, and Danielle, whose swimmer’s physique gets her labeled “ugly,” are this year’s freshman duo. The list confers instant status, transforming formerly home-schooled sophomore Lauren from geeky to hot while consigning her counterpart, pretty-but-mean Candace, to pariah. But what the label mainly confers is anxiety. Prettiest junior Bridget despairs that she’ll ever be thin enough to merit her title; Sarah takes refuge in anger, vowing to earn her ugly label big-time. Jennifer, four-time “ugliest” winner, tries to relish the notoriety. Margo’s title should make her the slam-dunk choice for homecoming queen, but will it? Whether clued in or clueless to the intricate social complexities, boyfriends reinforce the status quo, while moms carry scars of their own past physical insecurities.

The issue is seldom front and center in books for teens, but Vivian refuses to falsify or avoid the uncomfortable realities that looks alone confer status, and their power is greatest when obscured by the pretense that “looks don’t matter.”

Mount Washington High school turns into a nightmare for some girls and into a boon from an evil curse for a handful of girls, every year in the month of September, right before the Homecoming day when a Homecoming King and Queen is elected. Every year from the freshmen to sophomore to junior to senior grades, two girls are picked or rather say, labelled as "ugly" or "pretty" in The List that decides the fate of the eight teenage girls on whether they would win the title or not. Little did girls like, Abby, Danielle, Lauren, Candace, Bridget, Sarah, Jennifer and Margo knew that they would make the list that year and that would completely change their personal as well as social lives and circles, for the better or for the worse, but whatever the outcome is, this list is going to destroy their relationships and friendships. But can the girls overcome this challenge or will they ever find out who is behind this social stigma?

This is the first time that I read any books by this author and before picking up a copy of this book, I wasn't expecting much from this particular book. And boy, oh boy, it surprised me a lot, not because of the author's writing style or prose, but only because of the story line that the author has flawlessly created and that gripped me through out the entire story line. The sharp edge of brutal honesty reflects from each and every pages and that astounded me on how much real the story line felt and how vividly the author captured about a fragile and young world where body shaming can ruin some one's future.

The author's writing style is okay, not that perfect or coherent, because there are eight main characters and sometimes it feels tedious to read about the drama happening in their lives. The narrative is dull yet it has that power to stimulate the young minds, and sways smoothly with the pace of the book. The one problem is that the dialogues lack the depth of emotions, although from the grounds of social morality, the whole story is going to incite anger many young teenagers and their parents and eventually finding resolutions and closure in the climax.

The characters are well developed, but since there are so many characters, somewhere in the story line, their personal stories get overlapped eventually that will leave the readers a bit confused. The main eight characters reflect authenticity and realism thorough their demeanor. Their fight and struggle to overcome from the label, be it good or bad is real to the very core and is bound to strike a chords with those who have faced the same situation in their lives. The supporting characters are good enough and peak the interest level of the story line.

The issues that this book raise are very much real and every single day, girls are becoming a victim to this social stigma. And the author deals with this cause with much sensitivity and emotions that will motivate the common people especially the parents and the teachers of the victims to curb this social stigma from spreading. The author sends a strong message through this book and it hits rightly through the souls of the people and encourages them to take a step against this issue of body shaming and labeling young girls upon their beauty, looks and figure.

In a nutshell, this is a must read book for not only the young teenage girls but also for their parents and teachers, that will compel them from their very core to understand the gravity of such a social issue.

Each year at Mount Washington High a 'list' is produced. Nobody knows where the list comes from, no one knows who writes the list. Is it a boy or a girl? A group of students? The names on the list mostly change each year, although one name has been on the list every year for four years.
The list picks eight girls from the school, two in each grade (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors). One girl is chosen as the ugliest, and one girl is chosen as the prettiest. The story follows the lives of the eight girls and how their name on the list affects them personally. A gritty look at how truly difficult it can be for girls in high school. Girls and boys alike can be so cruel, at a time when 'fitting in' really matters. I felt so sorry for ALL of the girls, I just wanted to shout "none of this really matters"! Sadly when you're a teenager, it does matter. Well written, although it did take me a while to get into the story and the writing. I was desperate to find out what was going to happen at homecoming. I would have liked to have known what happened after homecoming, it seemed to end a bit abruptly. That said it was a light easy read covering some real issues.

The List is about a high school where, every year the week before Homecoming, a list appears listing the prettiest girl and ugliest girl of each grade. This book follows the 8 girls that are named on this list by alternating perspectives among all 8 girls and detailing how they react and deal with being named.

I would rate this book either 3 or 3 1/2 stars. The book takes place over the course of the week. I enjoyed the book, but didn't get enough closure or resolution on all 8 of the storylines. However, since it all takes place over just a week, I can guess the author did this intentionally, as it's more believable that not everything would be changed or fixed at the end of one week. There was a bit of a mystery element, as we knew someone at the school wrote the list, and we do find out who did that by the end of the book, which I was satisfied by.

I read that MTV bought the rights to this novel and intends to develop it into a TV show. I think this book would carry really well to TV because there are so many characters, each with their own thing going on, and a TV series should give adequate time to explore all of the varying storylines. The drawback to the book is as that I felt it may have been trying to do too much. In one book there's not enough time to fully develop 8 characters and see everything to fruition. I felt several of the characters were well-developed, but there were a few others I wish had been fleshed out a bit more. Overall, I found the book enjoyable, even though I didn't get all of the closure I wanted with all of the characters.

It took me three trips to Barnes and Noble before I finally managed to find this book in stock. I can't say that it was worth it. I wanted to like it, I really did. It had really good potential.

Plot: When I read the blurb I was really excited; it was a plot I'd never heard of before and it told eight different stories. But, this is where the problem was. At 331 pages, it sounds like plenty of room for eight different stories, right? Wrong.

There just wasn't enough for eight different stories. They were good story lines, they just weren't done well and to the extent to make this book amazing.

Characters: Honestly, I didn't read this book all that long ago and I couldn't remember any of the characters' names. I knew the basic outline of each story, but I had to flip though the book again just to jog my memory for this review.

Freshman- Danielle and Abby. I felt a little sympathy for Danielle, who had to deal with her boyfriends getting teased because of her. But, I couldn't feel any connection at all with Abby, who's narration just picked apart her sister. I don't expect to be able to connect to all eight main characters, but I'd like to at least feel sorry for her.

Sophomores- Candace and Lauren. I really liked these two because Candace was listed as ugliest because of her personality, not her looks. When Lauren starts taking over her group she has to reevaluate how she treats her friends. Lauren was one of my favorites. Her story was simple enough to fit in with several others and not take up enough room, but long enough that you get to know her and root for her.

Juniors- Sarah and Bridget. Sarah spends the book "rebelling" and embracing her part on the list as "ugliest". She doesn't shower, or brush her teeth and wears the same clothes all week. I was a little confused by her story, but I loved Milo. Bridget is, in the words of Pretty Little Liars, using ugly tricks to stay pretty. Her little sister is Abby's best friend, so it makes for a neat relationship there.

Seniors- Jennifer and Margo. The story between these two alone could have been a book, but instead we got a rushed version in between other girls' stories. They used to be best friends, but now that Jennifer's been listed as "ugliest" for four years in a row, Margo's friends want to invite her into their group to make up for it.

Their relationship builds up to an ending I doubt anyone sees coming, but it could have been so much better if we got more of their story and characters.

They all could have been great characters given more page time.

Writing Style: It switched between so many different point of views that it would take me a few pages into reading a chapter to remember the story line, or I'd have to flip back to the girl's previous chapter because I'd forgotten what they were in the middle of.

Overall: This book had the potential to be amazing. It was there. It was just too rushed and choppy. It's an original plot that just wasn't executed very well. Don't get me wrong, Vivian is an amazing writer, this book just fell short.

The gist of the book really makes you think about high school and how we classify people. This is just a person or two writing a list that says that you're "pretty" or you're "ugly" and that changes the girls' relationships with different people drastically. It's very true to life and eye opening.

Despite all that, I just didn't find it a very good book.

Nice read. I see a lot of people were unhappy that the book ended where it did, but the point of the book was to talk about how these characters reacted to the list, and the culmination was homecoming. I suppose this serves as a warning to anyone who needs all the odds and ends tied up.

Other considerations is that there are 8 point of views characters. You only get limited time with each character. I didn't mind, but if you're the type of person who likes to get to know one character really well, you might want to pass.

I believe the author set out to do what she wanted to do, and this was entertaining, and worth my time as I thought about how society on a larger scale rates girls and women on their looks all the time, and in doing so instills self-consciousness and insecurity.

http://hulsey2007bookblog.blogspot.com/
So I really liked this book, although its not the best book. But I like the concept of it. Being about a list going out about whose the prettiest and whose the ugliest. And how those people become obsessed about their looks and even though they are pretty they still have problems. It was an interesting topic. Because thats all high school. High school is all about whose popular. Who is going to sit at my lunch table, who looks pretty. Do I look ugly in this? Its focused alot on looks, which is a really bad thing. But its high school its a really hard time in a young kids life. This is a very hard topic to write about. This author wrote about it. Some things I agreed with her about and some I didnt. But I liked the story she told. Its a really good story, that was told really well.
One of my favorite things about this story was how even the popular kids had problems, one of them was a skinny girl, wanted to be even skinnier to fit into a dress that wasnt her size. And she actually did that. It was a hard topic to approach. It was sad, but being a girl in highschool. You get made fun of for being fat, or TOO skinny. People judge you and its not right. I love how this author put in different aspects of high school.
I do wish this story was ended differently. It was more of an abrupt ending. I had a few more question unanswered. But overall it was a decent read. 3 stars

The List was an eye opening novel about the insecurities that a high school girl faces. I started reading this book and was bored untill the ending, which had a plot twist I never saw coming.
This novel starts with a group of high school girls awaiting the results of a list that rates them ugliest or prettiest. The results bring many students relief, but eight girls will struggle to find their place befor the homecoming dance.
Each girl sets out with a different agenda, and the journeys that they each go through are very different.
This book was one of the first books in a while that I couldnt seem to stop reading. I tried to stop when I got bored with the story (which was frequently) but I had to find out what would happen to each of these girls. As I kept reading, I reached the ending where everything came toghether in a twist I never expected. The ending of the novel was abrubt- you never really have closure on the whole situation. It seems like the author was in a rush to end the book.
I liked this book enough to give it a hesitant four stars. The ending really sold it for me.
I would recommend this book to almost anyone. :)
-WideAwake

I have read Siobhan Vivian's previous novel and was thrilled to read `the List'.

A few thoughts came to mind as I was reading this book. Firstly, Vivian's books are always so vivid and incredibly difficult to read (for me anyway). Why? Because they are so true - they touch the areas where I feel the most vulnerable and then, take the storyline even further - by playing out human nature's true self.

Wow! That sounded kind of deep, but that is how I felt when I read The List.

Can you imagine being a teenage girl in high school (which is hard enough to begin with) only to discover that some mysterious person has created the List. What is on this list? the names of 8 girls who have been ranked either pretty or not, in each class grade.

I can't imagine the horror of finding your name on that list - under the `ugliest' category.

However, the author takes it one step further and examines the lives of 8 girls who have been `put' on that list - the pretty ones AND the ugly ones. While you might think that the pretty ones `have it made', the author does an amazing job of showing us just how being labeled - one way or the other can affect who you are, how you feel and how you act.

I cringed as I read this book - because there is so much truth to the stories told here. The pretty girls discover that they may not be all that pretty after all and the ugly girls discover that there is more to life than just your face - actually, this is kind of the morale of the book, in a round about way.

What a wonderful book to read if you are a young adult who does not believe that you fit it anywhere. This book, while incredibly difficult, was also kind of uplifting in a way. The writing is frank and, at times, raw, which simply gives the author and her storyline all that much more credibility.

The List follows eight high school girls, two from each grade, one deemed the “prettiest” of the grade the other the “ugliest.” Through the book, we learn a bit about each one of them and the struggles they face and rewards they gain from being chosen.

The idea had promise, and I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Initially reading it, I found myself drawn in by the characters, all eight personalities so unique. They stood out from the pages. Which is why I was so disappointed by the end, when it felt as though everything came to a complete standstill. We learn who wrote the list, but nothing is ever really resolved, slamming on breaks at the last chapter and leaving me wondering where the rest of the book went.

In the end, despite the brilliance of the characters, it felt Vivian bit off more than she could chew in writing “The List,” leaving readers stuck in a Limbo if unanswered questions and loose strings.

This was an intriguing look into the lives of eight different girls at varying points of high school and the qualities and attributes that supposedly defined them.

Because there were eight girls, I didn't really get to know any of them in depth, and as such it was a bit hard to really get involved in this book as there was no particular one to draw me in and keep me going. I did enjoy getting perspectives from very different characters, however, and I thought the author did a great job at distinguishing them and keeping them from blending together.

Side characters such as the principal were a lot of fun to read about. In addition to the eight main girls, other characters had fascinating reactions to the drama and it was intriguing to see all the reactions from the excluded.

I enjoyed the concept and how an anonymously posted list could make certain girls be the center of attention. Though it was very high school, it was also a fascinating social experiment that shows the power of a certain dynamic.

This was a unique take on a high school popularity book and though I didn't become particularly invested in characters, I enjoyed reading it.

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Harlequin (UK) Limited and NetGalley.)

“Freshmen Uglist:
Danielle DeMarco –
Also known as Dan the Man.”

This was a YA contemporary story about a group of girls on prettiest/ugliest list.

There were several main characters in this and it was quite hard to keep up with them all. I felt quite sorry for the girls who were labelled as ugly, especially with the treatment they then received from their friends.

The storyline in this basically followed the girls on the list from their reactions to it until prom queen was announced, and showed how things were different for the ‘ugly’ girls compared to the ‘pretty’ girls, although both seemed to have their own problems to deal with, so they really weren’t all that different at all.

The ending to this was okay, and I felt that the right person had won prom queen.
6.25 out of 10

The List is an intimate look into the lives and minds of a group of teenage girls - each of them brings their own unique story and each have a different ending. To me, this book felt less like a journey (with a plot and clear story to tell) and more like an experience of juxtaposing these 8 stories.

This is a particularly effective method to accomplish what I believe Siobhan Vivian is trying to do with the List, which is to highlight the struggles of a group of characters who are very different from each other. This is a book with a strong message, and I would highly recommend for readers who appreciate that type of story.

Reasons to Read:

1. Effective multiple narrators:

Narration with multiple perspectives can be pretty hit or miss for me, but I found it to be a particularly effective tool in The List. The multiple perspectives works well here because the reader is given a broader understanding of the 8 girls and their relationships with each other. The similarities and differences between the characters were striking. It was fascinating to discover this, especially while the girls themselves had yet to recognize their similarities.

2. A hard topic handled perfectly:

To me, The List is definitely an "issue book" because there is a strong message within the story. However, the message didn't come across as preachy or pushy, which is a delicate balance to strike. It's very much present, and the ending leaves the reader with a few questions to ponder. Each of the girls has her own personal, unique ending - one that is suited to her character. This is important because it made the story feel very real - both endearing and heartbreaking, and even optimistic for some of the girls. But not all.

A drawback from these two positive features is that the story largely feels unfinished. The book is simply too short to adequately wrap up the story of all 8 girls, and because of the sheer number of characters they don't get much page-time or development. Which is why I said that this didn't feel like a story as much as it felt like an experience or a portion of a journey.

The List is a book that I think would make a great starting point for discussions with younger girls - perhaps pre-teens or teenagers. It could be a really great book club pick because there's so much to talk about here (or even for a mother/daughter read). And it works really well for that - as for enjoyment purposes, the story lacked the development I prefer to read about in books.

Review copy received from Scholastic Canada; no other compensation was received.

I feel like this book had an important theme---popularity in high school and the positive and negative effects of it. I liked the plot idea--of a popularity list. But I'm not sure that I thought it was done the right way.

I never really got attached to any of the characters because it was told from 8 different viewpoints. I found myself not really caring about any of them and especially disliking one of them (probably the one that was supposed to be disliked but I think instead we should have seen some redeeming quality in her.)

There were some major teen issues in the book--including an eating disorder. But nothing ever really gets done about it. The character with the disorder knows its wrong but it's never really rectified. Another character's mother is threatening to pull her out of the school but we never find out if that really happens. It's like nothing is ever resolved in the story. Almost like the book was cut short. Each character should have had at least one more chapter to wrap up their "story".

Overall, it was an okay book. I just wish it had more follow-through at the end.

The List dominates the school - once a year, a list is anonymously produced featuring the prettiest and ugliest girl of each grade. This book stars a pretty large ensemble cast - 8 girls, plus their friends and family. Each girl is so unique, with her own reactions to being forced into the spotlight.

Abby is delighted to be named prettiest freshman. Her older sister Fern, is a science nerd whose devotion to "The Blix Effect" fantasy novels knows no bounds. I loved these sisters so much. I loved how the girls speak two completely different languages - Abby is fluent in fashion and personal grooming but struggles with classwork. Fern is a serious student, and was formerly on "the list" as an ugly girl. My favorite quote from Abby was regarding the Blix Effect style hair that Fern wants help with. "Fern only ever wants Abby to give her two French braids, even though Abby can do a knot or an up-twist - hairstyles Abby feels are better, more sophisticated choices for her sixteen-year-old sister. But Abby never says no to Fern's requests, even though she finds it weird that Fern wants to dress in what is essentially a costume, because the braids do make Fern look better, or at least like she cares a little bit about how she looks."

Danielle, aka Dan, is a lady athlete. She's a powerful swimmer, and knows her way around a weight room, too. Her boyfriend Andrew is always worried about what other guys will think. The news that Danielle has been voted ugliest freshman is nearly enough to drive him away. As much as Danielle is embarrassed to be nicknamed "Dan the Man," in her own words, "She knows she is not a boy. But sometimes her boyfriend needs to be reminded." I felt like Dan was a teenage version of Glee's Coach Beiste.

Lauren is the unexpected pick for prettiest sophomore. Her family dynamic is cray-zee! She's been homeschooled her whole life, and while she's intimidated and overwhelmed to be attending high school, on the other hand, she is starting to enjoy herself and make friends. Her domineering mother needs to cut the cord!

Candace takes a lot of pride in her personal appearance and is shocked to make the ugly list. She's a queen bee, a mean girl, and her idea of having friends is so that when you say, "Jump!" they will all ask, "How high?" It would be satisfying to see her finally getting her comeuppance now, if she wasn't so heartrendingly pathetic. She really doesn't understand what she's done to drive people away.

I felt so bad for poor crazy Bridget. The other kids at school don't know that her new trimmed down look is only due to a summer spent battling anorexia. When she's named prettiest junior, it sends her into a tailspin. She decides to starve herself again, but the scenes where she sees her little sister who idolizes her start to copy her behavior broke my heart.

The scenes with Sarah, a punk-rock girl who is voted ugliest junior probably made the least sense to me. She's kind of unhinged after discovering a secret from her boyfriend Milo. She's embarrassed and regrets losing her virginity to him. I couldn't figure out what the secret was though! My mind wandered to the worst possible scenarios. I didn't feel like the secret was ever satisfactorily revealed. Was it just that he had an attractive ex-girlfriend? I didn't get it. The other part about Sarah's story that didn't totally make sense was her decision to stop bathing. She decides to punish the students at school by becoming as odoriferous as possible. The events of the book mostly happen over a four-day span though. I probably spend too much time with people who do not bathe, but I don't think only four days would be enough time for her to really work up the kind of horrific body stench that she describes.

Margo is delighted to be named prettiest senior, but horrified when her former best friend Jennifer is named the ugliest girl... for the fourth year in a row. Margo and her older sister, (also a former prettiest girl) who is now in college have a really interesting dynamic. Interestingly, Margo is mostly horrified that her carefully cultivated friend circle of popular girls take pity on Jennifer and start to include her. Which is not what Margo had envisioned at all.

And Jennifer! Where do I start? This girl is maybe the craziest of them all. She kind of seemed Single White Female - a little too stalker-y towards Margo.

I thought the detailed mechanics of how the list is sealed with a stolen school stamp (to prevent impostor lists from cropping up) seemed a little overdone. But, I loved the way that Vivian skillfully interwove so many interconnecting threads. There is a great twist at the end. I kind of suspected it, maybe a little, but getting at all the details was fascinating.

I have wanted to read this one for some time because I was interested the the premise of this list that targeted the most beautiful and ugliest girl in each class. I wanted to see how the dynamics played out, how much bullying would come into play and wanted to know who is behind the list and why.

There is a shifting point of view and it is with all eight of the girls, so it took me a bit to remember the individual story line, what they were voted, and what role they play in relation to the others. They all had different story lines and motives, and it was a great look into how women view themselves and how easily they could be persuaded by others/popular opinion.

I wish that it would have had less characters and been able to go deeper, and for me to actually remember who was voted prettiest and ugliest, and what they were feeling about it.

But there was something compulsive about it. I didn't want to stop reading even through my character confusion. I wanted to know who was behind it. I wanted to know how this would bring together or separate the girls, and how they respond to being on their place on the list.

I felt like once the story got going and I was starting to get into the characters' stories and tell them from each other, it was over. And to me, at least, it didn't feel like a very complete ending.

Bottom Line: Great concept, okay characters though it felt like too many.

This book is about beauty and self-esteem. It's about being reduced to labels based on how "pretty" or "ugly" you look. It's about seeing someone on the surface and judging them before taking a deep and careful look at who they truly are on the inside. It has a great message: it doesn't matter what other people think or say about you--it's what you think and feel about yourself that matters because after all, people aren't going to remember those moments where you were the "prettiest," the "ugliest," or whatever-ist. However, how you handle yourself and how you take being labeled in whatever way is something that could affect you in the long run. So . . . why not stop worrying about what others think of you and start focusing on the more important things in life?

~~~
"Years from now, no one will remember this dance, no one will remember who made homecoming queen, no on will remember the list. What people are going to remember are their friends, the relationships they've made. Those are the things to hold on to." - Principal Colby
~~~
Anyway, that's message I got from the book.

I loved, loved the concepts, the messages, and the lessons learned in The List. Was it a fascinating read? Did is suck me in, make me cry, make me laugh, or make me fall in love with it? No. Honestly, based on my enjoyment level, I could've given the book three stars instead of four. It made me think, though, and I thought that deserved a higher rating. I could see a lot of development in the characters--each one changed in some way. Sometimes it was a very positive change, and others were a bit negative. Sometimes, the change was only a baby step towards an improvement. I really liked the variety in these changes in developments.

What I didn't like, though, was the number of characters. There were eight of them, and each had her own story told in third person. I felt like there wasn't enough of some of the characters. The story may have been more engaging if there wasn't so many characters alternating throughout the book.

Overall, The List as a meaningful book. It's one worthy of a discussion.You can discuss the messages or the changes in each character. You can talk about why each one changed, or what certain moments and actions meant. You can also discuss the closing of each character's story and why they ended the way they did. This is a book that you can actually get something out of. It's also a very easy and relatable read. For those reasons, I highly suggest giving this book a try.

The List stood out for me. I enjoyed reading it as an adult and I know that I would have loved it if I'd read it in high school. The concept itself is catchy but it's the execution that makes it such a fascinating read. Siobhan's eight main girls are complex and fully fleshed out without any of them becoming tedious, whiny or annoying or impossibly perfect.

Siobhan shows each of the girls reacting very differently. Not surprisingly, those scorned are particularly interesting: Freshman Danielle, "Dan the Man" starts tearing down copies of the List but they are plastered all over the school. Gorgeous Candace is baffled and comes back with a harsh joke, ripping on the nearby blind girl, an innocent bystander. Sarah tries to flip the word back at the world - by writing "UGLY" on her forehead. Jennifer sets a record after having been voted the ugliest girl for all four years of high school - by this time she's learned to swallow her feelings and pretend to laugh.
While being singled out as pretty doesn't affect the other four girls the same way either. Abby has to deal with knowing that her best friend wasn't selected as the prettiest girl - and that her older sister Fern had been singled out as the ugliest girl not so long ago. Lauren is new to public school, so the sudden surge of interest is stressful and confusing. Lauren isn't prepared for all the politics that comes with her sudden popularity. Bridget has body image issues - she's lost a lot of weight and can't stop herself from losing more. The acknowledgment of how much she's blossomed puts more pressure on her. She worries that she's giving her beloved younger sister a bad example - and this adds to her stress.

Principal Colby calls all those named to her office in an attempt to repair the damage and stop the tradition, everyone knows that this isn't going to help. The girls' friends and boyfriends try to behave decently but social pressures eventually do their own damage. It takes much strength and toughness to handle the repercussions of being on the List - I found myself sympathizing with each of the girls as they tried to keep their lives on course.

Siobhan Vivian delivers an engaging and sympathetic story with humor and sensitivity. The List is a book that I plan to share with my nieces and friends.

ISBN-10: 0545169178 - Hardcover $17.99
Publisher: Push (April 1, 2012), 336 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

I loved this book! Let me start out by saying that it's not just a fluffy contemporary novel, The List really has some depth and the character development is amazing. We really get to know each of the eight girls in the 332 pages of the book; they were all unique and reacted to their placement on the list differently. I think it's great that Siobhan Vivian was able to come up with eight unique personalities and let the reader get to know them all equally - it's a feat I couldn't accomplish! Anyway, you would think the "ugly" girls would get all depressed and the "pretty" girls would be ecstatic, but that really wasn't the way it worked out and that took this book to the next level; from stereotypical fluff to realistic contemporary.

The character that stuck out to me the most was Sarah. For some reason I kept picturing her like Janice Ian from Mean Girls but more hardcore. (And no, I'm not going to compare the novel to Mean Girls because it's nothing like Mean Girls.) I understand why she acted the way she did, strangely enough I really do, but I do think that hints at the need for therapy. Perhaps all eight girls could benefit from a dose of therapy. The fact that the list existed at all is unfortunate.

Five stars! This is a really unique YA contemporary standalone that is not at all too fluffy. I think The List would make for a great book club book, I could see a lot of discussion occurring based on the different girls' reactions. This book is a must read!

I took me a while to read this book. A book this size should have taken me a lot less time to read, even though I am a slow reader, especially since the topic was a good one.

I didn't hate the book, but there was just something lacking about it to keep me glued or make me sit down with it the next time I had some free time.

Out of the eight story-lines the book had to offer I was only really drawn into two of them. Danielle and Sarah's stores, and still when the book was done I wanted to know more about them.

Perhaps it is becuase I have been out of high school for so long that I disconnected with it, but on the same token I was the "ugly" girl in all three of my high schools so I should have been able to relate.

I'm going to leave this review on this note. The book was decent. It had some good messages and I think for a younger crowd it would go from a good book to an excellent book.

I actually went back and forth for quite awhile deciding whether or not I wanted to buy this book. Once I started reading, I was hooked. The more I read, however, I realized that this was going to be one of those books where I would start to dislike the characters. It wasn't really possible to get to know the characters because there wasn't really enough time in the length of the book to explore each of the 8 main characters. The author would give just a peek at their lives and then move off to another character. Such important topics were brought up like eating disorders, peer pressure, underage drinking, etc...... andyet nothing was resolved. I couldn't believe that the book just ended so abruptly. I wasn't looking for a HEA but at least something that said Bridget got help, or Jennifer at least did something good to redeem her character. Jennifer's character is the reason I bought the book in the first place and she is now the reason I wish I'd never read it. I think the author had a good idea for this book and the concept started off great but it's like she just gave up at the end and decided she was tired of writing this book so she just stopped.

In The List, Vivian integrates the voices of the eight girls who will bear the prettiest and ugliest titles for one whole year. How you'd you react to be named the ugliest girl in school when you are obviously pretty? Why be named the prettiest when you are not ... well, not ugly but not that pretty either? How far would you go to keep your just gained "prettiest" title? Who is taking upon herself to teach these girls and - maybe - the rest of the school a lesson?

Oh yes! Who is the heartless evil bitch who writes the list? Because from the beginning, I made up my mind that the list must have been written by a girl (or a bunch of them). There's no way that guys have the heart and the stomach to come up with that kind of list and live with the results.

The opening of the book is very powerful and I immediately felt drawn to the book. In fact, it has a compulsive readability that I couldn't fight. It was also very interesting to read about what these girls thought about themselves, their new acquired titles, and what they did to own such labels. The book is easy and fast to read and I liked Vivian's writing style. It felt like a breeze of fresh air to read about the pretty and ugly concepts in this way.

On another note, once the narration at the beginning ends and the voices of the girls take over, I was confused by who was who (who was pretty and who was ugly). But cleverly, the actual list is posted at the beginning so I just went back to the list to set my characters straight!!!!

What I didn't like: duh! I just gave it 3-stars so obviously some things didn't work for me, for instance, Sarah's (one of the ugliest) decision to make a statement about her given title and then change her mind at the last minute. I mean, of course last minute mind-changing is okay, but I didn't see a reason for it other than going on with her original plan might have made her the ugliest girl in school forever.... Like Jennifer, who's been holding that title for four years in a row!

In general, I didn't like the sudden transformations of the girls (Candance, for instance) from being/acting one way and at the end of the book kind redeeming herself by becoming... Well, good. Why? What made her change her personality?

Some other details left me hanging. The girls' issues were not followed to an end but rather left open; I wonder if this was on purpose to give room for a second book?
But in general, the book is a good read and the concept is one that I very much enjoyed.

I think Vivian has done an excellent thoughtful job of examining the life of young woman, the pressures, the feelings, etc. such as in her book Not That Kind of Girl and after seeing several rave reviews of this book, I was excited to give it a read although I was worried about juggling the eight (!) girls it follows.

Those worries were not unwarranted as I didn't feel like we really got enough insight into them. There are eight girls and 332 pages, which means that each girl only gets about forty pages and it didn't even seem like each got the same amount of page-time. Fortunately I was able to keep referring to the front inside cover, which listed the girls as well as their basic conflict upon being placed on the list as either the prettiest or the ugliest grade in their respective grade.

As is my wont, I ended up being most drawn to the stories that featured sister-sister relationships; prettiest freshman Abby and prettiest Bridget find themselves struggling with their role on the list and how it impacts their relationship with their sister who did not make the list. Abby and her older sister Fern definitely had some moments that made me reflect on my relationship with my younger sister.

But I think my favorite storyline was Danielle, who is anointed ugliest freshman and derided as manly. See Danielle swims and has an athletic body with muscles; she's good enough to make varsity. However this body shape makes her feel less than when compared to the typical body shape that seems to be prized in contemporary American society. These feelings are compounded by her insecure boyfriend who can't take the teasing from his stupid friends. But happily Danielle makes more friends with other swimmers and appreciates all that her body can do.

Another interesting plotline was that of seniors Jennifer and Margo (labeled ugliest and prettiest respectively) who are former friends. There were some twists and turns I didn't predict and a few shocking moments. This storyline did not turn out the way I expected and I appreciated the surprises that Vivian was able to pack in here.

Overall: A slightly overstuffed book but still a very appealing one that tackles life as a female in amid the craziness of an American high school.

Cover: I really like the color of the lockers behind the students although I wonder if eight could have fit to represent how many are focused on in the book.

So first of all, the ending (if you could even call it that) was horrible. The last sentence in the book is "It was made of plastic". There was no conclusion to any of the girls stories.

Abby: Abby's story was alright. Pretty girl with an "ugly", smart sister. Her story is the only one that had an ending.

Danielle: Danielle's story was okay. I like that she had good friends who didn't let the list cloud their opinion of her. I hated Alex, he had no backbone. Danielle is better off w/o him.

Lauren: I thought Lauren's story was refreshing. I like that she was beautiful but also sweet and caring. I think her mom needed to chill out a bit. She treated Lauren like her BFF and became jealous when Lauren made friends her own age. At the end of the book, Lauren's friends do not like her anymore bc she has "too much" school spirit. Then Lauren gets drunk and misses the dance. By the end of her story, we do not know if she is okay, if her mother realized that she snuck out of the house, or if Lauren is getting pulled out of school. NOTHING!

Candace: Candace's story was okay. She was a mean girl who was taught the ultimate lesson, BUT did she learn it? Maybe, we see Candace being "nice" to Lauren when she is drunk. But things go back to normal w/ her and her friends the minute her friends brush Lauren off. We get no real conclusion here.

Bridget: I liked hers and Lisa's relationship, although the fight between them remained unresolved. Her eating disorder was a serious issue, but I felt it was lightly touched on. No one noticed or thought it was a problem except Lisa.

Sarah: I thought Sarah was gross, and unnecessarily mean to Milo. The author did a poor job explaining why Sarah was mad at Milo after they had sex. I get she felt intimidated by Annie (especially bc her and Milo remained close), but she should of dealt with her feelings about being called ugly instead of lashing out at her only friend/bf.

Margo: Margo's story was okay, until we find out her secret. She ditched her ugly friend Jennifer before starting HS. She became popular, which is what she wanted. She was named prettiest freshman. She had it all. I think her character had the most growth.

Jennifer: I felt sorry for Jennifer at the beginning. Being called ugly is hurtful, but being called ugly 4 years in a row is cruel. However, at the end we find out that Jennifer made this years list and put herself on the ugly list. What? Seriously? I'm glad that she didn't win homecoming queen. She deserved what she got, in my opinion.

I think the 8 POV was too much of a feat for this book. It needed to be a longer book or a series. We didn't get answers or any resolution

I loved this book. At first I thought I liked it but was worried about all the characters to follow and by about page 70, I had given up. I actually stopped reading and put it back on the shelf and started a new book. But something kept telling me to go back to it and I'm so happy I did. There are a lot of girls to keep up with, but as you read you realize they are more intertwined than you first think. This book gets better and better and by the end I was so engrossed I shushed my husband walking in from work. And yes, I am a married 37 yr old mother. I love young adult and this book was fabulous

i was super disappointing when i read this book. not only the POV shifts were annoying, i found the book very unrealistic to how high school actually revolves. as a high schooler most of these problems that occur in the character's lives actually occur. seriously though, i never hear a mother ever allow her own child and friends drink rum just so the child would allow her mother to do her makeup for a dance, that is just unrealistic and irresponsible of her. or when the coach allow a student to sit out because they were both "officially" nominated as pretty. normal high school girls dont actually care or obsess over how popular they are nor would they have such a strong reaction to a list especially when they should be worrying about their AP classes and homework. also in the book, the way the words flow sounds unnatural and some details in the book were unnecessary. details that do need explaining should be presented at the beginning of the book and not in the middle. am example would be the unresolved problems between margo and jennifer. at the beginning all it ever mentions is that margo is avoiding jennifer for some unknown reason without giving any hints and the book never revealed the back story on when she was avoiding her up until the middle/last part of the book which was super frustrating. also the POV shifts were every confusing because i had to flip back and forth from the list and the story so i can follow on who's POV i am reading in, especially with so many characters in the book it's hard to keep up. on top of that some of the characters in the book i thought was unnecessary (ex:bridget and sarah) even though they did show some character development and reaction to the list, they were not significant to the main story behind the list (if that made any sense). also some thing id like to mention is that this book has a lot of high school stereotypes like always having the point of view of a cheer leader or the head cheer leaders always being the popular one or people worrying about popularity or having guys going up to girls in pack just to ask a girl out or guys bullying their friend's girlfriend or people openly gossip about other people in their faces and pointing (*or at least these things dont occur in my school)

Contemporary fiction is one of my favorite genres and I have been anticipating The List for quite some time. I have yet to read anything by Siobhan Vivian, and I figured this was a good place to start. The List had a unique premise and caught my attention right away. The idea of a list naming girls in each grade as "ugliest" or "prettiest" was fresh and intriguing. I could not imagine having this actual happen, but it made for an entertaining read that showed just how much a piece of paper can change someone's life.

The List had an extremely unique premise and I was eager to see how Siobhan would handle the subject. How awful it would be to be named the ugliest! And imagine the repercussions of being named prettiest! All of the characters handled the "honor" differently and it was interesting to see what their reaction was and how the rest of the school viewed them afterwards. Since there were eight girls on the list and the book alternated between all of their points-of-view, things got a little confusing at times. I am glad I got to see into the head of each of the girls and see how they took the news, but at times I got lost with who was who.

I really liked the way Siobhan told the story and she dealt with some heavy issues. Even though some girls were named prettiest, this did not mean things were perfect for them from then on. Each girl was dealing with her own personal issues and had to face their friends and family after the list went up. The book took place over a short period of time and, I felt, ended rather abruptly. I wish I could have seen where things were going for each of the girls.

Siobhan Vivian is a great writer and she tied in a variety of plot twists to keep things moving and I was constantly wondering who the writer of the list was and what was going to happen in the end. It had a bit of mystery-edge to it, which I enjoyed, and my heart went out to the girls who had to deal with having their names on the list, because things were never easy for them as a result.

All in all, while The List didn't completely live up to my expectations, I still really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more by Siobhan Vivian in the future.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It's a tradition that has been going on for as long as anyone at Mouth Washington High can remember. No one knows who writes the list, if it's created by an individual or a group, but everyone knows that the list just says what everyone else was thinking. At the start of homecoming week, the list goes up: on lockers, tapped on the walls, littering the cafeteria. It features a row for each grade and two categories: prettiest and ugliest.

Some of the girls know it's coming. For Jennifer, being named the ugliest senior means she's been on the ugly side of the list for four straight years, a school record. Ugliest junior Sarah isn't surprised. She dresses and acts however she wants, and hates those at the school who just want to conform and pay attention to the list. Candace, the sophomore on the ugly side of the list, is certain there's been a mistake. Popular, well dressed and obviously beautiful, she thought she'd land on the pretty side for sure. The decision of the list maker is explained in a note next to her name that reads "ugly on the inside." And Danielle, the freshman deemed ugliest who never even heard of the list, is completely blindsided. She never thought that her muscly athletic build made her look ugly, but her boyfriend's friends seem to agree with the list's assessment, and he's not sticking up for her.

At first, the pretty girls seem to be nothing but excited by the news that they've been judged most attractive in their class, but the attention begins to bring out all their insecurities. Freshman Abby is happy about the honor, but knows even if she's beautiful, she'll never be smart like her sister. Sophomore Lauren starts to gain friends after the list comes out, but realizes that her overprotective mother will never let her enjoy them. Junior Bridget is battling an eating disorder that makes her feel anything but pretty. And Margo watches her dreams of getting homecoming queen deflate as a sin from her past comes back to haunt her.

Siobhan Vivian has perfectly captured eight distinct teenage voices in THE LIST. With each girl getting her own chapter and little to connect them other than the list, we're able to see just how divided a high school can be --- with each young lady being assigned a label, a status --- and how easily a status can change overnight. At its core, this novel is a mystery, with readers constantly looking for clues to lead them to the person who wrote the list, but in the end it almost doesn't matter. As the school fully accepts the list, it becomes the word of everyone, and inside each character's head, readers are able to see each girl struggle with the attention, negative or positive.

THE LIST doesn't have the happy ending some readers might want, but it does leave the characters in places and mindsets that ring true. Their pain is so raw that this can be a tough book to get through, but it never stops surprising you and never seems fake or forced.

Reviewed by Molly Horan on May 31, 2012

Briefly: Every year, a list is posted anonymously all over school, listing two girls from each grade as the prettiest and the ugliest. Some have never considered themselves ugly, while instant popularity awaits those deemed prettiest. The List chronicles how each of the girls handles their appearance on the list...and if they can find out, once and for all, who posted it.

Didja Like It?: It was OK.

Anything Else to Mention?: I didn’t care about any of the people, really.

To Read or Not To Read: Read other reviews, and you decide.

The List by Siobhan Vivian was published January 7, 2014 by Amulet. Ink and Page picked this book up from the library for review. In addition, a free chapter sampler of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to NetGalley/the Publisher/the Author.

Rating: 3

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction
Ages: 13 and up
You Might Want to Know: Underage drinking/smoking

It's not hard to say that high school can be a beauty contest. Anyone who's been to high school would know that. Really, life has turned into a beauty contest itself, but sometimes kids can be more cruel. Someone is always judging someone else. When a list appears in the hallways of Mount Washington High, feelings of excitement and dread hang in the air. Sure, there's a pretty list, but there's an ugly list too. This story shows what it's like for both sides, how being viewed a certain way can even affect the way you view yourself.

The more you read, the more you realize that the book is about struggle with body image, losing friends, peer pressure, and learning how to accept yourself. Even the girls voted the prettiest had their own issues to worry about. I'm glad that Siobhan chose to write about girls of all different types, because no matter what we all look like on the outside, we all really just want to be treated well by others.

I read this book throughout the week, taking small breaks to do other things, which really made me a little confused because the characters seemed to blend together if you don't read the book all at once. After all, there are 8 girls to keep track of, so it's understandable. Once I got deeper into the book, I didn't have much of a problem remembering who was who. Sarah stood out from the beginning for me, because here was this punk chick who doesn't take anyone's crap, yet we learn how fragile she is behind the wall she builds between her and her peers.

The List shows how easily people follow along with the crowd. Everyone in the school views these people as either pretty or ugly based on one anonymous person's opinion, and as I realized the other day, many people see that if one person says something rude, they all think it's alright for them to repeat these things. even one of the pretty girls feels so much pressure to be beautiful that she starts showing signs of becoming anorexic and bulimic. No one seems to have it as easy as everyone else thinks.

So, each chapter is about a different girl and the book is cut into sections from Monday, when the list is revealed, all the way until Saturday, when the Homecoming dance takes place. I will say that when you find out who made the list, you may be surprised. I definitely enjoyed the messages that The List held, as I too know what it's like to be the "ugly girl" in high school.

Review by The Hollow Cupboards- thehollowcupboards.blogspot.com

I'm only rating this book with 3 stars. Although it was a decent book, I had a little trouble keeping up with some of it. Let me explain...

The book is about a list of the ugliest and prettiest girls in high school. I'm sure you never would have guessed this book was actually about list, huh?! There is an ugly girl and a pretty girl for each grade, meaning there are a total of eight girls on the list altogether. Each chapter is about one of the eight girls on the list, told from her point of view; how she felt about making the list and how things have changed since making the list. Some of the girls don't seem so bad. But some of them are just horrible. I mean, if they were real people, they probably wouldn't have any friends. I can normally read a book straight through, from beginning to end and I get upset when I reach the end. I wasn't upset when this book was over. It was a little tough to remember which girl was which. Going back and forth between their stories made it a little difficult to remember who was who and which ones we were maybe supposed to like. Had this book been a tv movies, maybe it wouldn't have been so hard to keep up with. It wasn't a horrible book or anything. There was just too much happening in my opinion.

Nobody knows who writes "The List" each year. The Tradition has been passed on for years. The week before Homecoming "The List" appears with the names of the ugliest and the prettiest girls in each grade. Nobody has ever claimed to have written "The List." Years before the seal of the school was stolen and is used to officially emboss "The List." Each year it is passed on to someone else in secret. That person doesn't know who was the list maker before them, but then it is their turn to make "The List."

For the 8 girls on The List life changes dramatically during the week before Homecoming. This year Bridget Honeycutt is chosen as The Prettiest for the junior class. Immediately the pressure is on Bridget to look her best. This manifests in an eating disorder that she thought had been put behind her over the summer. But she is determined to fit into that smaller dress size by the end of the week. Jennifer Briggis becomes the first four-peat girl as ugliest. Her former best friend Margo was chosen as prettiest which puts her in the top running for Homecoming Queen. When Sarah finds her name on the ugliest list she is determined to fight back. She decides to not bathe for the entire week much to the disgust of the student body that have to be in classes with her. Each girl handles their fame or rejection in her own way, unfortunately letting The List change them whether for positive or negative. With one girl determined that this will be the last List EVER.

My Thoughts:

There were a few things that I disliked about this story. The cursing, the sexual situations, and the drinking/smoking. BUT, I think the story brought out a lot of how fragile young adult self-image can be. And then to have their flaws or assets brought out in public like "The List," how damaging it can be even to the most put-together teen. This was not a "feel-good" story, it didn't end with everyone experiencing their "happily ever after." High school is messy, egos and self-image are fragile and the author was able to show that in this story. And there were moments when friendships and relationships weathered the storm which made the story more palatable for me.

Every year a list is posted that names the prettiest girl and the ugliest girl from each grade. It is a tradition steeped in secrecy; no one knows who creates the list each year, and the school staff seems to simply ignore it, for the most part. The List follows the 8 girls added to the list from the time it is posted until homecoming one week later. Initially, it may seem like the pretty girls are going to have an easy week, but that isn't the case. Each girl, regardless of which side of the list they are on, has to reevaluate the way they see themselves, and each girl begins to be treated differently by others.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed The List. Siobhan Vivian created some magnificent characters, even if they were stereotypical. I think this emphasis on stereotypes was a bit necessary to portray the full impact of the story and the emotions. You can relate to each of the girls and empathize with them, even though you may never have experienced their situation. There was the disturbing issue of how the school faculty let this "tradition" continue, and no one seemed to have a problem with it until the new principal steps in. However, as much as we wish they didn't, things like this do go on in high schools every day. Maybe not this much of a blatant display, but it does still occur with some teachers and even principals doing nothing even when they know. There were many other issues, such as an eating disorder, which wasn't really resolved, but this story is just meant to be a snippet of their lives; we are only getting to see the initial impact of being placed on the list.

I thought this story was powerful and realistic. My daughter, who is in high school, read this book as well and also commented about how realistic it is. She thinks the creator of the list was a little predictable, but I was guessing all the way up to the reveal. Siobhan Vivian is an author that is new to me, but I am looking forward to reading more of her books. The List is one of the best YA contemporary novels I have read. I would definitely recommend it to others.

Every year, the Monday before Homecoming, the List is posted. On it are eight names, the supposed prettiest and ugliest girls of each grade. For each of the eight girls, being named either pretty or ugly had different effects on their lives, but they all share one thing: attention. Because suddenly, pretty or ugly, everyone at school sees them, even the school's new principal who is determined to discover the List's author. But the List is tradition...can it ever really be stopped?

Siobhan Vivian has written a tremendous, truthful, and important novel in The List. Told from the rotating perspectives of all eight girls on the List, her characterization is so strong and brilliant. Each girl's point of view is engaging and they all play off of each other wonderfully to help propel the plot while remaining very fluid. Rather than seeming disjointed, this style comes off as pretty cohesive. This is partly due to the fact that while readers do wonder about the List's creator, the principal's hunt for this person isn't the main focus of the book. Instead, it's about the very personal effects that being on the List has on each girl, and how it both negatively and positively affects the characters. Vivian did a magnificent job of balancing countless events, characters, and personalities, and she doesn't let all of the action get in the way of diving into the heart of the emotions and feelings of every girl. In her straightforward, witty, and realistic voice, Vivian delivers an ironic ending that will leave a lasting impression. The List is an incredibly strong and important book.

Cover Comments: I like this cover! It's pretty and not too loud, but it captures the action and tone of the book quite well. The only thing I'd probably change is the title--it's a little small.

The List, by Siobian Vivian, a book for teen readers interested in drama. This story is about multiple different girls trying to get through high school; as if high school isn't bad enough as it is, the girls have to deal with "the list"; the list is a scale rating the prettiest and the ugliest girl from each class.
Now I know what you're thinking, being voted ugliest must really suck but why would being voted prettiest be bad? Well take Bridget Honeycutt for example; voted prettiest girl in the junior class. Bridget may have got voted prettiest but now she is under even more pressure to try and maintain the image that everyone expects her to be. There are many other characters that you will read about in this story such as Danielle Demarco( ugliest for the freshman class) and Abby Warner( Prettiest for freshman class), see how each character deals with the situation differently in their own way.
If you enjoyed Pretty little Liars by Sara Shepard than you are almost guaranteed to love this book! In the Pretty Little Liars, 4 high school girls not only have to deal with life in high school but on top of that, a cyber bully and their missing best friend. The List may not have as much drama but I assure you there is a lot. Both stories are about high school girls trying to get through high school and their obstacles they have to deal with along the way.
Furthermore, The List, a drama filled story about 8 girls. With this book pulling you in each page, it receives 8 out of 10 stars.

Every year a list is posted and two girls from each grade is named the hottest girl, and the ugliest girl. It doesn't matter if you were invisible before, because as soon as the list is posted, you can't run or hide, you're going to be noticed and your life changed whether you like it or not. The list is the story of Abby, Danielle, Lauren, Candace, Bridget, Sarah, Jennifer and Margo and how their lives are affected after the list is posted.

"Something terrible happened to all of you girls. Someone took it upon himself or herself to single you out, give you a label, and present you as nothing more than the most superficial, subjective version of yourself. And there are emotional consequences to that, regardless of which side of the coin you are on" (Vivian 78-79).

I think that quote is the overarching theme of the novel. Whether the girls are deemed "hot" or "ugly"they are still placed into the tiny labeled box and it is destructive. The story takes place during the week that the List posted.

My favorite thing about the List: is that Vivian does an amazing with the character development. There isn't a character that you think is all bad, or all good, because that kind of person doesn't exist in real life. You end up sympathizing, at least a little bit, with all of the characters. When you start to judge the characters, you realize at the end not only are you wrong about them, but you're judging is just a constrictive as the label, some cowardly mysterious decided to place on them. You'll enjoy the surprising twist at the end, it is a guaranteed shocker.

My only issue with the novel, is that at first it's hard to follow because there are eight characters and eight perspectives to follow. I found myself in the beginning having to go back to the cover jacket to reference check who was who, but as the story progressed it became easier to remember the story behind each character.

I definitely loved this book. At first I was kind of scared to read it because all of the hype that surrounded it, but once I got over it, I realized not only was it deserved, but at least in my eyes, the story surpassed it.

My Heart Hearts Books

This is a so-so book. I liked the book, but I didn't like the characters. I'm not even out of 6th grade and I knew something was wrong with these kids and even worse- their parents! Let's start with Sarah. She's very fond of the"f word"she uses it every sentence. Also, she likes to go over to her " friends" house and I'm not going to even talk about what happens there. It's pretty safe to call Bridget anorexic after she starves herself just to fit in a swimsuit. Candace and Margo sure like to drink it up. Margo and her fake friends are always talking about drinking and smoking- my question? Where are these kids parents? The book says they're just sitting up in their room. Shouldn't someone remind their kids not to drink, considering they're 17-18! I could go into a lot more of an angry rant, but this is getting lengthy. So warning: strong language, mature content for some. I felt dirty and depressed after reading this. For all those people thinking this is going to teach them about the life values of high school you're wrong, it more likely confirms your feelings that high school is a prison of catty girls.

I wasn't expecting to like this book at first.
At all.
I mean yes, I love chick-lit books.
But I usually stay away from the high school drama centered books.
So when I read the summery of this book I almost didn't read it.
But to my surprise, I actually really liked this book.
Because even though the whole concept of it sounds really... shallow, it has heart to it.
Siobhan Vivian did an excellent job of developing all the characters.
Even though in the beginning, I had to refer to front of the book to remind myself of all the girls names and where they were on The List, I felt like through out the story, their characters came together perfectly.
The List is told from the perspective of 8 different girls. All the girls who are on the list. Usually when I read a book where each chapter switches off multiple characters, it starts to get a little messy and confusing.
The only thing I really didn't love about this book was that I felt like the end was very... rushed. Although, I absolutely loved the last two sentences. Those were golden.

Reading this book has definitely made me want to read Siobhan Vivian's other work!

Abigaile
Readingteen.net

Profanity: EXTREME
Other: Heavy
Sexual: Moderate
Violence: Moderate (verbal bullying)

More and more, young women in our society are faced with the message that who they are and what they are worth depends upon the clothes they wear, the trends they follow and the size or shape of their bodies. But the old adage that "beauty is only skin deep" is a complete and total lie. True beauty doesn't exist on the surface. It really is what's inside that counts.

In THE LIST, Siobhan Vivian explores the dangers of applying superficial labels to people, even when the labels are the kind we usually think of as "positive." THE LIST follows this year's eight girls through the homecoming week, and as we witness their reactions and follow their interactions with their classmates, we can see that the labels we give each other don't really mean anything at all. Being known as "prettiest" may be more of a curse than a blessing, and the "ugliest" girl might be truly beautiful. Every girl who has ever felt the pressures of trying to fit in, every girl who has struggled with the Disney Princess mentality, every one who has ever wondered why she has to be sexy to be worthwhile, will find herself in the pages of this book. It should be required reading for every 7-12th grade girl (and anyone who knows a teenage girl)!

I have to admit, I was bothered by some of the lanugage in this book (one of the girls has a particularly foul mouth), and that's what kept me from giving it 5 stars. But I still love the book and highly recommend it.

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Novels with more than three points of view tend to give me a headache and/or annoy me due to all the POV shifts. A book about beauty and how one group of high school girls perceive themselves because of a list, told through eight different points of view? It could be fantastic or it could be a fantastic disaster. Somehow, The List did what I didn't think it could and fell in the middleground. A novel with ambition to do something great and deliver the right messages to girls who could really use them fell disappointingly flat.

I very nearly put down the novel just after I started it. Third-person present tense is very difficult for me to read because I feel very few authors write it well. Vivian is not one of them. She paced the story well by rotating the girls' turns as narrators, forcing the reader to keep turning the pages so they could read on about whichever narrator they latched onto, but the way she used third-person present tense came off as bland and disconnected me from the girls. With a novel like this, readers need to be connected to the story for it to have any chance of success.

If I could give the novel stars for effort, I'd give it at least one more. It is unfortunate that girls are perceived as less attractive or ugly if they're "too masculine" in our society and that skinniness is held up so high as the standard of beauty that girls fall into the deadly trap of anorexia trying to be that skinny. These are only two of the many problems tackled in the novel and the criticisms made of all these troubling perceptions of beauty are genuine. With such a wide variety of narrators, readers are sure to find at least one they identify with and want to read more about.

When calculating in all the blank pages and pages declaring which day it is, the book turns out to be roughly 320 pages. This gives each of the eight narrators 40 pages that are solely focused on them--and that's not factoring in that the girls weren't all given equal attention. Some took larger portions of the story and left others with only the bare minimum attention they had to be given as one of the girls on the list. Sarah's sections in particular were lacking; her pieces consist mostly of her stinking herself up and fighting with her friend-and-possibly-more Milo. The girls needed more time to develop and their characterization remains static, which lends its hand to an unsatisfying conclusion.

This, I think, is the biggest issue of The List: development. With so few pages to fully develop each girl and make her feel real, the issues they're having to deal with--Danielle's insecurities about her femininity because she's such a great athlete that others consider her too masculine and Bridget's body issues--are weakened. Their stories are merely rough outlines of the poignant pieces they could be with more care and it's a disservice to very real problems girls like me deal with every day.

I do think The List is worth a read, but it's the kind of book you need to be absolutely certain you want to read for very certain reasons so your time isn't wasted. I would recommend it for someone who wants to write about issues young women face in high school and wants to see how it can go wrong in order to learn from it. Vivian had the right ideas, but her lack of development was what sunk the novel and made it appear more like an outline of a masterpiece than a true masterpiece.

When asked during my birthday and Christmas season what books I wanted as gifts, The List was at the top of my well...list. I read it the night I got it and soon realized it wasn't exactly what I had expected. It was a good book but seemed a bit over dramatic and unrealistic. Something like "the list" happened while I was in high school. It was posted on Facebook and listed the top "sluttiest" girls in each grade. It was deleted within the day but caused some drama. So when I say unrealistic, I don't see how a school would allow this to happen in the first place. Anyways, the characters were ehhhh. I liked some of them and disliked the others. I do like the topics that this book covered because a lot of teenage girls may face them while in high school.

After reading young adult books like The List and Some Girls Are, I am even more grateful for my own high school experience. Here's the thing: in high school, I was the honor student who's nose was always stuck in a book. I was a nerd and proud of my nerd status. I wasn't popular. But here is the beautiful thing: NO ONE in my school was. My graduating class was pretty small, less than 120 students, so we basically all knew each other. I'm not saying we were all close, singing "Kumbaya" on a daily basis or that we all talked regularly. But we all knew each other. We all had our own group of friends, but no one in our class was considered the "popular" group. In fact, when the time came for us seniors to fill out the forms for our superlatives, mostly everyone had crossed off the "Most Popular" field because there was no one person who was popular. That category was not included in our school yearbook. And I'm always proud of that fact. I'm sure some bullying happened, but when taken in context with the bullying that went on in other schools, I think all of us were extremely lucky. That's why books like "The List" and "Some Girls Are" are so horrifying to me...because I can't even fathom something like this going on in a school.

Okay, now back to the book. When I first started reading The List, I LOVED it. It was so fascinating seeing how the list of prettiest and ugliest girls affected all of the ones on the actual list and those around them who weren't on the list. It was done in such an amazing way that there were no outright martyrs involved and no outright villians. Each one of the eight girls had their own flaws. This book wasn't stereotyping that all pretty girls are evil and mean and certainly wasn't saying that those who are not considered "traditionally pretty" are sweet and innocent and oh-so-loving. It was a unique spin (particularly the culprit who made the list that year) on the characters and allowed them to remain interesting throughout the whole novel. And I think that right there was the problem.

The problems and home lives of all of the 8 girls intrigued me; so much that I don't think enough time was given to each character to take advantage of everything the premise of The List had to offer. 300+ pages is not enough to fully delve into 8 characters and explore each facet of their personality. Sure, we're given some insight into the girls' personalities: what makes them tick, what makes them happy, how those things changed once people's perception of them were magnified either in a positive or negative way, but we don't get to completely KNOW the characters...And that's rather disapointing.

That problem sort ties in to the main problem The List had for me. This problem was so huge that I had to deduct two starts from my original assessment of The List: the ending. It was abrupt in the worst possible way. I was in shock and kept turning the "page" of my Kindle thinking "Why the hell are the acknowledgements showing up where the next chapter is supposed to be?!" I kept wondering why there wasn't more when clearly the story had not in any way been finished. Now, while reading The List, I did keep wondering how the author would end it and what ending would satisfy me. Clearly a transformation where the "ugly" girls are vindicated and turn beautiful and are loved and adored by the high school class would have been hokey and cheesy and as a result highly unrealistic would not have been accepted well by the masses. A semi-uplifting ending where at least SOME things were wrapped up would have sufficed. However, I feel the author copped out in not providing an ending at all. The ending was way too open ended that you don't know what the hell happens to the characters and you get no insight into what CAN happen to these characters. You're given nothing except for a big black hole where the next couple of chapters SHOULD have been.

So, I did like The List. I loved the message that it provided. I loved the writing. I loved the characters. I did not love the ending. In fact, I didn't even like it. And since I doubt the author is going to come out with a "The List 2", I'm left with all of these questions about the characters and no answers for them, which basically sucks. So, The List gets 3 stars.

I was hoping this story would end up being a really deep, emotional story where the characters grew and learned from their mistakes but that wasn't really the case. The characters started immature and ended the same way. The characters were also pretty forgettable. It took me 200 pages in before I remembered which characters where which.

The whole plot just seemed immature and maybe it's because I've been out of high school for 2 years now but every event just seemed so small and unimportant. And the big issues that ,attired didn't really get resolved at all!

Overall, 3 stars. For the most part an entertaining read but disappointing ending and not as much character development as I would have liked.

Every year, 8 girls get listed as the "ugliest" or the "prettiest" girl of their year.
For this years prettiest, we have freshman Abby Warner, sophomore Lauren Finn, junior Bridget Honeycutt, and senior Margo Gable.
For the ugliest, we have freshman Danielle Demarco, Candace, Kincaid, Sarah Singer, and Jennifer Briggis (who's been listed as the ugliest for the last three years as well, making her the only student who has been listed all four years).

The story happens over a span of six days, following the eight different girls and how the list has affected them.

For Abby, ever since the list came out and listed her as the prettiest (and for overcoming family genetics), her older sister has been distant. While the two sisters have always been so different [her older sister being scholastic and Abby being rather materialistic], they still were on good terms with her. That was before the list comes out.

For Danielle Demarco, the list has a negative effect on her. She was labeled the ugliest (and called "Dan the Man"), which only ends up having a negative effect on her insecurity.
I, right off the bat, felt sympathetic towards Danielle (and the other "uglies") because no girl should ever be called the ugliest of her year, and then be ridiculed for her features. Danielle is athletic, really strong, and is really muscular. [However, when you read the book, you'll later find out that she was listed as the ugliest for an even dumber reason. (spoiler: because she has a boyfriend and has a little PDA with him every now and then, and the person who made the list was obviously jealous and annoyed with the fact that Danielle and her boyfriend, Andrew, actually did something couples do: make out).
When Danielle was listed ugliest, it all goes sour for her. Her relationship with her boyfriend (from camp) becomes distant and she became too fixated on trying to understand why she was on the list and why her boyfriend was distant, rather than her swim.

For sophomore ugliest, we have Candace Kincaid. She's not ugly on the outside, but she is on the inside. While the first chapter that she was introduced in showed how "shallow" she is, I never truly understood why her friends were so quick to complain to others that she was so "mean" and insufferable. Shallow, yes. Ugly on the inside? Not really.
In the span of the book, her arc demonstrates that she's not that bad of a person. (By the end of the book, I really liked how far her character developed).

For sophomore's prettiest, we have Lauren Finn (listed and described with "everyone's hot for the new girl"). Having been homeschooled, Lauren didn't have that many friends. It doesn't help that her mother is extremely protective (and that she calls her mother "mommy"). Her grandfather has died, leaving her mother and her a house to live in.
While I didn't mind Lauren's character often, I minded her mother a lot. She was controlling, made too many quick assumptions, evasive and was too close-minded.
By the end of Lauren's arc, I found myself annoyed with how it ended for her. Her character arc was the one that needed most improvement.

For junior's ugliest, we have rebel Sarah Singer. Pissed that she's on the list (not because she cares about the list, but because at this time, she's insecure about her boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend), she decides to prove to the school that she can get uglier by not showering at all and wearing the same clothes everyday. I felt sympathetic for Sarah (as I did for Danielle) because she was insecure when it comes to her boyfriend, and the list just made it so much worse. [Spoiler: she was listed because the girl who listed her hated her rebel, tough girl act and wanted to call her out on it.]

For junior's prettiest, we have Bridget Honeycutt. Having been slightly overweight, she ends up with an eating disorder over the summer after trying on a swim suit and, to her horror, finds out it does not fit her. Too ashamed to not put it back (and because her mother's impatiently waiting for her), she buys it. She ended up starving herself, running whenever she gets hungry--and by the time she came back to school, she's skinny.
The list doesn't really impact her life, because she was more fixated on her weight (something her sister, who's best friend with freshman's prettiest, is worried over). She ends up trying random cleanses in hopes of losing even more weight before Homecoming. She then decides that starving herself would be an even better method, cause then there would be nothing to have to worry about.
This ends up with a falling out between her and her sister, and that's how her arc ends.
In another character's chapter, she talks to Bridget, who's too sad at Homecoming over her sister's annoyance at her. The list had little to do with her eating disorder, but the chapter had it as if the list is the reason that caused her falling out with her sister.

For senior's ugliest, we have Jennifer Briggis. She's the only girl who has won the ugliest for the last three years. With that kind of record, you (the audience/readers) are supposed to feel sorry for her.
Right off the bat, she takes the label with pride. It mentions how the first year (freshman year), when she found out she was humiliated and ungracefully reacted (crying, wailing, flailing, throwing up, the works). I felt sympathetic for her then, but that was it. She was making a scene over something very shallow and trivial. She had friends (girls from choir) of her own, but she always thought she was prettier than them, superior than them, better than them, the works.
That's when my sympathy for the character ended.
We later learn that she's overweight and used to be good friends with senior's prettiest, Margo Gamble.
This is a character you wanted to feel sympathetic for--but as the story progresses, you realize how she shouldn't have won "ugliest" for her looks. She should have won it for her ugly personality [her ugly personality tops Candace's]. Margo's two best friends take sympathy on her, and decides to try to help campaign for her to win homecoming queen.
They invite her to a pre-homecoming party (for Jennifer's behalf) at Margo's house, where she proves to be as terrible as ever as she "pretends" to go to the bathroom and then goes into Margo's room and tries to find her diary. [You learn throughout the book from Margo's perspective chapters that she stopped being friends with Jennifer because of how clingy and obsessive Jen was towards her, and how Jen always made her feel so bad about herself]. We then learn that Jennifer, throughout her life, has always read Margo's diary in order to put Margo "back in her place" whenever she was "out of line."
I stopped feeling sorry for her. [Spoilers: you later learn that she's the one in charge of this year's list, and has used terrible reasons to justify why certain people deserved to be on the list. You also learn to not like her because not only did her character not develop, it backtracked.] She got so petty over the hopes of winning homecoming queen (as a way to stick it to her ex-friend, Margo) she goes running to the principal when she hears that Sarah (Junior's ugliest) might pull some type of stunt at the homecoming dance.

Margo Gable was senior's prettiest. While she was slightly shallow at some times, she was a sympathetic character. Her best friends, Dana and Rachel, were too busy feeling sorry over Jennifer (painting Jen as the innocent victim, while Margo was painted as the villain). She had a strained relationship with her older sister. She still feels guilty for cutting Jennifer out of her life, but reasoned it was for the best--because of Jennifer's obsession with Margo. She even calls herself out on it in front of her friends, which was something that made me realize that she's not really a mean girl.

Overall, the story's pacing is slow and all over the place (as it follows eight different character). While we, the readers, find out who is the one behind this year's list (and the previous few years), we never ever get to see the principal or other girls (sans Margo) find out who created this year's list. Too many endings are left ambiguous, some more painfully obvious than others.

This book had a great concept but a poor execution.

I liked this book because it showed the lives of what happens to different girls in different grades in high school. In the book, it showed the lives of the prettiest girl in each grade and the ugliest girl in each grade. It showed how one little in thing, in this case a list of the ugliest and prettiest girls in each grade, can change how people think of you and how you react to it. It also shows how they deal with what side of the list they are on. The another thing is that the principal tries to figure out who wrote and shows that this isn't okay. The principal try to show sympathy for these girls involved. So, that is why I liked this book.

I did not enjoy this book whatsoever. It is so dumb and filled with unnecessary drama. I am fourteen years old and usually enjoy books like this. But honestly the whole book was pointless. I really didn't like it. I saw some grammar errors (just a few) and I'm a teenager! I'm sorry but I just didn't like this book. I recommend it for someone who is 10 or 11

I thought this was a really great book. I liked how even though Candace was pretty on the outside, she was chosen as the ugliest sophomore because she was had an ugly personality. I am not saying that I agree with the fact that the list was made in the first place because I don't. It's not right. But I think people should realize that the only beauty that matters is the beauty inside.

The basic plot of the story is that there is a high school where a list is published listing what the list considers the ugliest and prettiest girls by grade level and includes a comment about each. There are eight characters on the list and the story focus is one how each is affected by their placement on the list.

In my opinion the book basically fails for three reasons:

1. I cannot see how any high school anywhere in the U.S. would allow such a list to be posted and remain up. Any school doing that would open itself up to numerous lawsuits from parents of girls who were listed as the ugliest. The school board would probably fire any principal allowing such a thing to go on.

Since the lists had some kind of "official" stamp on them then the principal should really want to find out who was behind the list. Further, since hundreds of copies had been run off it would have been a relatively easy task to check the places that allowed people to make large numbers of copies and trace down where they were made and possibly who made them (if they used a credit card.)

Also, there seems to be no effort by the teachers to tell their students about how bad having such a list is and then taking an active part in taking all the copies down. The story also assumes that no parents were aware of such a list at the school which is sort of hard to believe that not one single student complained about the list to their parents.

2. There is a list for girls but there is no corresponding list for boys. Due to this, and due to the list focusing only on physical appearance, parents could sue on the basis of sex discrimination and possibly even sexual harassment.

3. Most of the things that happen to the girls on the list are things that would happen even if the list didn't exist. Girls who see themselves as to fat (leading to anorexia). Girls who have no self-esteem. Girls whose whole existence at the school is centered on the particular social group that they are in. Boyfriend problems. Shunning. A whole host of problems any girl in high school might have to face are covered and there really isn't a need for the list other then as a starting point to focus on the eight girls.

3.5 stars

The collective PEOPLE always say that high school years are the best ones of your life, but I think we've all come to the conclusion that that statement is far from true for most people. For a select few, high school is four years of amazingness, but for most, it's just a set of years that are good, or okay, or bearable. For others, it's Hell. Siobhan Vivian's The List explores a week in the life of eight different high school girls - some popular, some not. Their ages range from 14-17/18 and their social groups come to mean nothing. Absolutely nothing when THE LIST is released and four girls are crowned as being gorgeous and four others are ostracized and deemed the pinnacle of ugly at their high school.

Vivian's take on such a cruel act is told with realistic voices and saddening honesty. It's in human nature to feel pain, but it should not be human nature to inflict it upon others...but it seems that it is. High school can be beyond cruel and The List highlights how superficial and judgmental it can be. Vivian presents readers with eight girls and eight different perspectives, so, while quite an ambitious undertaking, it does fall short at times.

It's impossible to adequately flesh out eight main characters in 300 pages, so I was okay with some characters sticking out more than others. I even felt a connection to some of them, but I wish there was more to the plot. I also wish the adult characters had more of a role in the entire situation; especially the principal who was involved from the moment the list went up. Instead, she has a couple of scenes with some stern glares and empty threats.

Despite all that, The List is still a quick read that shows how hard high school life can be and how objectified women, no girls, can be. The ending is a bit abrupt and leaves so many loose ends, but I still enjoyed the overall story. The ugly girls, the pretty girls, the popular girls, they all have something in common: they're insecure, they're self-conscious, and they want to be accepted even when they pretend they don't. It's a universal story that all young women can relate to.

The List is a difficult book to review. First off, though, I have to applaud the author for managing to write from eight different POVs and still keep the story from being too confusing. I've never read a book with so many POVs, and I think Vivian handled that well.

The main characters...all eight of them...were hard to like. Each of their personalities were widely different, which I thought was good - I didn't get the girls confused much since they each had a unique voice. Yet, out of all eight characters, there wasn't a single girl that I really liked or admired. Yes, they were all struggling with something, but it was just too hard to connect with them because the story is so short. With eight girls and forty-six chapters, that's roughly five or six chapters for each girl. Their story didn't feel complete when so little time was spent on each of them. If there were four girls instead, I would have been more involved in their story.

The plot was good. The idea of the list was original and I liked seeing how the girls responded to the fact that they were on the list. But some things bugged me. Like, what was with the principal? She acted like she was going to do something to stop the people responsible for making the list, and in the end she did nothing.

And what was up with the ending? It didn't even seem like an ending. It felt like at least half the characters' stories were unfinished. By the end, it seemed like nothing was resolved. We didn't find out what happened to some of the girls as a result of being on the list. It was completely unsatisfying and really leaves you hanging! I have to say, this is one of the worst endings I've ever read.

One other thing that bugged me was the way one of the characters, Lauren, was portrayed. She was homeschooled for all her previous school years, and she was a stereotypical homeschooled character who had waist-length hair, didn't wear makeup, her mom was her best friend, and she was very naive and clueless. Please. I'm homeschooled, and I find that simply insulting. Not all homeschoolers are like Lauren, and I seriously hope that people who read The List realize that.

I feel like I've really criticized The List in this review, and while there were certainly things I disliked, I did enjoy the story overall. I'll end on a positive note: one thing I loved was the compulsive reading style. I read this book in just a few short hours. The story flowed and held my interest enough that I lost track of time while reading. And I will say that I liked finding out who wrote the list. It fit into the story well and was well-done.

If you are looking for a fast but thought-provoking contemporary read and don't mind a handful of characters who are somewhat sterotypical teenage girls...then give The List a try. You might be surprised and end up enjoying it!

I really wanted to love this book. When I started reading it, I had really high hopes that it would put an interesting take on high school, and how the labels that kids give themselves and each other affect their lives. And while it did do that, it fell flat in its delivery for me.

The book follows the points of view of eight different girls at their high school, Mount Washington High, after the posting of the annual tradition: a list that names the prettiest and ugliest girls in each grade. It's always embossed with an official seal, and no one knows who makes it or who passes on the responsibility of making it every year. We follow each girl from their discovery of their name on the list, and to how that changes their lives. Part of the issue I had with the book was the multiple story lines. I don't mind alternating chapters with different points of view, most of the time, but this isn't a very long book and the chapters aren't super long either. So it was a little confusing switching from character to character and trying to remember who was who, and what grade they were in, and why did they not like that person again? Then by the time I got into the groove of that character again, we'd be switching to a new one.

The book delves into some pretty serious topics, and I was actually really glad to see that. It's hard to find books that seriously try to address topics that are somewhat difficult to talk about. The main one that stood out for me was Bridget's eating disorder and how being on the list worsened her problem. It also addressed how that affected her younger sister who always idolized her and I think that's a really important issue. The problem is, nothing got resolved. We didn't see any decision on Bridget's part on what she was going to do. We didn't see her get help for her problem. And that was kind of upsetting. I felt like it would have been a great place to set an idea of what would be a good path to follow, at least give kids some realistic solutions for someone who was going through these problems. But Bridget is even more messed up at the end of the book than the beginning, and we don't see much hope for her recovery. And that was disappointing for me.

Some of the characters had really great character growth, and others just.. . .didn't. And honestly, I wasn't too attached to any of the characters in particular, just because there were so many points of view. There is a small twist to the story at the end, but it wasn't particularly surprising for me, and again that doesn't get resolved either.

I feel like i'm listing a lot of negative things and that's not what I'm trying to do. I did enjoy reading it. It's a well-written book and it tries to address some super important topics. And the fact that those are even in here was great to see. I just hoped for more closure at the end of the story. Maybe that's the way the author meant for it to be. That all of these problems can't be fixed easily, and that life is complicated and can't be sewn up neatly. And I understand that goal, but it made a somewhat frustrating ending for me. This book definitely earned 3 solid stars, and I would try some other books by this author.

Check out this review and more over at [...]

This is without a doubt Siobhan's best book yet. Having read it back in April, it was difficult to figure out exactly how to express my complete love and respect for this book. It was hard at times, as any good book is, but the harsh and raw moments came with a healthy dose of intelligence, humor, and suspense. Each of these eight girls had something to offer, even when you wanted to hate them. How she managed to make each and every one of them real, complex, and utterly individual is beyond my grasp. Not only did each girl bring something new and integral to the novel, their individual stories were journeys of their own. Each one of the story lines could have stood on its own. Together, they created a mosaic that brought to life the high school experience in all of its ruthless glory. Among my favorite characters were Danielle, Lauren, and Sarah. Their stories range from the girl who is too boyish to be considered beautiful to the girl who is considered beautiful and decided it's better to fake it 'til you make it in the hopes of fitting in, and the girl who pretend as if she couldn't care less while inside wondering why they care in the first place. The rest of the girls round out the spectrum of the social hierarchy that is high school and shine a light on the ridiculous standards people set for each other, especially girls. In these 332 pages you will be brought on eight heartbreaking adventures as these girls learn to accept themselves and each other, and to throw off societal conventions of what is considered pretty.

When I sat down to read this book, I expected a light, carefree YA novel: junk food in book form. To my surprise, I discovered a rare gem in contemporary YA literature - a book that honestly depicts the sociopolitical formation of the high school ruling class and the damage formed to both those on the outside AND the inside. Far from chick lit brain candy, this book fearlessly explores themes like sexuality, self-esteem, eating disorders, rebellion, sisterhood, friendship, and parenthood. And she does all of this in a relatively short novel which can be read in one sitting, though the story and the themes will resonate forever.

What most authors - and people in general don't realize - is that navigating the hallways of high school can be some of the most harrowing, damaging, and fearful years of our children's lives. Most people will cavalierly refer to those four years as the best of our lives. But whether you're in or out, whether you're popular or scorned, high school is rarely the best four years of anyone's life. Your best hope is to blend in with the rest. And that is how most of us survived it. Because, as this book so cleverly displays, standing out in any way is asking for trouble. But for eight girls in this book, blending in is cruelly snatched from them, and the consequences of that are written with troubling honesty.

The List is a book about the chosen eight. Every year, two girls from each grade at Mount Washington High are chosen: one as the prettiest and one as the ugliest. But make no mistake: this is not just another high school novel about the cruel, superficial popular girls, and the victimized, misunderstood ugly ducklings. Vivian blows the cliche's out of the water, taking eight girls and drawing them into rounded, real people with all of their flaws, doubts, and insecurities. You will find yourself pleasantly surprised - and sometimes disturbed - by how realistic and gritty it gets. The prettiest girl is not always the meanest and the one most victimized is not always the nicest. Vivian is as brilliant in her depiction, as the story is in it's deception.

Without spoiling the ending, let me warn readers that Vivian does not feel the need to tie every story line up perfectly, or force a happy ending. You will likely find yourself asking questions that are hard to answer. And you may not like the conclusions you draw. But this is a book you NEED to read, especially if you are a teenage girl or have one of your own. This is the kind of book that forces questions and inspires honesty both from it's author and then it's readers. That honesty might just save a life.

Warning spoiler alerts

So I wanted to like this book but it fell flat. First there were a lot of characters. Towards the end of the book I remembered who was who, but for most of the book it took me a few paragraphs to remember what happened last. Another issue I had with this book was the ending. I didn't feel like it wrapped up the story. It kind of just ended, I thought that it was rushed and left me with a lot of questions. I gave it three stars because I still thought it was interesting.

First Impressions: The synopsis of this book is what intrigued me. I remember back when I was in high school, lists like the ones that are featured in this book use to be passed around on occasion. My school didn't have any tolerance for people that were caught with them, thankfully. So I was curious how the school officials and the teens would react to the lists in this story. I know some people that were very hurt by the lists in my old school. Kids can be so very cruel.

First 50 Pages: This was the first book I have read from this author, so I wasn't too sure what to expect. Regardless, this book is well written, especially for having so many different characters and points of view. High school can be really rough for some people. I know that is was for me! I was a nerd and I liked art and theatre. That's like, a recipe for disaster waiting to happen.

Characters & Plot: The List isn't any different and it doesn't shy away from the tougher topics. The emotions that each of the eight girls go through felt very realistic to me, so it was extremely easy for me to relate. The girls have flaws, we all do; and I liked that about this book. They had to deal with bullying, self-worth issues, body image issues, pressure from friends, heart break, and so much more. I also loved how the book didn't just show unpopular girls having these issues. Everyone has these issues.

The plot of The List is pretty much straight-forward and what you see is what you get. A list of who is ugly and who is pretty shows up one week before Homecoming in the Mount Washington High School. It is impossible to avoid seeing the lists because they are literally everywhere, in all nooks and crannies of the school. Some people are rather excited over this list, and some people are not. Being on either list has its consequences, some good and some bad. Mostly bad! The List follows girls that have shown up on both of the lists. At first, I had a little difficulty trying to keep track of who was who, but each of the narrators have a pretty distinct voice once you dig into the story. I also thought that the author did a really good job at not making her characters fall into the stereotype trap. Her cheerleader, for example, actually has some brains. Many of the cheerleaders I went to school with were quite smart as well. I hate stereotypes!

Now, one thing I haven't talked about yet is WHO is responsible for creating these horrible lists. It isn't revealed at first and it is played out as a bit of a mystery. I didn't figure it out completely until it was revealed and I was surprised, very surprised, at whom the culprit was.

Final Thoughts: Now, I've said a lot of really good things about The List, but I do want to point out a few annoyances. I think that this was a very ambitious novel with very good intentions, but I felt like there were too many characters, specifically the eight girls. This isn't a very long book, and I found myself wanting to spend more time with some of the girls then other girls. It felt like it was kind of overwhelming, but I can also see why the author wanted to include all of them. I think it would have worked better if the book were longer. That's my big concern for this book; that there are just too many girls and not enough pages. Some things were left unresolved.

Other than that, I really liked The List! It was a good contemporary novel that dealt with some hard issues to write about. I thing just about everyone should be able to relate to at least one of the characters and I believe this is a good book for just about any teen. Nice job! I'll be looking out for more books written by Siobhan Vivian in the future!

The List had been on my radar for awhile so I'm glad I finally read it. This book follows eight girls who were put on a list based on their grade and whether they were the prettiest or the ugliest. At first, it was hard to keep track of each girl so luckily there's a copy of the list at the front of the book to refer to. Each girl had a different story and result of the consequences of being named on the list. The downside for me in this book is that you're following so many different girls. I would have liked to focus on one of two girls and get to know them more in depth. This was just OK for me, I had expected to enjoy this more.

It is rare that I feel so strongly about a YA contemporary novel, but I cannot stop thinking about this book! The List takes everything that's complicated about being a high school girl and puts it in a glaring spotlight that you cannot avoid. It is a testament to Siobhan Vivian's writing that a book written in eight different perspectives can feel so intimate. It was done so flawlessly that, as a reader, you feel like you are in the middle of the story, observing everything as it unfolds. When the list is published every year at Mount Washington High it always causes a stir and the reader sees first hand the ripple effects as they reverberate through the lives of the girls at school and at home. Not only are your privy to the inner lives of the students on the list, you get to see their interactions with parents, siblings and friends. I think that is one of the main reasons this book felt so real. You truly get a 360 degree view of each girl and I was completely riveted from beginning to end.

I don't think that anyone would disagree that we use physical appearances to determine both social and inner value in society today and nowhere is it felt more keenly than deep in the thoughts of women and girls as they try to deal with the mixed messages thrown at them from every direction. I thought that this story really dug through all of the insecurities of the characters and I found myself caring about even the most unsympathetic listees. As much as I think this is an important book for everyone to read, it is also a very entertaining story. Each person on the list is exposed in some way because of the new attention; some of it is empowering, some of it will bring you to tears, but all of these young women are wonderful, relateable characters. I found a part of my high school self and my current self in each girl and I think that anyone who reads this book will feel the same way. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it today. I promise you won't regret it.

The List by Siobhan Vivian is one of those books that made me so freaking angry while I was reading it, and yet I couldn't make myself put it down.

I hated 90% of the characters in The List. They were all so messed up and obnoxious and self-centered and bratty and downright cruel - and yet, unfortunately realistic. So I guess it's good that I couldn't stand them. Although I think someone should push Andrew off of a cliff.

The List took place during Homecoming week in high school, told from the perspective of eight different girls. Surprisingly this didn't confuse me. I thought the point of view change flowed nicely and allowed the reader to get the perspective from each girl and their various lives. And every girl in The List all did have surprisingly complicated lives. I thought maybe one or two of the girls would fall flat but Siobhan Vivian managed to give them all a life of their own.

I still hate them though.

The List by Siobhan Vivian is one of those books that's hard to take. The fact that teenagers can be so cruel to each other and to themselves is a bitter pill to swallow, but Siobhan Vivian doesn't shy away from it.

Some of the girls in The List, however, didn't really get a wrapped-up ending. Sure, I know everything doesn't end with a pretty bow - especially not in a brutally honest book like The List, but I kind of felt like some of the girl's stories were unfinished.

In the end, The List by Siobhan Vivian is a contemporary worth your time. It's painful to get through, and I can guarantee you'll want to throw something at each and every character at some point, but The List bitterly realistic and honest about what it means to be a high school girl.

At Mt.Washington High School a list is posted before homecoming. The list has two girls from every grade one the prettiest and one is the ugliest person in each grade. The prettiest girls on the list are made very popular and the ugliest girls are bullied. This book is great for young adults. This book makes you think about what yo say to others and realize words hurt even if you don't mean them to. The List really opened my eyes too there feeling. I recommend this book to all teens being bullied or not.

Every year , a list goes out naming the hottest female in every year and along with the hottest - you have the ugliest. The list has been a school tradition in the week coming up to homecoming. This year though was supposed to not have a list, but someone has taken on the tradition and created their very own list. What effects will it take though of those whose names are on the list ? We have newcomers Abby - whose been voted the hottest , but what will happen when it is discovered that her older sister Fern - was once voted the ugliest ? Danielle DeMarco - has been voted the ugliest and nicknamed "Dan the Man" - what will her junior varsity football playing boyfriend Andrew think and will it be the end of their romance and it just viewed as a Summer fling or will he stand by her and prove to her that the list is just a piece of paper ? Next up on the list is Candace and Laura - now Candace has been voted the ugliest but of course , this has to be a mistake as of course she is the Queen Bee in her year and by far the most stunning but she is about to learn that being beautiful goes all the way down and that the whole idea of beauty needs not only be skin deep. Laura is new to the school and very new to the whole world of cliques and now being voted the most beautiful girl in her year, can Laura find her place in the world of high-school. However can she keep it a secret from her mum who seems to be wanting to find any excuse to take her out of high school ? One year up is Bridget and Sarah - Bridget spent the whole summer purging and now has been voted Most Beautiful - how will Bridget react though, will she continue her anorexic binge ? Sarah - has always been one not to conform , so what will happen when she decides to take the Ugly label one step too far by not showering etc .Will Sarah realise that she isn't alone and that her best friend Milo, really does care about her ? Last but not least was the most interesting and interactive pair in the book "Margo and Jennifer". These two were inseparable when they were younger and then one day just like that, Margo didn't want to be friends with Jennifer. Jennifer has also got a claim to fame - she is the only girl to be on the ugliest list right through high school. What happens though with a twist of events and Jennifer ends up running against Margo for Homecoming Queen - Is this a case of "She's all That" movie ?
A great read for all to enjoy as it really does give a strong insight into the cliques and dynamics of high school.

I will say, I read this in high school and it was, dare I say, a disappointment. Even though it was fiction, it was meant to be realistic/fiction. No school would allow a list of the prettiest and ugliest students. And another problem I had was the ending, I will not give anything away, but it left me unfulfilled. I read the final sentence and was thinking, "What happens next? What about this character or that character?" After finishing the book, I saw an fellow classmate reading it and after asking if she finished, I asked if she was as annoyed with the ending as I was. And, not to my surprise, she had the same opinion.

So, I will say, if you hate shallow characters, weak twists, and ambiguous endings then you will definitely not enjoy this book.

This book brought to life every young girl, teenager, and women's greatest fears, joys, secrets, beauty and most of all ugliness. This is a must read for all ages.

This is my first time reading a book by Siobhan Vivian and now I want to read all of her books.

This book kept me engrossed and it had me holding my breath at times. I did not want it to end. I cannot say enough praise for The List.

The List, is a well elaborated book following 5 different typical high school girls around their different years of high school, with a mean girls “Burn Book” vibe to it. On the first day of school the entire school every year shows up to a list plastered all over the school, It revolves around 2 girls from each of the classes/years of high school, the “prettiest” and the “ugliest” of each class. It shows the hardships of being a teenager in public high school and the struggle to figure out who wrote the dreaded “List”

LOVE IT! I am not Justin Lyles I am his daughter and I loved this book. I told my friends about it too! So every year a list of the prettiest and ugliest girls in each grade are chosen. We see how the girls get through being on the list, and how their lives change. Well written, funny, with a bit of suggestive scenes- nothing serious. Good for 12-15. I read it at 11 however.

This book is so dramatic about describing people’s thoughts or behavior that the high school life inside becomes unrealistic. Also I have a question: did the author really know the effect of a bullying for people in the rest of their life?

I was disappointed with this book. It was a recommended book (after reading thirteen reasons). It came across as a similar kind of book. Not at all. There wasn't much surprise. The writing was juvenile and a let down. I kept reading hoping it would get more eventful, but it did not.

I absolutely loved this book. It was thought-provoking and explored many topics prevalent to today's teens. The List switches between the point of view of 8 high school girls who have been chosen as either the prettiest or ugliest girl in their grade. Each girl has their own struggles, and Siobhan Vivian does an excellent job of painting a detailed picture of each one. I felt connected to all of the characters, but I especially liked Danielle and Abby, the two freshmen. Being a high schooler myself, I found The List to be an accurate description of some of the issues I see every day. From popularity to eating disorders to complicated family relationships, The List is not just another fluffy YA book. I highly recommend it!

This book really does give you insight of how teenage girls from different backgrounds would react to "The List". However, my least favorite part is the ending. The ending is very vague and does't really define what is actually happening and what to predict will happen to the girls in the future. If you are the type who can read between the lines and actually capture the emotions of the girls, this book will be enjoyable. However, if you need definite details on emotions, just give it a try, you may love it. Overall, great plot and characters; shows all the drama of bullying and high school.

I read this in 5th grade and it was a real eye opener about how the real world is, even though this would probably never happen in real life. It taught me that bring a teen isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and that every story is different.

This book is one that every girl should definitely read. It will hopefully show young girls that they should not try and change, but stay their true selves because people should like you for who you are not for what a sheet of paper says. All girls no matter what their age should read this because it will truly help them during their self confidence struggles.

The cover of The List really jumped out to me, for a long time and when I bought it I was super excited to read it. But it quickly became boring and hard to read. This is mainly because of the 3rd person narrative, that made me feel like I was reading an essay.
I also disliked every single one of the characters. It got better by the end, but I just didn't buy the person who wrote the list.Overall it wasn't a great book and I wouldn't recommend it. Wish I hadn't wasted ten dollars on it.

This book portrayed the lives of 8 girls who were put on The List and their stories, and by the end I loved every one of the girls (though Danielle is my favorite) and felt like I personally knew each of the characters. The characters were amazingly written and the situations felt real. This is a book I keep coming back to. It can be reread as many times as you please. It is, in a few words, inspiring, truthful, and incredible. Definitely recommend for any teens or those who are associated with them.

At first I thought the book was great. But as I reach towards the end, it became too forced and dumb. None of the stories were finished, I still don't know what happened to Bridget, Abby, Candance and Lauren. It made me mad that it ended so abruptly. A lot of subjects were thrown in there but there is no closer.

I purchased this for my 14 year old as an alternative to all the Hunger Game/Divergent type of books. I decided I better read or preview it before giving it to her. So glad I did! I will not be passing this along to her at all! There are references to alcohol and hiding it from your breath, profanity, and sexual references/situations. And I haven't even finished the book yet. The guide says 12 yrs. and up...no way! In my opinion, the book could have conveyed the same messages without the use of these "details". It definitely should not be marketed to a young teen audience...or at least ones with good moral character!

I read this book not expecting it to be that great and I was pleasantly surprised. It is an excellent book, one of my new favorite and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Thirteen Reasons Why or Before I Fall

This book was so much better than I ever expected. The emotions were honest and real, not canned and sappy. Although the book is a YA novel, I think all women would enjoy it. It is not written in the childish, predictable style of so many other YA novels. The List should be required reading for every girl between 12 and 18. Women have such power over each other. If we worked together and valued each other instead of always being catty, we could accomplish so much!

I thought this was a realistic, enjoyable novel that you can't put down! The characters were all so real and different. The only problem I have is that the ending wasn't exactly wrapped up, but it was still a heart wrenching, witty novel that will have you hooked!

Readable and entertaining, but I wouldn't recommend this novel. Best I can say is it will probably do no harm, although it vigorously exploits eating disorders, mental health struggles, stalking, sibling rivalry, strong girls and depressed co-dependent parents to hook readers. Mighta been more responsible to address some of these issues constructively and use the characters to model coping strategies. And the ending pretty much conveys the message that adults are useless in helping teenagers with their condition of terminal adolescence. Huh.

Two more points: (1) Author Vivian doesn't earn her ending, which was a gratuitous/adolescent girl-hating cliffhanger and for me rendered the book lightweight, slapdash and unconvincing; and (2) Aside from a biracial boyfriend of the filthy girl who pretty much has a mental breakdown (why was he HER lover?), there was no MENTION of race, and no African-American, Latino or GLBT folks anywhere in this book. (I was hoping Margot and Jennifer had had an affair.)

My 13 year old daughter found this while we were shopping. Normally I would never buy a book until I had reviewed it on common sense media... It has rave reviews on how wise it is ... Based upon these reviews, I allowed her to buy it, and it is garbage. I am very blessed that I have a daughter that will tell me the truth on a book and come to me about it. In this book for teens it has instances of casual sexual relations and very strong language. From what I understand, it is becoming a very popular book amongst teens... Parent's be warned, this is not a book you want your children to read!