The List - by Siobhan Vivian (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

The remarkable New York Times bestseller!

It happens every year before homecoming -- the list is posted all over school. Two girls are picked from each grade. One is named the prettiest, one the ugliest. The girls who aren't picked are quickly forgotten. The girls who are become the center of attention, and each reacts differently to the experience.

With The List, Siobhan Vivian deftly takes you into the lives of eight very different girls struggling with issues of identity, self-esteem, and the judgments of their peers. Prettiest or ugliest, once you're on the list, you'll never be the same.

Review Quotes

Praise for The List:

"I devoured The List -- it's funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful, and wise. Siobhan Vivian tells a raw, real, winning story about the perils of fitting in, the danger of labels, and how prettiness and ugliness are sometimes intertwined. It definitely makes my list as one of the best books I've read all year." -- Sara Shepard, author of Pretty Little Liars

"Siobhan Vivian's smart, incisive, powerfully honest novel explores just what it's like to try to navigate high school and being a girl without losing yourself entirely." -- Libba Bray, author of Beauty Queens

* "Offering a well-differentiated cast of complex characters and a thoughtful focus on femininity, sisterhood, relationships, eating disorders, and what it means to be singled out, Vivian proves that beauty and ugliness aren't always a matter of appearance." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "This riveting exploration of physical appearance and the status it confers opens a cultural conversation that's needed to happen for a long time... Vivian refuses to falsify or avoid the uncomfortable realities." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Siobhan Vivian's latest novel tackles the beauty myth head on. Readers will find themselves relating to each character's struggles." -- Bookpage

"Smart, snappy writing." -- New York Times Book Review

Praise for A Little Friendly Advice:

"This debut novel manages to be at once uplifting and heartwrenching. Vivian is clearly an author to watch." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The book itself was nearly impossible to put down, and the plot so captivating that the pages flew by." -- YABooksCentral

"Cultural references keep the narrative hip, but it's Vivian's skill at subtly shaping the personalities that makes this book work." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"Siobhan Vivian nails the little details and the big truths that matter." -- Maureen Johnson, author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Praise for Same Difference:

* "Readers who have wondered, 'Are these the friends and the life I want to have?' will see themselves reflected in Emily's achingly real struggles, heartbreaks and triumphs." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Vivian finds the true voice of every character, even those who aren't truthful." -- Akron Beacon Journal

"[Vivian's] talent for scene-setting and evocative imagery is especially effective for a story about a girl just discovering her eye as an artist and herself as a person." -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author