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Vivian, Siobhan
8 Reviews
(3)
YA
Seventeen-year-old Amelia is "Head Girl" of a famous female-owned and -operated ice-cream stand. When the stand's elderly founder dies and leaves her college-aged grandnephew in charge, Amelia takes on new business responsibilities. This atmospheric summer romance is all about female leaders and entrepreneurship; an emphasis on the business's WWII-era origins provides a historical thread.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(3)
YA
In the midst of her hometown's gradual destruction and evacuation due to monumental rainfall and flooding, high-school senior Keeley's relationships with her best friend, her crush, and her sometimes-nemesis are uniquely tested. Interpersonal drama and disaster survival combine effectively here, keeping tension high; Keeley's big personality and narrative agency make her an engaging protagonist.
Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer
(4)
YA
Burn for Burn series.
Mary (abruptly revealed to be a ghost at the end of Fire with Fire) takes her vengeance on Reeve, who drove her to suicide years ago, to a new level, and Kat and Lillia must set things right. Though some plot holes remain, several of the frustrating or confusing questions left dangling in the first two installments are answered in this trilogy-ender.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
(3)
YA
Every September, a mysterious list of the four "ugliest" and four "prettiest" girls appears at Mount Washington High. Alternating chapters feature the eight girls, detailing the complex and painful consequences of this public judgment. Although the issues of popularity, anorexia, and mean girls are familiar, the diversity of perspectives and experiences create an unexpectedly raw portrait of contemporary teen girls.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(4)
YA
Natalie Sterling has always been a straight-laced overachiever. She doesn't intend to change that for senior year; however, her untarnished reputation proves to be just one of the many things she can't control. Vivian clearly knows her private school setting and she has a knack for vivid characters. The dialogue often overwhelms characterizations, though, and the conclusion is clichéd.
Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby
(3)
YA
As Emily commutes between her "practically perfect" gated suburban community and an intensive summer art program in Philadelphia, she feels trapped between two worlds: too artsy for New Jersey, not cool enough for the art school crowd. Vivian incorporates Emily's artistic viewpoint into the perceptive narration, a realistic portrayal of a girl in search of an authentic identity.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
J.otto Seibold.
Young Dagmar is a vegetarian vampire with a sweet tooth. Hearing about the human tradition of handing out candy on Halloween, Dagmar visits the local village where he learns to trick-or-treat and makes a new friend. The story is weak but serves as a solid vehicle for Seibold's illustrations, which shine like glossy candy wrappers.
Reviewer: David Elzey
(3)
YA
Ruby's world is thrown into turmoil when her deadbeat dad shows up on her sixteenth birthday. As Ruby tries to make sense of this unexpected event, she comes to realize that her mother and the friends she has relied on for so long may not be what they appear on the surface. This coming-of-age story is realistic and emotional.
Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear
8 reviews
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