The List

by Siobhan Vivian

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545443234
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	389,824
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Siobhan Vivian is the acclaimed author of Not That Kind of Girl, hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "powerful, involving exploration of teen girls' identities and relationships," Same Difference, and A Little Friendly Advice. A Jersey girl by birth and a Brooklyn girl at heart, Siobhan currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and on the web at www.siobhanvivian.com.

Editorial Reviews

The eponymous list, which mysteriously appears on the walls of Mount Washington High each year before homecoming, has the power to lift or break the spirits of eight female students: on it are the names of the “prettiest” and the “ugliest” girl in each grade. In this insightful and provocative novel, Vivian (Not That Kind of Girl) explores the effects the list has on the most recently chosen girls. While some results—self-doubt, shame, pressure—are to be expected, some of the girls respond in surprising and unconventional ways. Rebellious sophomore Sarah takes her “ugliness” to a new level by refusing to bathe or change clothes. Senior Jennifer, deemed ugliest four years running, works her way into a circle of popular girls, a group led by “prettiest girl” Margo, who used to be her best friend. 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. Ages 13–18. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for THE LIST:* “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“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* “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

From the Publisher

Gr 9 Up—All hail the List: the annual unveiling of the names of eight girls, one deemed prettiest and one ugliest, from each grade at Mount Washington High School. The last week of every September—for as long as anyone can remember—brings the plastering of the anonymous list all over campus, and with it the scrutiny of the named girls' humiliation and triumph. While the principal wants to get to the bottom of its creation and put an end to the cruel, shallow judgment it represents, the teens themselves react in both expected and unexpected ways. Vivian attempts to introduce her characters and some of the important people in their lives, but that asks for perhaps more differentiation in readers' minds than comes quickly or easily. Eventually, the cast is clarified but rarely emerges from basic sketch to live action. Instead readers are given caricatures: a mean sophomore called "ugly" on the inside gets her comeuppance from an unstudied homeschooled girl named prettiest; freshman swimmer Danielle, called "Dan the Man" for her jockette looks, is shaken by the disloyalty of her embarrassed boyfriend, while a pretty ninth grader faces grounding on Homecoming due to failing grades. The best-looking junior is pressured back into anorexia, no less miserable than ugly Sarah who refuses to bathe or change clothes for nearly a week after she's named; and four-time loser Jennifer, enjoying infamy over anonymity, is counterbalanced by her childhood friend but now unapproachable homecoming queen. Worthwhile social commentary for readers to consider still emerges in this too-bland narrative.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

School Library Journal

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 homeschooled 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." (Fiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews