Soundtrack Saturday (13)

Soundtrack Saturday is a book meme that is original to The Hardcover Lover. Every Saturday, I'll post a list of songs that I think represent a book that I've read. Anyone and everyone is welcome to participate in Soundtrack Saturday!

Like all other bookish memes, there are a few rules and guidelines to you as you create your own Soundtrack Saturday:

• Choose a book (any book)
• Create a mini or full soundtrack based on characters, plot events, and details
• Credit me somewhere in your Soundtrack Saturday post
• Leave a comment on my post
• Add your name to the InLinks link-up tool

This Saturday, I'm using the book, The List, for my soundtrack. Even though I really didn't enjoy the book, I think it would make a great movie. Every great movie needs an awesome soundtrack to go along with it, and I think these songs by some pretty awesome artists would really get the meaning of The List to movie goers.

1. "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine
2. "Perfect Day" by Hoku
3. "Manic Monday" by The Bangles
4. "Mean" by Taylor Swift
5. "Don't Be A Girl About It" by Kelly Clarkson
6. "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence
7. "Detective" by No Doubt
8. "Misguided Ghosts" by Paramore
9. "So What" by Pink
10. "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera
11. "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato
12. "Human" by Christina Perri
13. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift

Book Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

Title: The List

Author: Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Push

Publication Date: April 1, 2012

Rating: ☆☆

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

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

My Review:

Mediocre is pretty much the only way that I can describe The List by Siobhan Vivian. It's just not a very good book. It's not even a good book. It's not terrible, but it's definitely something I won't be reading again.

Vivian's writing style is dull.  It lacks excitement and variation. She writes The List in the present third person, and that gives the book a rather boring readability. I felt like it was taking me forever to get through the book. I also felt like the third person, omniscient narration made it hard for me to connect with the characters.

One thing that I feel the need to mention here is the use of a terrible, terrible word to use as a synonym for "stupid." I don't even want to type the word in my review, but I'm sure you can guess that I'm referring to the R-word. As a teacher, I'm extremely mad about this. There are young girls reading this book. People are trying so hard to eliminate its use as an insult. It's not even in dialogue. It's just sitting there used to describe something. I don't know if I can take Vivian as a serious author after seeing that in a YA book. 

I can't even believe the ending of the book. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I was unsatisfied. There were some questions that needed answers that Vivian ignored. It's a shame that she didn't answer them in just a few more pages.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I'm a little upset because I'd been wanting to read The List for a while now, but you live and you learn. I'm just hoping that the Burn for Burn books I have sitting on my desk are nothing like this one.

The Friday 56 (8)

The Friday 56 is a weekly bookish meme hosted over at Freda's Voice. The rules are easy  to follow. All you need to do is open the book you're reading to page 56 (or 56% for e-readers) and give us a little bit of what you're reading without spoiling anything major. You want to give people a little preview that makes them want to read what you're reading.

This week, I've been reading The List by Siobhan Vivian. It's about eight girls who have either been named the prettiest or ugliest in their high school class. It's definitely not the best book that I've ever read, but it just got a little bit more interesting, so I'm hoping for a strong ending.

"The return to Crestmont Outlets at the end of the summer provided her with a new wardrobe at a low, low size. But deep down Bridget knew this wasn't a good thing. At least that part of herself was still working. She wasn't totally gone." 

So what are you reading this week? As always, feel free to let me know in the comments and leave links to your own Friday 56 posts. I'd love to see them!