I certainly want to give it to all of my female friends. Who would we give it to? Oh my goodness, everyone. Thanks to Vivian, I was inspired to change my behavior, and I think other readers may have a similar reaction to her bold, sharp story about the hurtful aspects of girl behavior. It’s tough because it has become so a part of the way we function as a culture, but I want to try to go at least a month without bodysnarking and hopefully cut it out of my life fully. Since I finished the book a few days ago, I have tried to refrain from commenting on girls’ and women’s bodies. Reading The List encouraged me to take a hiatus from bodysnarking. As I was reading, I experienced moments of deep regret for the mean, judgmental, and unfair things I have said about other girls and women. She writes in a way that points out the absurdity and hurtfulness of the teen girl social structure without making the reader feel guilty for being part of it. Siobhan Vivian has a keen sense of what it means to be a part of adolescent girl culture and what she writes feels real – almost painfully real, at times, because it’s so honest and feels familiar in a “been there, done that, don’t ever want to go back” sort of way. Vivian shatters the slate and sweeps away the pieces so that there’s nothing left. I can’t wait to see what they come up with for the paperback to convey that same icky sense of social discomfort.ĭoes it break the slate? Completely and totally. My only concern is that the contemporary clothing styles might soon look dated, so it’s not really a cover with longevity. The cover does capture the unsettling feeling that underlies all of the girls’ stories throughout the book. These faceless bodies surrounding her are watching her reaction, and probably judging her.

The girl’s facial expression conveys just how stunned she is, and she could be either the ugliest or the prettiest, we don’t know.

I do love the way the cover image captures the shock of being on the list. However, the girl at the center of the image has all of her body parts. Currently available.įace Value: We’ve got a headless body count of three here, which is not ideal.

The list siobhan vivian book review