I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel Published by Harper Collins on June 3rd 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Action & Adventure, General, Social Themes, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Family, Parents, Social Issues
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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With the mystery and suspense of the Pretty Little Liars series, the Hollywood drama of Lauren Conrad's L.A. Candy, and the creepiness of Michelle Hodkin's The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Vivian Divine Is Dead will thrill fans of emotionally charged, fast-paced, contemporary fiction.
Teen celebrity Vivian Divine has had a rough six months—her movie-star mother was murdered, and her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. Through it all, she's had to smile for the camera—this is the stuff the tabloids live for, after all.
When a death threat arrives with her fan mail, Vivian decides to run to Mexico, hoping to escape whoever it is who wants her dead. There, she finds an ally in the mysterious and charming Nick, but even he seems like he can't be trusted.As Vivian travels deeper into Mexico, she finds herself asking a horrifying question: If she can't hide from the paparazzi, what makes her think she can elude a madman?
Filled with surprising twists, poignant moments, and the snark of a Hollywood starlet suddenly on her own, Vivian Divine Is Dead brings a fresh new voice to contemporary fiction.
As New York Times bestselling author of the Beautiful Creatures series Kami Garcia says, Vivian Divine Is Dead is "a heartbreaking and magical story about love, second chances, and finding yourself."
Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel is a super fast young adult contemporary book about this girl named Vivian Divine, as you may have surmised from the title. I wouldn’t say that it is especially amazing or the greatest, but if you are in the mood for a good transition book between heavier reads, this is the one to pick up. I even thought Vivian Divine Is Dead was okay enough to the point that I went on goodreads after finishing it to see if there was a sequel, and there is not a sequel.
Vivian Divine Is Dead is about how Vivian Divine is a teenage celebrity who stars in movies. Her mom was murdered recently. Vivian’s mom was a movie star as well. Her dad is a director. The bad luck continues as her boyfriend Pierre was caught locking lips with her best friend, Sparrow. All Vivian has is her bodyguard. One day she receives a death threat and so to protect her, Vivian Divine’s bodyguard, Mary, sends her to Mexico with a fake passport and some cash to a safe house. Unfortunately, Vivian’s bag is stolen on the bus and so she turns to a boy on the bus named Nick for some help. What happens next is a bit of a madcap adventure and some romance. It’s super adorable.
Vivian begins the book as a bit of a spoiled main character. I mean, yes, she has had tragedy strike her. However, she just does not seem very equipped for the journey she is about to go on. She whines a lot. It was sort of a bit much. Eventually though as the pages went on, I warmed up to her and even actively began rooting for her. She definitely reminds of Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, always depending upon the kindness of strangers and such. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
Nick and Vivian do have a nice connection in Vivian Divine Is Dead. I mean, I liked them as a couple mostly because of the distrust and the animosity in the beginning. Actually, their relationship reminds me of the one in that old movie It Happened One Night. Where at first, they are just annoyances to each other, but eventually there’s chemistry and something between them. However, there’s this big reveal which I found a little hard to swallow. Well, three big reveals, which sort of add to this level of OKAYNESS to the book, thus knocking it out of wow that was great status.
So, Vivian Divine by Lauren Sable is absolutely a quick read – perfect if you want a readathon book or having a goodreads goal you need to meet. I would say that it is not at all life changing, but it does not need to be. It’s fun, it’s set in Mexico. There’s some Hollywood drama. There’s big surprising twists. There’s also a door that is left wide open for a sequel. I mostly enjoyed this book and had a fun time reading it.
Other reviews of Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel:
Book Blog Bake – “it fell apart, at least for me, at about twenty percent in”
Katie’s Book Blog – “a unique addition to the young adult contemporary suspense genre”
Stay Bookish – “vexatious and a little less than average”
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