A review by cassidylynnereads
The List, by Siobhan Vivian

4.0

Ending 2017 on anothe reread since I wanted something short before inevitably being loaded with good books to read after Christmas. I was surprised to find that I actually really enjoyed this book a lot more than I remembered. Most of the girls had very similar voices with Sarah being the most distinct of them all, but I could still empathize with them all in the end. I’m not a fan of how almost every YA author seems to leave their books with unresolved endings that leave me with more questions than answers, hence the fact that this rating is probably closer to a 3.5 than a 4, but overall I think it’s an interesting read in how it develops so many opposite personalities into one story. There are a few things I want to say that involve spoilers though, so only read on if you wish to know details about how the book ends.

Spoiler

The thing I liked least about this book is how it ended. I know the whole point of the story was that it built up to the Homecoming dance, so it only makes sense to end it there, but there is so much that is left unresolved. I want to see what happens with Lauren and I really wish she had forced her mother to listen to her rather than letting herself be pushed into doing something she didn’t want to. Her mother is way overbearing and seems more interested in what she thinks is best for her daughter than what her daughter actually wants, and her holier-than-thou attitude was super annoying. I ended up liking Candace a lot more than I thought I would and I want to see how things turn out with her as well. Did she actually change as a person, or will she always be a stuck up, bossy, bully? Also why were Lauren’s “friends” so quick to dump her? Clearly they were only interested in listening to what the list had to say but I find it hard to believe all of them are so quick to dump Candace for Lauren and then Lauren for Candace again without even stopping to think about it. I want to know what happens to Bridget and see if she ever gets help (I hope she does) and if Lisa ever stops being a brat to her and actually tells someone instead of blaming her sister for a mental illness. I want to know if Jennifer gives up the stamp, why Rachel and Dana turned on her so quickly, if Ted ever confronts what he did with her, and if Margo ever reveals the truth about who made the list. There is so much more I want to know and it upsets me that the book ended with no clear resolution. Vivian did a great job developing these characters in such short chapters, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of a solid ending. Some cheap cop-out meant to push the moral of the story on readers at the last moment doesn’t count as a great ending. I also find it hard to believe that the current principal (Ms. Colby? Wow, I already forget her name) is the first one to question the tradition of the list. Maybe suicide rates linked to bullying are only becoming an obvious issue in recent years, but I still have a hard time believing this would not be shut down immediately. I know it would be if it had happened in my school, and I didn’t even go to a very great one.