Summary

Prettiest and ugliest: these two words drive the publication of an annual list at Mount Washington High School. At the start of homecoming week, an anonymous list is posted all around school, and it labels the prettiest and ugliest girl in each class. This list is devastating, assuring, and enlightening; some girls thrive when they are reassured that they’re the best looking, and other girls are crushed as their flaws are pointed out. Everyone else at the school is forgotten, and those eight girls are under the bright spotlight. This novel follows all eight girls who are on the list and how it affects them at school and at home.

“The list is refreshing in that sense. It can reduce an entire female population down to three clear-cut groups.

Prettiest.

Ugliest.

And everyone else.”

—Siobhan Vivian, The List

Why should I read this?

The List shows the brutal reality of what life in high school can be like. Eight girls are picked out from the crowd and become reduced only to their looks. This book addresses the way labels can affect a person and their self esteem. Girls in the book struggle to find their identity, and others try to recreate themselves. Learning to look at someone beyond the skin is such an important skill to have, and Vivian’s book helps readers realize that beauty isn’t the only thing that matters.

Overall review

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5/5 bookmarks—this book does an effective job getting the reader engaged right at the start by beginning with the publication of the list. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the girls who discovers their name is on the list, and the third person point of view keeps the plot clear and helps the reader stay objective. By shifting from girl to girl, the reader is able to observe how the same thing, the list, affects each person both at school and in their personal lives. This book should definitely make it on your list of “must reads.”

Outside reviews

The List – This link will take you to an article that does a superb job giving a deep plot summary and then offers a few paragraphs at the end that discuss the themes seen in Vivian’s book.

Siobhan Vivian – Check out the author’s beautiful website, read the brief summary on The List, and explore what other amazing books Vivian has written.