I didn't finish this book, but I did make it just over halfway. I almost gave up when the main character (the raised in California main character) didn't know what guacamole was. I finally did give up when I decided that the main character was just going to continue to grate on my nerves. If I overlooked the jarring moments of total ignorance about Mexico, religion, and people in general, the story moved along at a nice clip and had the bones of a decent thriller. It might work for some reluctant readers. But if you aren't a reluctant teen reader, I don't recommend it.

Well. This was disappointingly mediocre.

First of all: the romance. This was insta-love like never before. As you probably know, I'm usually pretty okay with Insta-love, because I know it needs to happen. But in this book, it just didn't make sense. It was established that he hated her (but was helping her for whatever reason), she told him her mom died and then they were making out. It just didn't work for me.

Second: The character, Vivian Divine. She was such a weak character, and she didn't grow or change at all throughout the story. In the beginning, she wanted adults to fix it all. at the end... she was still waiting for an adult to come along and fix it all. I understand that in this age there are SOME THINGS that teenagers need adults to help with. But encouraging dependent behavior in youth creates dependent adults and if the adults are dependent on others, who can the teenagers depend on? Our society is creating a dangerous paradox.
Also, there were points where she was talking to Alex or Isabel about her mother's death and they said things about dealing with grief, and she thought, "That makes sense," like it was the first time she'd ever heard that. Did she get NO grief counseling? I mean, if that sort of thing hapened to a poor kid, the public school would probably provide grief counseling, and since she's rich you'd think that someone would have bothered to get her some grief counseling. But no.

Thirdly: This book was so predictable. An not the kind of predictable where it was "Oh, I figured that out two chapters before it happened!" It was more like: "Oh. I knew that was gonna happen ages ago. What's new?"

So, yeah. Not to impressed.

( )

Thanks to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me access to this title.

I was expecting this to be one of those fluffy suspense novels, the ones where there is danger, but it never really comes to anything. This was a lot more than that, with violence and death/murder. In that way it exceeded my expectations. But it was also very predictable in what were supposed to be the big reveals/twists. I had known who the bad people were and how everything was connected from the very beginning. ( )

More like a 2.5 I suppose. It sucked me in, but I had some issues. Rounding down because of the romance. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Vivian Divine is Dead is a gripping masterpiece with a creepy, exciting premise.

Opening Sentence: My name is Vivian Divine.

The Review:

Vivian Divine is a child star. Her mother, Pearl Divine, was named World’s Sexiest Woman multiple times and her father is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. Her life should be perfect, but it’s spiraled out of control. Her boyfriend Pierre was caught by the paparazzi kissing her best friend. Her mother was murdered and her father tried to kill himself, and would have if Vivian hadn’t stopped him in time. And Vivian just got a note, the same note that her mother got days before she was murdered, that tells her of her impending death. Now Vivian must go on the run, trying to save herself from whatever had got her mother.

Vivian Divine is a fantastic character. She’s like any other teenager, struggling with self-confidence while having to deal with what might be her death. Her emotions are described so wonderfully. Throughout the book, she finds strength in herself, and realizes that she isn’t as weak as she seemed. And then there is Nick — the love interest, who by the way, I thought was perfect. This character is lovable and not too perfect, as some authors make the mistake of doing to their characters.

Right from the get go, we are immersed into Vivian’s life and hooked almost immediately. I was so glued to the pages it was almost painful to shut off the light, since it was pretty late. It doesn’t take long to really understand Vivian and sympathize with her. She has such a unique personality and yet is like any other adolescent on the face of the earth. There aren’t many calm moments in this book, but when there is, it almost makes the peaceful moment more peaceful because of the chaos that usually occupies the chapters.

If I could say one downside of Vivian Divine is Dead it would have to be the mystery aspect. It was sometimes confusing to connect the dots and piece it together, but Vivian would already completely understand and be moving on. I wish that sometimes she had clarified. It wasn’t that bad, but I certainly was confused a few times, make no mistake. It’s a good thing the story was so enthralling that I didn’t care too much! Sadly, though, that knocked it down one star to the still-killer four star rating.

Vivian Divine is Dead is an exciting thrill ride through the life of one child star just trying to stay alive. It has betrayal, mystery, and love on every other page, seamlessly threading together into an amazing novel. If you don’t love this than I would be very surprised. Plus, you get to see more into the Mexican culture, which is lots of fun. Just a note: Spanish is used in this book, but if you have a basic understanding (cómo, bueno, etc.) than you should be good. Oftentimes it is translated but sometimes it isn’t — keep that in mind. Otherwise, make sure to pick this up as soon as possible!

Notable Scene:

“We need to talk to you,” Sparrow says, pushing through the reporters. Her whiny voice reminds me of the nights we used to stay up with Mar, listening to stories about first kisses and true love. Since Sparrow went to an all-girls school and I was homeschooled by a private tutor neither of us knew much about boys, until I started dating Pierre. Before she stole him from me. “It was a mistake.”

“Kissing my boyfriend was a mistake?” I shriek so loudly the reporters take a step back before lunging forward again. Get is together. Never lose your temper in front of a camera. I can see the headlines: Teen Star Slaps Former Best Friend in Fit of Rage. Career Plunges.

FTC Advisory: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Vivian Divine is Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )