Well, friends, my incredible critique partner Lauren Sabel has her debut YA novel, Vivian Divine is Dead, coming out TODAY from Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins! Set in Hollywood and Mexico, this book follows teen starlet Vivian Divine as she goes on the run from the people who killed her mother. It’s twisty, turny, action-packed, and beautifully written–just about everything you could want in a summer book.
And you don’t have to take my word for it–Kirkus gave it a rave review!
(Though if you do want to take my word for it, here’s my own review from GoodReads.)
Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel My rating: 5 of 5 stars This novel is so impressive in so many ways that it’s hard to know where to start writing about it. I could comment on the beautiful descriptive language that the author uses to evoke both Hollywood and rural Mexico. I could talk about the dark threats that hover over Vivian from the first page, keeping the tension thick chapter after chapter. Or I could focus on Vivian herself, and her journey from spoiled starlet to determined, responsible young woman. Put all of these elements together, though, and you have one of the most evocative and original YA debuts I’ve read in quite a while. Clear some space in your schedule before reading this one; you won’t be able to put it down.
Also out today are The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu (small-town rumors in Texas), Essence by Lisa Ann O’Kane (adrenaline junkies in Yosemite), and The Girl Who Never Was by Skylar Dorset (a secret faerie world in Boston), all of which I’ve had the pleasure of reading in full or in part before their releases. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these books. Happy book birthday to all!
Well, you’ve sold me! Vivian Divine is Dead sounds like a great read! And a happy book birthday to the other ones you mentioned as well 🙂
So many good reads!