Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel
Grade: C
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: When a death threat arrives with teen celebrity Vivian Divine's fan mail, Vivian has no choice but to go on the run to Mexico. She soon discovers, though, that her Oscar-nominated performance killing villains on-screen did nothing to prepare her for escaping a madman in real life. Some people say he's a hero, others tremble in his presence, but one thing is clear: he won't stop until Vivian is in his grasp. Why didn't she pay more attention during those judo lessons for her role in Zombie Killer?
Vivian finds an ally in the mysterious and charming Nick. He is everything Hollywood boys are not-genuine, kind, and determined to see Vivian for who she really is. But even he seems like he can't be trusted-what could he be hiding?
Beat up, hungry, and more confused than ever about who she's running from, Vivian is living in a real-life blockbuster horror flick. But there's no option to yell "cut" like there is on set....
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I went into this book expecting something cute and kind of fun. I mean, that cover is not nearly dark enough, despite the skulls. But what I got was a darker story that made me go, "What the heck?" about 5 million times. There are twists and loops perfect for a roller-coaster. I enjoyed the flavors of true Mexican culture, but too many Spanish words were left untranslated, which left me confused. I found Vivian to be an overtrusting (is that even a word?) girl for someone who is on the run. The romance is this book seemed pretty much like insta-love. In all honesty, this book just wasn't for. On the plus side, it was a quick read.
Language and violence were the worst.
The Verdict: Not really worth your time. It wasn't an enjoyable read; I only finished it because I wanted to find out what happened.
Agreed. I thought it was really over the top and the romance was terrible. I did like the Mexican culture, but I was also really frustrated by the lack of translation.
ReplyDeleteViolence doesn't bother me (in fact, I prefer a book with some), I can ignore language, and I speak Spanish, though I hate insta-love. Do you think it would still be worth it?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, this book is a trainwreck. If you want to give it a shot, borrow a copy from a friend or the library.
DeleteOK, thanks.
DeleteOne of my pet peeves is when I am reading a book, and there are words from a different language that are not translated. I could probably look them up, but when I am reading I want to keep reading, and not have to stop and look up a word.
ReplyDelete