Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Publisher: HarperTeen (September 1, 2009)

Hardcover: 288 pages

Reading Level: Young Adult

Summary: "I'm marooned.

Abandoned.

Left to rot in boarding school . . .

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.

Ick.

There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.

Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.

But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in."

Review: Viola In Reel Life is a book is a wonderful, fast-paced read. It's original and isn't the usual cliché boarding school book.

I knew that this book would be about a girl and her love for filming, but I hadn't thought it would talk so much about theatre. I absolutely love theatre and this book has mentions of Buster Keaton and other silent film actors, Arsenic and Old Lace..It was very interesting to read about.

Adriana Trigiani does a great job with the characters. Viola with her filming and sarcastic remarks learns to appreciate Prefects Academy along with her roommates. There's Suzanne, the pretty and tall blonde. Romy is the sportive one and Marisol is the Latina who is the one Viola goes to since she is non-judgmental. I loved this group of girls. They were always there for each other and supported each other.

Even though Viola goes to an all girls school, Trigiani is still able to throw guys into the mix. Andrew, her BFFAA from back home, continues to text and videoconference with her. I thought they had some chemistry, but they were just best friends. Then there is Jared, who Viola meets at a school dance. They share an interest in filming and both enter a video competition. I loved reading about Viola's short film and the story behind it.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes filming or theatre or stories about boarding schools. This was a great read!

Rating:

Characters: 8/10

Originality: 8/10

Ending: 7/10

Writing: 10/10

Voice: 10/10

Plot: 8/10

Favorite character(s): So many good characters. I thought Trish, Viola and her roommates RA, was a great character! I liked her personality.

Cover: B. The cover really fits the story line! The shoes look how they are described in the book.

Overall: An innocent and sweet novel! 4 stars.

(check out my Rating System to learn more about my ratings.)

*won this ARC from Bites blog!