Book Review: Vivian Divine is Dead by Lauren Sabel

Vivian Divine is Dead
Author: Lauren Sabel
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: June 3rd 2014
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books

Filled with surprising twists and poignant moments, Lauren Sabel brings a fresh new voice to contemporary fiction with Vivian Divine Is Dead. Creepy, clever, funny, and romantic.

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....

Lauren Sabel's Vivian Divine Is Dead is a creepy, witty, fast-paced adventure about family, fame, and having the courage to save yourself.

I like to pride myself in being able to work through a book, to follow its twists and turns in order to figure out what comes next. This was not the case with Vivian Divine Is Dead, a debut novel by author Lauren Sabel.

Vivian’s story starts out strong. A poor little rich girl, a spoiled Hollywood starlet. Vivian lives with her dad who has basically checked out of life following the tragic death of her mother. She gets through her days with little to no supervision other than what comes from her bodyguard Mary, who has become like a second mom to her.

In a strange turn of events, Vivian receives a video that plays out how and when she will die. This is where I just knew things were going to get good!

Oddly enough, just the opposite happened. Vivian’s story took a turn I didn’t see coming. To save her from imminent danger Mary decides to send her to Mexico to meet up with someone that can help protect her until they can figure out who is doing this to her. Send her to Mexico..on a bus..alone.
The story follows Vivian’s trek to Mexico. She meets Nick who agrees to help her get to her destination and they encounter a few mishaps along the way.

In the middle of her travels the story became a little inconsistent for me. I got a glimpse of several different characters but I never got enough about them to make any connection to them.

In the end, I was surprised at how it all came together. I feel like it did fall into place but took a long time getting there. Overall this was a good story it just lacked a little depth for me. I like to really get a feel for my characters and I just wasn’t able to connect.
This is a debut novel for the author Lauren Sabel.