My Not-So-Still Life

by Liz Gallagher

Artistic sixteen-year-old Vanessa has never tried to fit in, counting the days until she reaches adulthood and all it brings, but when her first job introduces her to James, who leads her into new, sometimes risky situations, she wonders if she is ready to be grown up.

• ISBN10: 1299082874
• ISBN13: 9781299082878
• Publish Date: 1 January 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 25 February 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Wendy Lamb Books
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

I read "The Opposite of Invisible" before reading this, so her references to Jewel and Alice made sense. I liked knowing who Vanessa was after getting to know Alice in the previous book. I also liked that it gave a sense of continuity to life and was a reminder that every person thinks differently. So yes, I thought it was genius to write about two characters whose lives once intertwined but don't anymore, while acknowledging each of their existences in overlapping settings.

In terms of the voice, I can't help but compare to Alice. I loved Alive. Liz Gallagher really got inside her head. It didn't work as well this time round but I guess part of that has to do with Vanessa being a more guarded character. Still, Vanessa's motivations were nicely laid out and also in terms of realism, her family was well involved in the plot; her mother and grandfather, they both featured, despite Vanessa's drive to reach adulthood at an accelerated pace.

All in all, I think Liz Gallagher's potential in terms of her writing style was better realized in this novel because more space was left for the plot to breathe and there was a far more coherent sequence. It's also refreshing to read a book where more time was spent dwelling on each moment. Some people might think too much detail was given to some things at the expense of a more dense plot but I thought the pace was fitting as readers get to know who Vanessa is a little better instead.