Vain (Seven Deadly, #1)

by Fisher Amelie

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

• ISBN10: 0988812517
• ISBN13: 9780988812512
• Publish Date: 7 February 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Fisher Amelie
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 392
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

I was completely expecting Vain to just be a story about a stuck up girl who gets changed by the power of love. Well, that is not what this story is at all. Not even close. Sophie Price is the embodiment of vanity. Her face, hair, and clothes must be flawless at all times. She uses her looks to get what she wants. But what she wants most is love and attention from her parents which she never gets. At least until one too many drug charges lands Sophie in court. Her father is fed up with her behavior since it interferes with his business interests. Of course, jail time would look even worse, so he gets her sent to Uganda for six months. There Sophie is surrounded by the world's ugliness, but also finds something beautiful: herself.

I loved Vain! Like seriously loved it! Even in the beginning when Sophie was the most bitchiest bitch that ever bitched, I loved it. The author managed to not make her a caricature. Sophie felt completely real to me, even if I hated her. Then she lands in Africa and everything is different. Immediately Sophie takes in the beautiful scenery, but then she meets the children of the orphanage where she'll be working. These children have all nearly died and most of them are missing limbs or other parts of their body. But they keep smiling and they're excited to have Sophie join them. It's through them (and one little girl in particular) that Sophie beings to appreciate life and realizes that she's worth more than just her face. She also finds love there among the children and the woman who runs it. This isn't an overnight transformation. Sophie realizes that the world is much bigger than her mansion, but it still takes several weeks for it all to sink in.

Of course, Vain does have a romance. Ian is there to greet Sophie and drive her to the orphanage. He's also her hut mate and she works with him teaching the children during school hours. He hates her at first, too! He knows why she's there, and hates that she's forced to be there and will just up and leave after her sentence. But later Ian admits that he was quick to judge her. Just because she wasn't there by choice, didn't mean she wasn't getting anything out of her time there or that she wasn't serious about helping the children. The two grow close over time, and then fall in love. There is a drama that tears them apart. It was a bit much, but both of them come from powerful families who tend to over do things anyway, so I just went with it. It certainly didn't make me enjoy the story any less.

Vain made me cry. Twice. The first time was out of sadness, since I was so invested in the story and bad things happen and Sophie is just upset so I was upset with her! The second time was out of happiness, because Sophie does the right thing and helps others finally see the light. And it's just hopeful! Humanity sucks in general, but there are good people out there.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Kim Deister]

Amazing. Hands down, one of the most powerful books I have read. I went into it not really knowing what to expect. It is written from the first-person POV, in Sophie's voice, and it follows her journey from spoiled, rich girl to a young woman with value... to herself and to others.

This book pulls no punches, softens no blows, glosses over no situations. It is in your face with sex, with drugs, with manipulation. In the beginning, Sophie is unapologetic for who she is. Rich, manipulative, and a tease. She uses drugs and doesn't apologize for it. She uses her friends and feels justified doing so. She uses sex as a weapon, as a tool, and she doesn't care. She rules her world and everyone in it and assumes that is how it always will be. She is not at all likable.

And her behavior catches up to her, landing her in trouble that her money and her family's name can't get her out of. Instead, she is sentenced to six months in Masego, working at an orphanage that her family's attorney supports in Uganda. From the moment Sophie sets foot in Africa, she is in complete and utter culture shock. Her journey, both with the children and other people at Masego and within herself, is truly amazing.

She is such a self-absorbed jerk at the beginning of the book that I couldn't imagine feeling for her character. But that changes as we know more of her story and her family. Pembroke, her family's attorney was one of my favorite characters in the entire book, the one person from her past that I think truly loved her for who and what she was, and who understood why she had come to be the way she was. And I loved that she grew to recognize that and to appreciate it.

There is action in this book, a lot of it, but the true action is within Sophie. There is romance, too, and that becomes a beautiful part of her transformative journey. There is joy and there is heart break. Everything about this book tugged at my soul and at my heart. There is so much to be said about this beautiful book, but I want everyone to read it and experience for themselves!

Things to love about Vain...

--Pembroke. As I said above, he was the one person that looked beneath the surface, who understood Sophie before she changed. And he accepted her even while he tried to help her.
--Sophie. Her changes didn't come overnight and that is what made it so touching and real.

My recommendation: This was a truly provocative read and one I think that everyone should read. I think there are some powerful messages in it, messages about love, about acceptance, about looking beyond the surface, about priorities and value.

[Ashley]

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

This review is so incredibly difficult for me to write. To a certain extent, I did enjoy Vain, but especially near the end things started to really drop off for me.

First, I'm going to start off with the synopsis. It's not really a great indicator of what the book is actually about.. so I'll break it down for you really quickly:

[plot]
The first ~15% of the book is introducing us to Sophie the bitch. But even at that point in the book she starts to doubt who she is and her behaviour. I feel like we don't actually get *that* much seeing her as a bitch. Then, strike #2 with cocaine lands her in Uganda, Africa, helping out at a children's orphanage. This is her 'punishment' instead of going to jail. She's sentenced to work there for 6 months. This is where the bulk of the story takes place. Almost immediately, Sophie begins to change into a more selfless, kind human being... but wait! There's a hot guy there waiting for her to sweep her off her feet.
[/plot]

For me, there were two big problems with this book, and I guess they do kind of connect a little.

First, it feels like it was written by an author. So much of the dialogue didn't feel natural; it felt like an author was writing it, with slightly better word choice than a normal teenager, word diversity, proper language, etc. There was fancy speech, metaphors, elaborate monologues, and just few bits of word choice that screamed unnatural to me. And then there was the way that Sophie was so aware of her emotions and actions.. it felt unrealistic. In the beginning, she—a little too clearly—identified that she didn't sleep around and do cocaine because she wanted to; she did it because she wanted attention from her father. I feel like people who do that don't admit it to themselves, or aren't aware of why they act out. Then, later in the book, she too clearly acknowledged that the kids had changed her. I felt like it was too much of her monologuing about how she'd been changed, rather than just showing us.

Adding onto that, the 'life lessons' and 'messages' in this book are practically shoved down my throat. I didn't feel like Sophie slowly and naturally progressed from the rich spoiled brat she was to the selfless girl who cared about orphans. It seemed pretty sudden. But then she started monologuing about how much she changed, and what a bad person she was, and I could just feel it being shoved in my face at every opportunity.

And this was my new epiphany. Men wanted me. They did, however briefly, but none of them wanted to keep me. That's what I needed. I needed to be owned, loved. But not by a man. I knew then that I never needed to be kept by a man. What I needed was to love myself, to want to keep myself around. And in that revelation, I knew that if I wanted to keep myself, that a man wanting to keep me would just be a by-product. Who wouldn't want to keep someone who respected himself or herself?
—Vain by Fisher Amelie, page 188

I'd come to Uganda to fulfill a mandatory sentence but it was being fulfilled in a completely unexpected manner and happily, with my full consent. I'd come to help teach these children but instead they were teaching me.
—Vain by Fisher Amelie, page 240

"You're in serious need of a makeover," Victoria added, her fingernails outlining a box around my face.
"I've just had one," I implied, referring to my heart and soul.
—Vain by Fisher Amelie, page 339

Is it just me? Or are these just so blaringly obvious? I mean, given the average star rating on Goodreads (4.42 stars, 8,100+ ratings), most people weren't bothered by this. But I read it and I just felt like it was all being shoved down my throat. Every other line was, "I can't believe what a selfish person I was," "This experience has really changed me!" And I get that it was a pretty big and intense experience, but I feel like the best books are the ones that have those intense life-changing moments and lessons, but they are quietly and subtly woven into the book—not completely in your face. Prime example: My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi. The book is a caution to unsafe sex, but there is no constant, in-your-face, "Use a condom" message. But at the end of the book, that's still the message you have. But the book didn't tell it to you, you just know it by the end. Unfortunately, Vain doesn't do that. I felt like Sophie was constantly telling me what message I was supposed to take away from her experience.

I also feel that I should caution you about the romance. It wasn't a horrible romance, but it was.. interesting. It starts off with lust at first sight. It's not exactly insta-love, but it's more like, "Omg I have a primal connection to this guy. I want to fuck his brains out, but I also feel some kind of strong connection I've never felt towards anyone else." They don't jump straight into love after that, but things seriously start out STRONG. From there it does transition into a "hate" relationship because he think she's a spoiled brat and she's afraid he hates her.. And things slowly build up over time. So, again, it's not insta-love, but there was still that 'instant attraction' thing.

Overall this wasn't a bad book. I mostly did enjoy reading it, but when the 'message' stuff got amped up in frequency towards the end, I really lost my enjoyment of the book. I almost feel bad that this review is so negative but I didn't hate the book.. I just had some pretty big problems with it towards the end and that's suddenly all I can think of to talk about.

But seriously, so many people love Vain so maybe you should give it a chance. Be prepared for an intense romance, a life-changing experience, and some pretty sad scenes with murders/maiming in Uganda.

[nitzan_schwarz]

For this review and more, pop by my blog - Drugs Called Books

This book is about second chances and changing one's self… but not the usual kind. The heroine has not been wronged and hurt and is now learning to trust again and etc… instead, the main character used to be a horrible person. And by the time she realizes she is such, she just doesn’t know what to do with the information. On the one hand, she wants to change. On the other… how?

“Vanity’s a debilitating affliction. You’re so absorbed in yourself it’s impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realization of it. It’s quite sad. You’ve no idea what you’re missing either. You will never know real love and your life will pass you by. “
First paragraph of Vain

I absolutely loved this book, from beginning to end. Aside for being a gripping book, with wonderful writing, beautiful characters, and wonderful plot, it’s also special. It shows you two separate unique realities; the first of the rich and famous, with a main character who is vain and pretty much a horrible person (at the beginning of the book), and the second life in Uganda, which was a breathtaking reality to read about, both in its beauty and sadness.

Sophie Price, our main character, is a bit different than most heroines, mostly because instead of being a character we can all relate to, she’s the bitch we often see in all those dramas? The one who acts horribly toward our poor MC and makes her life miserable while ruling her little flock of the “popular kids”?

Yep. That one.
But you're not going to hate her for a single second of the book. At least, I never did. I loved her instantly, despite all her wrongdoings, and I felt sincerely sad for her, because the girl lives in a cold, cold world.
Even before she is uprooted from all she knows, Sophie acknowledges there is something terribly wrong with her. And being caught in a criminal situation and sentenced for six months of labor in an orphanage in Uganda turns out to be exactly what she needs to break the cycle she's been born into. Being in Uganda, witnessing the harsh reality--yet happiness--of those living there, changes her big time, almost from the get-go.

And one person in particular she meets helps that change. Meet Ian Aberdeen, also known as "Dingane" to those around him. Can I just say something? Major swoon! The guy's absolutely amazing!! He's white, with piercing eyes, and he is diligent, hardworking, caring, loving, kind, sweet, kind of shy (as evident by the many, many times he stutters around our stunning Sophie), All he cares about are the children of the orphanage, and he always puts them first. He is basically a Dream Boyfriend! I mean, really! ~sigh~

Aside for these darling two, we have the orphanage children, who are so adorable and cute you forget they're deformed, as Ian describes it (and yes, it's a terrible reality to read about. But trust me, you're going to smile and forget it in the face of their innocent happiness).
Then there is the orphanage crew; Lovely Karina and Charles, who become sort of like parents figures both for Ian and Sophie, and others.

As for the romance... Just. Freaking. Stunning. I loved every bit of it!
Sophie and Ian are instantly attracted to one another, like, big time. But that attraction is not the basis for their relationship. In fact, at first they kind of... dislike one another?!
Yes, here are two who fight the inevitable, and I'm glad they did. They got to know one another on a very deep level, before embarking on any form of relationship. They actually fell in love with one another while watching each other work, handle situations, act, and of course, through conversations. And you have no idea how many books lack just that.
After they did start a relationship, they were so cute and sweet and adorable I wanted to "aww" out loud plenty of times, but it wasn't too much, you know?

Also, there aren't any sex scenes in this book, which surprised me. The only reason it's really marked as New Adult is because of the age of the characters.
However, that's not to say these two weren't exceedingly HOT together (or that sex wasn't mentioned). There were many sexy scenes, which never ventured deeper than kisses and touches. It was simply lovely!

This book doesn't lack in the action section, either. There are gunfights, saving kids from attacks, blood, death all around, sickness and what not. Life in Uganda are not always safe, to say the least. But, as I said before, you forget about the hideous parts, because there are so many factors in this book which makes your heart swell. So many parts that make you look at the positive. And, be surprised, there is plenty of positive.

This is a story about living, not dying, despite its subjects.

And if all that's not enough for you to read the book, the ending was just fabulous I grinned. Widely. I couldn't help it!!! There is just something about such cute endings, which make you smile and also relax that everything is going to be just fine with your favorite characters.

Really, I can't think of a single complaint for this book! It is now a 2013 favorite, not to mention favorite couple of mine and new book boyfriend. All in one book!

I suggest you read it, like... NOW!

[Kelly]

Loved it immensely! Sophie is a character that is vain, self absorbed, and shallow on the surface, and you can't help but pity her. When she's thrown into a world so far removed from her plastic society, she slowly begins to find her own feet and falls in love with a life she struggles to believe she deserves.

Well written and brilliantly controversial. Fisher Amelie is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.