#131 of 2011: Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian
A very relatable story, that’s what this book’s greatest strength is. I myself could feel Emily’s struggle of wanting to find out what she truly wanted to be, in par to who she already was. That is, I guess, because all “teens” do go through this phase. It’s such a tricky stage of life, if you ask me, and Siobhan Vivian couldn’t have told it any more accurately. Here’s Emily, whose life once revolved around her life in Cherry Grove and whose group of friends mainly consisted of just one - her best friend, going off to the big city of Philadelphia for art school where she of course opens this door to new experiences and opinions that she finds way “cooler” than those back at home - I mean, could that really get any more familiar? But unlike most YA novels that tell the same story, Vivian didn’t sugarcoat things or made them over dramatic - like broken friendships effortlessly mended again after just one talk, or teenage love portrayed in such cliched lovey-dovey ways. I just wished Vivian could have given Emily a more distinct voice - now that I think about it, her characters needed more spunk themselves - so that she could stay in my head for a longer time.
