Defying the Diva

( 3 )

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$13.99

NOOK Book

——

$13.99

Defying the Diva (eBook) Pub. Date: 5/29/2012 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
$0.01

$17.99

Hardcover

$0.01

$17.99

Defying the Diva (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing) Pub. Date: 3/25/2008 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

For Haley Patterson, freshman year of high school boils down to having a good time with her two best friends and making a name for herself at the school newspaper. But when Haley reveals one too many juicy details in her gossip column, superdiva and queen bee Camilla Quinn makes sure that Haley's life changes...for the worse. Completely ostracized by everyone at school, including her best friends, Haley finds herself alone and miserable.

Reprieve comes in the form of a summer job at an exclusive mountain resort, where Haley forges new friend-ships, snags a cute lifeguard, and learns how to trust again. But her newfound hope is not bought without some heartbreak.

As the summer draws to a close, an unexpected confrontation with Camilla forces Haley to face her fears. Will she continue to let Camilla control her life? Or will Haley find the confidence and courage to stand her ground?

From the author of Picture Perfect and Semiprecious comes an honest, poignant novel about fear, friendship, and fighting back.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Love (Semiprecious ) takes a hard look at girl-on-girl bullying and offers counsel to the victims in this smoothly written but overly neat novel. Haley Patterson, proud to be the only freshman on the high school newspaper, has been temporarily writing the anonymous gossip column, In the Know. A reference to a party hosted by social arbiter Camilla Quinn, however, brings down Camilla's Olympian wrath-she begins a "Campaign to Destroy Haley," successfully renames her Haley the Ho and even sends her a death threat. Not even Haley's best friends talk to her by the time Camilla is through. Love convincingly describes the school scene and its gradual, devastating toll on Haley, but solves her character's problems too conveniently-another girl presses charges against Camilla, and Haley can step forward on her behalf, using Camilla's e-mailed death threat as evidence. Subplots, too, have a deus-ex-machina quality. Readers hoping for help aren't likely to find much beyond sympathy and an endnote directing them to other resources. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10- Freshman Haley Patterson loves her job on the school newspaper, but when she writes about a wild party (drinking, no adults) thrown by Camilla Quinn, a Queen Bee bully, she immediately regrets it. Camilla nicknames her "Haley the Ho" and turns everyone, including Haley's best friends, against her. Haley even receives a nasty email from Camilla suggesting that she commit suicide on a certain day, and she becomes the victim of cruel jokes. She makes it through the school year, but never gathers the courage to confront her nemesis or to tell anyone about the abuse. Spending the summer with her aunt, Haley takes a job at a pool. Initially she has a hard time trusting the other teens who work there, but she begins to relax. Despite their warnings, however, she develops a crush on a handsome lifeguard. With the help of her aunt and new friends, Haley develops the courage to stand up to Camilla when school begins. Despite the serious subject matter, Diva reads more like Meg Cabot than "problem novel." The book's chick-lit cover and tone will make it attractive and accessible to girls. A strong message and a sympathetic main character make this book worthy of reading and discussion in book groups.-Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD

More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

When 14-year-old freshman journalist Haley Patterson reported on Camilla Quinn's unsupervised bash in her school paper's supposedly anonymous gossip column, she thought the freedom of press would protect her. However, shortly after publication, Camilla, her school's most popular diva and vicious bully, launches an attack on Haley's reputation, making her a social outcast, ignored by even her two best friends. Fortunately for Haley, she's scheduled to spend the summer at her spunky aunt's home in Copper Springs, where no one knows about Camilla. However, even in Copper Springs, Camilla's hate campaign haunts Haley until she takes a job at the local resort where, with the help of co-workers, she slowly gains the courage to confront Camilla. Concluding with a serious author's note on harassment, which includes information on getting help, this text skillfully captures the painful reality of teen bullying while also telling Haley's humorous and sincere story of growing up. (Fiction. YA)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781416934813
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date: 3/25/2008
Edition description: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 272
Sales rank: 857,697
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Lexile: NC770L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 8.52 (w) x 5.78 (h) x 0.94 (d)

Meet the Author

D. Anne Love is the author of several award-winning novels for young readers, including Defying the Diva, Picture Perfect, Semiprecious, and The Puppeteer’s Apprentice. Ms. Love lives in Texas hill country with her husband, Ron, and Major and Jake, their book-loving golden retrievers. You can visit her online at dannelove.com.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5

( 3 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(2)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

TeensReadToo

Posted August 18, 2010

more from this reviewer

Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com

Haley Patterson is a 14-year-old freshman in high school. She has two great best friends and is planning on making a name for herself by writing for the school paper. But when one of her articles gets the queen bee (Camilla Quinn) of the school in trouble, Haley's life takes a turn for the worse.

All of a sudden, her best friends have turned on her, thanks to Camilla and the whole school basically thinking she's easy (info that Camilla has spread around). Of course absolutely none of this is true, but now Haley is stuck being a total outcast.

For the summer, she has to go stay with her Aunt in some small town far away from her home, because her parents are going on a trip and her brother is exploring the world. While there, her Aunt makes her get a job at a nearby hotel. Haley is so messed up from her horrible experiences back home that she isn't sure she can really trust anybody that she works with. But maybe, just maybe, someone there will get her to open up and be the amazing girl that she really is.

This book shows the classic doings of a terrible high school girl. It really upsets me how girls can be so mean, especially in high school. Throughout the whole book you can't help but to feel bad for Haley. She was an innocent victim who got stomped on for one little thing that she didn't even think was that big of a deal!

This book was pretty emotional at times and at other times it just made me want to scream because of how badly Haley was being treated. But I really enjoyed the middle and the ending of the story. It's a pretty good read just for summer, too!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 6, 2008

An Emotional and Well-Written Book

Fourteen year old Haley Patterson uses her freshman year as an opportunity to make a name for herself on the school newspaper and spend time with her friends. But when she accidentally gets Camilla Quinn, the popular girl and Queen Bee of the school, in trouble by leaking a little bit too much information on Camilla¿s latest party in her gossip column, Haley finds herself friendless and the target of Camilla¿s bullying. Her only escape comes when she is forced to spend the summer with her Aunt Bitsy and work at an exclusive resort. Though she faces problems at first, Haley soon finds herself making new friends and dating the super-hot lifeguard that all the girls have a crush on. But, of course, good things don¿t last and Haley soon finds herself heart-broken and humiliated. Then, just as she¿s starting to see the light, Camilla shows up and Haley has to decide whether or not to let Camilla continue to destroy her happiness. Defying the Diva is a fast-paced, heartbreaking, and truthful novel about what happens to the targets of bullying. Each of the characters, from Harrison, the quiet song writer, to Frankie, the overweight but cheerful girl, is well developed and easy to relate to. While I¿ve never gone through anything quiet as horrible, Haley¿s story definitely hit home with me and I could not put it down once I started it. Whether you¿ve been the target for teasing, had your best friend turn on you, or been cheated on by a guy, I highly recommend buying Defying the Diva the minute you see it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted October 3, 2010

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble