Viola in Reel Life

Written by Adriana Trigiani

Narrated by Emily Eiden

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.

Ick.

There's no way Viola's going to survive the year – especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.

Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.

But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

A HarperAudio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061962264

Adriana Trigiani

Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is “a master of palpable and visual detail” (Washington Post) and “a comedy writer with a heart of gold” (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People’s Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana’s screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 1,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.  Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.  Join Adriana’s Facebook LIVE show, Adriana Ink, in conversation with the world’s greatest authors- Tuesdays at 3 PM EST! For more from Adriana’s interviews, you can subscribe to her Meta “Bulletin” column, Adriana Spills the Ink: adrianatrigiani.bulletin.com/subscribe.

Reviews for Viola in Reel Life

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Viola’s parents are documentary filmmakers, and a year-long assignment to Afghanistan means that Viola will have to spend her freshman year at an exclusive all-girl boarding school. That’s bad enough, but the school – The Perfect Academy – is in South Bend, Indiana, far from her Brooklyn friends and the excitement of city life. How is she supposed to sleep with all that quiet!?

This is a nice young-adult novel about opening yourself to new possibilities and making the best of a less-than-ideal situation. Our heroine is sometimes “Princess Snark,” sometimes a homesick girl, and always a 14-year-old girl away from home for the first time and beginning to discover what she wants from life. Viola’s roommates quickly help her break down the barriers she’s erected to maintain distance. And what she learns about her parents, her friends and herself will truly make this a memorable year.

[akmargie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eh. It was cute although a few of the characters were kinda cardboardy.

[turbobks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite her somewhat tough exterior, Viola is a likable character. She's devastated when her parents drop her off at a boarding school in the mid-west while they go off to Afghanistan to shoot a documentary. Once she lets her roommates and some others into her life, Viola ends up finding out more about herself and those around her (both at boarding school and at home in Brooklyn). _Viola in Reel Life_ is a fun read and I'm anxious to talk to students at my school to see if the portrayal of boarding school life is realistic.

[sharonluvscats · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Viola in Reel Life worked for me despite the fact, that it sounded to me like the type of book I usually do not like. The thing about Viola in Reel Life is the pace is extremely slow for most of the novel, but in the words of a dear friend, “slow is not always a bad thing. “ In the case of Viola in Reel Life the slow pace was easy for me to deal with because of Adriana’s ability to bring all of her characters to life.Adriana Trigiana truly does bring all of her characters to life. Viola’s strong voice and interest in film make her seem like a real person. My favorite parts of the book were when Viola was behind her camera filming. It was interesting see to how cinematography affected Viola’s world view. To Viola the whole world really in a stage. However, there were a few times when Viola got of my nerves for example; Viola spends a lot of time judging people based on what they wear. There were a few times when I was even tempted to smack her around a little bit. As the book progresses Viola begins to mature as a character and learn how to be a better person, so I decided to forgive her.The thing that held me back from totally falling in love with Viola in Reel life was ultimately the slow pace. The pacing works for much of the novel due to Viola’s charm, but by the last fifty pages the story really started to drag. The ending was also a bit of a disappointment. We never find out what happens between Viola and her male friend back home. This was something that was mentioned throughout the

[she_climber · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Adriana Trigiani is one of my favorite authors so when she came out with a Young Adult novel it was no question that I would read it. Unfortunately it was more than a little disappointing. It seemed like the characters weren't as deep as I've come to love and expect from Trigiani and the story didn't really draw me in until about halfway through. Is this because it was a YA book? If so, please forgive my lower rating when I'm just used to the fantastic stories that I'm used to. Through the second half of the book when Viola was working on her film project I completely bought in and then truly started caring about her and her success Prior to that the story just seemed to flounder with no real direction. I don't know that I will read another of Trigiani's YA books should she step into that realm again and just wait impatiently, as always, for the good stuff!

[lenoreva · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Because her documentary filmmaker parents are on a shoot in Afghanistan, 14 year old Viola has to leave her friends in Brooklyn, New York and spend a year at a boarding school in South Bend, Indiana. It’s quite an adjustment at first, but supportive roommates, a first romance, and a student documentary contest go a long way to making Viola feel at home.You know, it was so refreshing to read a YA novel about a normal teen living a normal life. This is a novel for everyone who complains that they are tired of mean girls, all-encompassing romances, disinterested parents, and enfeebled heroines with no hobbies.I’ll admit I wasn’t that engaged at the beginning of the novel, because it wasn’t all that clear to me where the whole thing was going. Though I was instantly pulled in by Viola’s voice (a bit whiny, but independent and snarky), I wanted more plot to sink my teeth into.But once Viola discovers the mysterious “lady in red” and decides to make her the subject of her film, I really started to enjoy the novel. Her interactions with her friends and her actress grandmother (who comes to help her out) feel really natural and everything just flows well.

[ericajsc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m an easy sell when it comes to stories set in a boarding school, and I love filmmaking, so this book was right up my alley. This had ample amounts of both.It took me a while before I felt comfortable with Viola. As the book begins she is very hostile to the idea of boarding school, but there’s really no choice as her parents are leaving the country for work. Instead of viewing this as an opportunity to try something new, Viola dwells on what she left behind in Brooklyn. This is understandable, as she’s fourteen and I probably would’ve been the same way. Although it takes her some time to settle in and open herself to the people around her, she finally does. Once she finds her place at the school, something she can be passionate about, Viola becomes someone I cared about. I only wished it had happened earlier in the story.Because Viola was in such a funk for a lot of the book, it seemed as if the story was a slow climb up a hill, then a quick descent at the end. And I don’t mean that in the sense that it crashes at the end. I mean that so much happens at the end that it seemed almost rushed. Viola deals with changes in her relationships with her parents, people in South Bend, and people in Brooklyn. The way she handled all of these changes made me realize just how much she matured during her year in boarding school, which made me like her even more than I already did.There is more to Viola’s story, and I look definitely want to read it. My only hope is that the pacing is better balanced in future books.

[bellamia_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a very comfortable book. It keeps you interested but nothing that jumps out at you. It's a very....comfortable story about Viola who discovers herself & new friends in a new environment. She becomes a better person after her experience.

[ylin20621 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Viola in Reel Life surprised me by how much I enjoyed this book. By the first page I was hooked by the narration and detailed description by Trigiani. I honestly don’t know what sold me to the book. I mean the characters were good but not the oh my god version, the plotline was clean but the oh my god version, so I’m thinking that hot damn, Adriana Trigiani can really sell it. Her voice was amazing; I was addicted to it like a bar of chocolate. Humor, sass, and love are the combination to this book. It reminded a bit of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. We have the Latina, the artsy video girl, a combination of tall, blond, and beautiful with family troubles, and the athlete. It’s basically a sisterhood for these girls. Living together for a solid year can make that happen. I loved the girls separately and collectively. They each bring a sparkle out. As for the video making I was pleasantly interested in the process and the special effects. I was more interested in the BFFAS (best friends forever and always) Andrew. Dare I say, they have some chemistry? Sadly the novel ended before anything happened. Jared on the other hand, the one that Viola actually dated for some time, is a prick. You just don’t know it yet, but he is. First he wraps you around his finger but being so amazing then poof. Overall: Compelled by the presence of the voice.

[bookwormygirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Viola Chesterson has been “abandoned” at the Prefect Academy for Young Women in South Bend, Indiana - an all-girls boarding school and horribly far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York - by her parents who are abroad working on a documentary.She is devastated, sad, lonely - she misses her home, her parents and her BFF's - but most importantly, she can't fathom living with three complete strangers in a new school far away from everyone and everything she's ever known. Luckily for her, she is paired with a great set of roommates, her knack for film-making and a fanciful grandmother, aptly called Grand - she just might be able to survive the year... actually it might just be the best year of her life.I truly enjoyed this coming-of-age story. It's about leaving your comfort zone, making new friends, and realizing that not everything in this world revolves around you (no matter how hard that seems when you are 14). Viola, who can be spoiled (at times), was spunky, witty and had a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the aspects of boarding school life - maybe it's because I never went to an all-girls school or studied away from home - but I always enjoy novels where the setting is at a school. The girls and their friendship was also something to savor - they were all very different and I really enjoyed how they came together, supported and helped one another. This is Viola's story - how she navigates in a new school, new experiences, new friendships, a new boyfriend, and how she follows her dream of making a movie. Although this is Ms. Trigiani's first venture into YA - she mastered it without a hitch. This is a fantastic story for tweens and young adults but can definitely be appreciated by adults just the same. I personally loved it.

[readerspeak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

With her first novel for young adults, Adriana Trigiani (Big Stone Gap series) introduces her readers to Viola, a Brooklyn girl forced to go to boarding school for a year by her parents who are abroad taping a documentary. She also loves to make movies, and her time at the boarding school soon becomes something like a too-good-to-be-true film. A little bit of fantasy mixed in gives this book the little suspense it has. I'm not sure how much this will appeal to high school girls - it seems like it might be just right for middle school, however, as it's an innocent and sweet look at a girl's first love.

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sent by her documentary filmmaking parents to a boarding school in Indiana, Viola Chesterton is a budding filmmaker herself. Unhappy at being uprooted from her lively NYC life, she doesn't expect to enjoy or make friends at Prefect Academy. Fortunately for her, Trigiani weaves a sweet, slow tale of acceptance and change for Viola. Her roomies aren't so bad, there's a boys school nearby and a filmmaking contest to enter--Viola blooms where she's planted.

[bermudaonion_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Viola Chesterton is from Brooklyn and her parents are documentary filmmakers. When Viola’s parents accept an assignment in Afghanistan, Viola is sent to Prefect Academy, a boarding school in South Bend, Indiana, for a year. Viola cries as they leave and is miserable at first. She feels abandoned and lonely, and she misses her best friend back in Brooklyn.With the help of her roommates, her grandmother, and her film making abilities, Viola not only survives her first year but gains new confidence and learns a lot about herself along the way. Viola says:"Marisol just says that word sister lightly, like right off the top of her head without thinking. But all my life, I have wished for a sister. I had hoped my parents would have a baby when I was small, and then when I got to be twelve I wanted them to go to China and adopt. But Mom would always smile and say, “We have our hands full with you.” And maybe she was right. But what Mom never told me is that along the way, you find sisters, and they find you. Girls are very cool that way."Viola in Reel Life is Adriana Trigiani’s first YA novel and I absolutely loved it! This isn’t edgy YA, but rather a sweet story about growing up and gaining confidence. Viola is a great character because she’s not perfect, but she tries to learn from her mistakes. I got teary-eyed in a few places as Viola grew stronger, gained some confidence and came to value her friends and family. I’ve read that this might become a series and I really hope so!

[edgoldberg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fourteen-year-old Viola is not in Brooklyn anymore. She is involuntarily in South Bend, IN at the Prefect Academy for Young Women since 1890 for the next year, while her parents film a documentary in Afghanistan. Armed with her video camera, she intends to document her misery. She begins by filming the fields around school, voice over to follow. Viola misses her BFFAA (And Always). She is prepared to hate her roommates, but they actually seem nice. Gradually, Marisol, Suzanne and Romy begin to fill the roles of friends and family, supporting each other. Viewing her initial film later that first day, Viola notices a woman dressed in a 1920s style red costume walking across the far end of the field. She is positive this woman was not present during the filming. During first semester, Viola gets volunteered for the Founder’s Day play, meets a boy and learns about a film contest. All seems right with the world.Viola in Reel Life, Trigiani’s first foray in YA literature, is a predictable, tame and enjoyable book about middle school girls maturing (almost Sarah Dessen for middle school). Viola and her roommates cope with being away from home. They each have some trial to overcome. The characters are nice, the dialogue and action are interesting and the ending is apparent. The denouement regarding the red costumed woman is acceptable, not outstanding. But that’s OK. Trigiani has deftly shown that teenage girls can be independent, have positive self images and be happy. Way better than The Clique.

[stephxsu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aspiring filmmaker 14-year-old Viola has been the only child of devoted documentary filmmakers her whole life, but her parents’ overseas assignment brings her to Prefect Academy, a boarding school for girls. Viola is sure that she’ll hate PA, but surprisingly she befriends her three roommates Marisol, Romy and Suzanne, and begins to learn that, with the help of loving friends and family, she, too, can flourish in a new environment.VIOLA IN REEL LIFE is a straightforwardly charming book about learning to survive on your own. Adriana Trigiani’s YA debut is irresistible and chaste, perfect for readers of all ages.Viola has a certain amount of spark and wit that I admire. She is always ready with a snarky comment—courtesy of her New York upbringing, says she—but she remains an adorably vulnerable girl, on her own for the first time in her life.There are some aspects of this book that require some suspension of disbelief. For example, it’s pretty remarkable that a 14-year-old already knows what she wants to do with her life. Furthermore, her dealings with boys, particularly the easy way that Jared comes so smoothly into her life, are aspects that take away from the believability of this book. Through awkward plot points—or lack thereof—however, Viola’s dealings with her roommates, family, old friends, and potential love interests are realistic, and thus endearing.I really enjoyed being with Viola for her freshman year at Prefect Academy. Despite the lack of interesting plot, Viola herself is appealing, and readers will enjoy following her through this period of growth. The ending suggests the possibility of a sequel, which I wouldn’t mind at all. VIOLA IN REEL LIFE is an agreeable addition to the world of MG and YA realistic fiction.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Watching Viola make friends in a difficult situation and discover new things about herself and her family was enjoyable. I liked the romantic aspect as well because Viola doesn't discard her ambitions for a boy.