Review: Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Title: Viola In Reel Life

Author: Adriana Trigiani

Published: Simon and Schuster (April 29th 2010)

No. of Pages: 288

Grade Rating: A-

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at Prefect Academy, 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 what seems to be the sherbet-coloured-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 being at Prefect. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera. But boarding school is nothing like Viola thought it would be, and she soon realises that 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.

Viola in Reel Life is a heart-warming book about a girl called Viola Chesterton, who's documentary making parents send her off to boarding school in Indiana. There, she experiences things she never thought would happen. She makes friends with the girls in her dorm and finds love in the most unexpected of places. This is a sweet little book perfect for rereading!

One thing I started off really loving about Viola In Reel Life was Viola herself. I instantly liked her and her wry, snarky sense of humour. I loved her interests in film making and her overall personality. I also found it truly special that she had a 'Vote For Pedro' T-shirt inspired by Napolean Dynamite (one of my favourite films) which added to her unique and slightly quirky personality. I also really liked the supporting characters including Viola's room mates. They all seemed to be very welcoming and supportive of Viola-perhaps a little too nice. Ever the stirrer, I would have liked to have seen some conflict between some of the characters as I thought that that scenario would have been more realistic. It is natural that girls backstab and bitch about other girls but none of this seemed to occur. Even though it sounds quite evil, I found it a little bit annoying how all of the characters were so nice to eachother.

Judging by the blurb, I didn't think that there would be anything particularly original about the plot. Thank goodness I was proven wrong. It was a pleasant surprise when some paranormal elements were added to the story and how each event and character nicely tied together. Viola In Reel Life was a fairly quick read with a steady pace and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It definitely had its flaws but nothing too important to mention. I liked how Trigiani focused on film making. It's certainly not something you read about everyday and learning about it through the book was fascinating.

I think people who are fans of all genres will like Viola In Reel Life. It posesses a charm that immediately captures the readers attention and draws you into the story. I definitely can't wait for the sequel, and I will be looking out for more things by Trigiani.