Same Difference

Same Difference is one of those books I've been waiting to find. I've for years tried to find a book about the life of a young artist and what it's like to discover your creative potential. I think I've found that in Same Difference. Same Difference really made me reflect on my life as an artist so far. It exhibits a lot of the struggles people can face. Living up to the potential you so desperately want to have or discovering that you even have the potential or the passion. It's all illustrated through the characters in Same Difference. The main character Emily, is one of those girls that discovers almost by accident one day that they like art and might not be too bad at it. She is perfectly balanced out by fellow classmate Fiona who has always lived the life of an artist, she knows she's an artist and wants desperately to prove to everyone what a genius she is, there is no other way. I loved seeing the artistic journey through both Emily and Fiona. I thought it was really honest and real to see Emily struggle over her friendship with best friend from home Meg. Emily changes so drastically while in summer school trying to find herself, she struggles to find any common ground with Meg who is at home spending her summer with her boyfriend. Will they still be able to be friends at the end of the summer? Another really interesting character is Yates, the student teacher and Emily's crush. He's not only fun to read about because of Emily's longings for him but for his insight into the life of a artist a year or two into school. He has some really interesting ideas about making a name, literally for yourself as an artist. Most of the action inside of the classroom takes place in the drawing class or during field trips. We see Emily a few times in her Mixed Media class(?) away from the other students like Fiona and her posse. I would have really enjoyed seeing Emily more in that environment to contrast it with when she was with those other students. I think Same Difference is a wonderfully unique story of finding yourself as an artist and as a person. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in the arts or self discovery in general.

When I started reading this, I was just expecting a mediocre "the summer that changed everything" novel. In essence, it is a "summer that changed everything" novel but it's really so much more than that. The characters are what drive this novel. I've read hundreds of books and have yet to see a set of characters as unique and realistic as those in this novel. Emily is your typical teen, trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs in the world. She's having trouble with her family and friends. Maybe that makes me sound cliche, maybe you're saying "well, that's what all girls in the books are going through", but there was something in the novel that made it different, that made her one of the most realistic characters and not at all cliche. Fiona was a character that was so important to the novel. She was slightly hard to figure out but I'm sure everyone will see a little bit of themselves in her and be able to relate to her actions. She was probably my favorite character because of that. Yates was...well, he was Yates and that pretty much explains it all. The romance (or perhaps non-romance) was done particularly well. You know it's going to happen but when it does, it's in a way you don't expect. And, of course, drama ensues. I felt my heart breaking at certain parts which I always a sign that the romance was done well. The ending was unexpected but I loved it. It worked so well and made me smile. I highly recommend this book. Since finishing it I have gone back to reread certain parts and have started shoving it off on anyone I know. Definitely suggest you pick up a copy ASAP!

Siobhan's books are amazing and always focus on Friendship instead of love. When I read A Little Friendly Advice, last year, I knew this was an author to watch. Same Difference is about a girl, Emily. She lives in Cherry Grove, New Jersey. Her best friend, Meg lives across the street and summers are spent with going to the pool and Starbucks. That is before, Emily gets accepted to a summer art program in Philadelphia. Emily feels lost in these arty and hip teens. She soon becomes friends with Fiona, Adrian, Robyn. Fiona is obsessed with her "shadow art", Robyn's parents own a gallery, and Adrian is good with comics. There is also very helpful andcute, Yates that happens to be her teaching assistant. Emily still feels lost. They go to art show and concerts. On the other hand, Meg and Rick react wrong to Emily's art. Emily will have to figure out who her real friends are and does she want to be. I loved Emily, she made the same desicion that I would have. The setting was also really well done. I liked that it was based on Siobhan's own expercence and I think that it made it more Realistic. I also though Meg was cute. Yates was awesome, but was a bit lacking in the personality. This is a novel of self discovery, friendship, and the choices that we make. I loved this book and I hope that you check it out for it's awesomeness.

After you encounter a work of art, you are your same self, but different. This book is an artistic masterpiece, and the best book about art I've ever read.

For 16 years, Emily hasn't known much more than life beyond her hometown of Cherry Grove, New Jersey. But change is in the air the summer before her senior year in high school. Emily and her best friend Meg have always spent the summers together. They live right across the street from each other in the gated community of Blossom Manor. Typical summer days are full of trips to pools or visits to Starbucks for frozen peppermint mochas. But this year is different. For the first time, Emily won't be around every day. Instead, she'll be traveling by herself to a prestigious art school in Philadelphia to take classes. This summer, the girls --- whose "names are always mushed together in conversation around school, like MegandEmily" --- will be split. Emily believes Meg will be just fine. She has a popular boyfriend, Rick, to occupy her time anyway. Emily thinks, "I needed a break from it all, and taking some art classes in Philadelphia a few times a week was as good an idea as any I could think of. Meg got a boyfriend and I got a hobby. That's just the way things worked out." But in Philly, Emily feels completely out of her element. The other kids in her program are all arty and hip and not quite as suburban looking as she is. One of the girls, Fiona, is obsessed with "shadow art" and loves sketching chalk outlines of shadows all over the sidewalks. Fiona's art statements are as outlandish as her personality. Robyn aka "Pixie Girl," and Adrian, a freakishly skinny comic book-loving boy, instantly become friends with Fiona. Meanwhile, Emily feels left out and alone. To make matters worse, Fiona isn't very nice to Emily and even mocks her because of where she's from. And then there's Yates, a cute teaching assistant in his freshman year at the school, who Emily makes a surprising first impression on. Despite her initial cruelty, Fiona decides to warm up to Emily. Along with Robyn and Adrian, they go to Philadelphia art shows and concerts. Emily's world has been broadened, and she starts to see herself differently --- not as Emily from Cherry Grove, New Jersey, but as someone else. And when Meg and Rick react to her sketches in a not-so-nice way, Emily begins to wonder if she wants any of her former life anymore. But as the summer unfolds, friendships new and old are put to the test and it's up to Emily to decide who she really wants to be. SAME DIFFERENCE is a realistic young adult novel about the struggle for identity and self-discovery. Author Siobhan Vivian has created a likable protagonist who finds herself in a tug-of-war between her old life and her new one. Readers will enjoy seeing how Emily deals with crazy Fiona, loveable Yates and best friend Meg. The Philadelphia College for Fine Arts setting is authentic and an enjoyable backdrop for a summer filled with a lot of learning about both art and life. --- Reviewed by Kristi Olson