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Defying the Diva
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.
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.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2008
5 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
D. Anne Love
12 books14 followersI was born in western Tennessee, the eldest of four children. My father was a lover of books who taught me to read even before I started school. My mother was (and still is!) the world’s best mom and a lover of music who sang in the kitchen as she taught me to cook.
I enjoyed playing games and riding bikes but my favorite activity was reading. Among my favorite authors were Lois Lenski, Louisa May Alcott and Harper Lee. I was in love with words and stories, with the feel of paper as I turned the pages, with the smell of ink.
Major, the golden retriever
In high school, and later, in college, I discovered newspaper writing and worked for the paper to help pay for my education. I became a teacher, and later, a school principal, and then a college professor, but I never forgot my dream of someday writing books. In 1989, I began writing full time, and in 1995 Holiday House published BESS’S LOG CABIN QUILT, my first novel for young readers.
Since then I have published a number of other books. Writing is still my full time job, though I spend a lot of time visiting schools, talking to students and teachers about my favorite subjects: books and reading!
In addition to Texas, I’ve lived in Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and California. Currently I live in central Ohio with my husband Ron, and Major our rambunctious golden retriever. But Austin, Texas is, and always will be the place I call home.
I enjoyed playing games and riding bikes but my favorite activity was reading. Among my favorite authors were Lois Lenski, Louisa May Alcott and Harper Lee. I was in love with words and stories, with the feel of paper as I turned the pages, with the smell of ink.
Major, the golden retriever
In high school, and later, in college, I discovered newspaper writing and worked for the paper to help pay for my education. I became a teacher, and later, a school principal, and then a college professor, but I never forgot my dream of someday writing books. In 1989, I began writing full time, and in 1995 Holiday House published BESS’S LOG CABIN QUILT, my first novel for young readers.
Since then I have published a number of other books. Writing is still my full time job, though I spend a lot of time visiting schools, talking to students and teachers about my favorite subjects: books and reading!
In addition to Texas, I’ve lived in Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and California. Currently I live in central Ohio with my husband Ron, and Major our rambunctious golden retriever. But Austin, Texas is, and always will be the place I call home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 17, 2009
I really like this book because it teaches young girls to believe in themselves and to stand up to their bullies. This book is about a young girl who gets bullied by the most popular girl in her school. What she does(the bully) is she turns the whole school against Haley the main charecter and that is mean she turns all the friends she had and she turns them against them. She also sends Haley an e-mail saying that she should commit suicide on a certain day. Then for the summer Haley goes to live with her aunt in a small town where she meets new friends and her new boyfriend, who by the way actually likes her(her last on did not.)So she ends up going back to school and things start getting better she starts to get some of her friends and she starts getting some respect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2014
In my book Haley has the biggest problem. The problem in the story is that Camilla a girl in my book is really rude and she has turned the whole school against her. In the end the problem was solved. How the problem was solved was that Haley stood up for her self.
March 18, 2011
This book was boring!! it was the typical realistic fiction book: girl is bullied she goes on vacay meets a boy gets dumped meets another boy stands up to bully and happy ending!!
October 8, 2019
This book is a heartwarming classic story, about a girl who stood up for herself in the end. The characters are very well designed, especially Haley Patterson, who's the main character.
I can sort of connect to her, because whatever happens at school, she keeps to herself. She doesn't even tell her parents that she's getting bullied every day, and when she even feel like crying. A lot of things happen at school for me, too. I don't really talk to my parents about them because I'm a bit afraid that they would say a lot of things?
However, I think that the author could've spent a little more writing in the beginning, describing more about Haley getting bullied in her school. This will certainly get the readers more passionate.
I can sort of connect to her, because whatever happens at school, she keeps to herself. She doesn't even tell her parents that she's getting bullied every day, and when she even feel like crying. A lot of things happen at school for me, too. I don't really talk to my parents about them because I'm a bit afraid that they would say a lot of things?
However, I think that the author could've spent a little more writing in the beginning, describing more about Haley getting bullied in her school. This will certainly get the readers more passionate.
August 8, 2020
Fun vacation read!
October 16, 2022
Awesome book with a good lesson.
July 3, 2021
A quick read that shows the effects of bullying and all of the emotions of being bullied and being isolated from the school over a bully. I highly recommend this book to middle/high schoolers, especially those who have been bullied. I felt a very close and personal connection to Haley and the story, and know that if I had read this while going through this situation, the book would’ve really helped me.
The characters help and teach Haley some important lessons that I think everyone who was in this situation should know. And like everybody, at some point, we added to the bullying, either intentionally or unintentionally (for example, spreading a simple rumor). This book shows the damage to a person over something we think is so harmless.
The characters help and teach Haley some important lessons that I think everyone who was in this situation should know. And like everybody, at some point, we added to the bullying, either intentionally or unintentionally (for example, spreading a simple rumor). This book shows the damage to a person over something we think is so harmless.
January 24, 2015
To start this off, as soon as I finished this book in 9th grade, I threw it where it belonged (it was a copy I owned)... in the GARBAGE. This was the worst book I've ever read in my life. The most obvious issue with the book is that you get a serious situation with some teenage girls thrown at you, not knowing who in the entire world these people are or how this conflict started. Why were these girls bullying her? Other than being "popular", who are they? Who is Haley Patterson? What in the fudge was going on the entire school year (if my memory is correct, this book doesn't start in the beginning of the year)? As the chapters go on, you still have yet to have a full idea of who any of these people are. The grammar is so poor, it didn't even look like it was reviewed or edited. The book was ENTIRELY too fast-paced. These events should have been explained in more than a measly 272 pages (a better background of who Haley Patterson is, details of why she's being bulled/has been bullied, backgrounds of her issues with the bullies, etc). The romance is written horribly. At no point in this book did I feel Haley's, or the love interest's for that matter, feelings were genuine. Not only did it happen entirely too fast, but it just didn't have any feeling behind it. It was completely and utterly unrealistic in every aspect. The ending where Camilla "just so happened" to be at the mountain resort and was forcing Haley to "face her fear" really didn't make any sense to me (at the time I myself was a freshman in high school, so I honestly should have been able to understand). Were we supposed to know this whole time (throughout the book) what her fear was vs finding out at the end? If so, wouldn't that further back up what I said about the book needing to be longer (since the fear could've been added in the high school portion that should've been there)? The whole situation was stupid.
All in all, this book just happened way TOO FAST! It was as if Love was trying her darnedest to squeeze all of these IMPORTANT and SERIOUS events into an extremely small book that, might I add, was rightfully meant to be bigger.
Honestly, if the book was stretched out enough to give all of these events time to breath and happen, it would've been a lot better. I wouldn't have given it 1 star, or thrown it away.
All in all, this book just happened way TOO FAST! It was as if Love was trying her darnedest to squeeze all of these IMPORTANT and SERIOUS events into an extremely small book that, might I add, was rightfully meant to be bigger.
Honestly, if the book was stretched out enough to give all of these events time to breath and happen, it would've been a lot better. I wouldn't have given it 1 star, or thrown it away.
November 16, 2012
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!
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!
June 13, 2011
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book about facing your fears and learning to trust again. I really only picked it up because it was on my reading list and it was really only on my reading list because I had compiled a list of books which were nominated for the same award as The Hunger Games. And since it’s impossible to top The Hunger Games, I’m trying to read all the books on that list (with the exception of some that I know I’m not into that kind of story). This one was definitely a good book, although I’m not sure how you can compare such different books as this and The Hunger Games.
Pretty much the plot goes like this: Haley was doing fine in school. She was on the newspaper team and was maybe going to get her own column. She had two best friends and life was just fine. Then the evil queen bee of the school, Camilla, gets mad at her and sets the whole school, including her two friends, against her. Haley begins to think everyone is out to get her, and doesn’t trust anyone. Then she goes to her aunt’s for the summer and ends up working at a resort. There she meets lots of new people, some nice, some confident, some boring, and some mean. But through it all she learns that she can be confident and not let others push her around.
I enjoyed Haley’s journey of self-discovery. The characters are all marvelous. Even the side characters show different sides to themselves, and so as the reader you feel you know all of them pretty well.
Basically this made me want to work at a resort this summer.
Rating: 7/10 – Enjoyable, a good summer read, but nothing spectacular.
Content Warnings: Kissing, some language.
Pretty much the plot goes like this: Haley was doing fine in school. She was on the newspaper team and was maybe going to get her own column. She had two best friends and life was just fine. Then the evil queen bee of the school, Camilla, gets mad at her and sets the whole school, including her two friends, against her. Haley begins to think everyone is out to get her, and doesn’t trust anyone. Then she goes to her aunt’s for the summer and ends up working at a resort. There she meets lots of new people, some nice, some confident, some boring, and some mean. But through it all she learns that she can be confident and not let others push her around.
I enjoyed Haley’s journey of self-discovery. The characters are all marvelous. Even the side characters show different sides to themselves, and so as the reader you feel you know all of them pretty well.
Basically this made me want to work at a resort this summer.
Rating: 7/10 – Enjoyable, a good summer read, but nothing spectacular.
Content Warnings: Kissing, some language.
July 2, 2008
Okay stop me if this sounds familiar: troubled girl goes to small town to recover from some sort of trauma. There she lives with her eccentric grandmother/aunt/family friend, finds a cute, off-beat boy who really appreciates her for what she is and finds her place in the world. Home she goes to deal with her problem--or she settles into a new life in the small town. The end.
Read this book before?
Well, if you're a YA or Children's librarian, or someone who reads lots of YA books , it should. This is the same basic plot that zillions of YA books are based on. And this one pulls at that same tired old plot, complete with all the cliches.
Fortunately, this book does have something going for it. Its heroine's situation is that she is being bullied--and I am not talking about the nyah-nyah sort of schoolyard bullying, but the nastiest kind, the sort that has driven teens over the edge. There are kids out there who haven't been reading books like this for the last 20 years--kids who will read this and understand what Haley is going through. For them this book will be fresh and new. They may even read the "After School Special" like afterward that urges them to get help, and go out and seek assistance.
And because of that, this book IS worth it.
Read this book before?
Well, if you're a YA or Children's librarian, or someone who reads lots of YA books , it should. This is the same basic plot that zillions of YA books are based on. And this one pulls at that same tired old plot, complete with all the cliches.
Fortunately, this book does have something going for it. Its heroine's situation is that she is being bullied--and I am not talking about the nyah-nyah sort of schoolyard bullying, but the nastiest kind, the sort that has driven teens over the edge. There are kids out there who haven't been reading books like this for the last 20 years--kids who will read this and understand what Haley is going through. For them this book will be fresh and new. They may even read the "After School Special" like afterward that urges them to get help, and go out and seek assistance.
And because of that, this book IS worth it.
February 8, 2016
Haley Patterson makes the mistake of turning down an invitation to a party being thrown by the most popular girl in school, Camilla Quinn. From that point on, she is a victim. Camilla steals her friends, gives her the name "Haley the Ho", covers her locker with condoms, and finally sends her a vicious email urging her to kill herself. Abandoned by her friends and afraid to tell her parents, it's all she can do to survive the school year. Her parents send her to Copper Ridge to stay with her aunt while they are travelig over the summer. There she tries to not think about the upcoming school year and gradually rebuilds her self-esteem. She makes new friends and has not one but two romantic interests. Finally, she opens up about what happened last school year to her aunt and her friends. She has to decide what she's going to do about it.
March 10, 2016
I remember the 1st day I read this book...I don't remember the day exactly, but I remember that I loved it and couldn't stop reading. But, this wasn't any can't-put-down read...this way something special.
I loved the title...and I loved the characters and the plots.
The bad girl was really a bad girl and got what she deserved but, she was also a REAL villian.
The heroine was a real one...although she was saved by several people, she saved herself in the end which made me smile.
This book made me smile, made me pump my fist into the air, and made me cry...it was awesome. I recommend this to ANYONE--whether they are bullied or not.
I loved the title...and I loved the characters and the plots.
The bad girl was really a bad girl and got what she deserved but, she was also a REAL villian.
The heroine was a real one...although she was saved by several people, she saved herself in the end which made me smile.
This book made me smile, made me pump my fist into the air, and made me cry...it was awesome. I recommend this to ANYONE--whether they are bullied or not.
August 4, 2012
Honestly I didn't want to read this at first but my cousin convinced me that I should read it and that I wouldn't regret well she was right I loved
I thought this would a boring depressing story about bullying and awareness and how to stop it and it would just end up with the main character winning the fight or so but it wasn't like that at all it was a lot more interesting and fun too read I loved every part of the book it wasn't one bit boring I struggled to leave the book and I didn't want the book to end at all.
I am thankful to my cousin for convincing me
I love you Samar <3
I thought this would a boring depressing story about bullying and awareness and how to stop it and it would just end up with the main character winning the fight or so but it wasn't like that at all it was a lot more interesting and fun too read I loved every part of the book it wasn't one bit boring I struggled to leave the book and I didn't want the book to end at all.
I am thankful to my cousin for convincing me
I love you Samar <3
September 8, 2014
This book was amazing. One reason why this because the tones in this book really made me want to keep reading and see if the tone would change throughout the book. Which the tone did change throughout this book. In the beginning of the book I felt like the tone was happy because school was almost over with. At the end of the book I felt like the tone was angry because she just got away for the summer and the bully from school had to go where she was away for summer. If I were Haley I would have been angry too.
Read
January 2, 2011Haley Patterson's work on the school newspaper draws the evil attention of superdiva Camilla. Haley suffers in silence as her friends fall away and Camilla torments here. Wounded, Haley escapes to a her aunt's for the summer. Her new friends show her how to weather relationships storms - male and female - and stand up for herself.
An excellent young adult read, especially for anyone dealing with bullying.
An excellent young adult read, especially for anyone dealing with bullying.
Read
November 28, 2011This book is very interesting.It all about the girl name Haley Patterson. Haley was a freshman in high school,when two of her best friends abandoned her friendship because of the girl name camilla.Camilla was the superdiva in high school.She hated Haley because she think haley wrote about her during her newapaper project reporter.If you read this book,you with get to understand everything about this book.
November 7, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I think this would be a good book to read if you have been bullied or are going through bullying. It is a about a young girl who is in the school newspaper, she gets the opportunity to be the gossip column and she writes something that her other classmates did not like. Because of this she starts to get bullied by the mean girl of the school. She goes away for the summer animist people that help her with what she is going through.
July 7, 2008
I thought that this was a fantastic book. The author did a great job of illustrating how much impact a bully has on someone's life. She also did a great job of showing how, even though it may be hard, it is possible to recover and overcome a bully with the support of friends and family. Overall, a really good read.
January 28, 2009
Defying the Diva is definitely an "issue" book. Hally is brutally bullied (verbally) by the diva of her school, but over the course of a summer, learns to stand up for herself.
It's predictable, it pulls no punches about bullying, but it's enjoyable enough. Still, I'd recommend "Evolution Me and Other Freaks of Nature" for a better bullying book.
It's predictable, it pulls no punches about bullying, but it's enjoyable enough. Still, I'd recommend "Evolution Me and Other Freaks of Nature" for a better bullying book.
Read
July 25, 2011A good story that teens need to hear, but I think the author could have been more assertive with her message. I'm also concerned that Haley threw herself into the arms of too many guys. So . . . if it doesn't work out with our friends, a guy will save you?? This book needs a stronger message for teen girls.
Read
November 9, 2008I learned that girls and boys in high school can be vicious to one another. I also learned that bullying can be hidden from parents and other adults and can often have tragic consequences. Sometimes the one being bullied can triumph.
March 30, 2011
I absolutely adored this book. It contains a wonderful message about standing up to bullies...and listening to your friends when they tell you that smokin' sexy lifeguard is nothing but trouble. ;)
I can't wait to read more by this author.
I can't wait to read more by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2011
I liked this a lot, but it felt like it kind of built up to nothing. I was expecting some big showdown with the mean girl, but it was over in, like, 2 sentences. It was kind of cute, though, so I'm willing to give it 3 stars, but barely.
Want to read
August 11, 2008Released March 2008
November 6, 2008
a great book, really emotional and awesome
November 26, 2008
:D 4.5
July 8, 2009
too girly
Read
January 5, 2010Good book about overcoming girl bullies.
June 8, 2010
This is on our high school's summer reading list. It is a quick read and pretty good treatment of dealing with bullies. I recommend it for jr high and young high school ages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews