Siobhan Vivian’s young-adult novel The List (2012) explores the social dynamics of high school through the perspectives of numerous teenage girls. The story is set at Mount Washington High, where an annual, anonymous list is posted naming the “prettiest” and “ugliest” girl in each grade. Inspired by real-life incidents of bullying involving lists, Vivian’s novel intensifies the stakes by including the “ugliest” category. The narrative follows the eight chosen girls over the course of one week as they navigate the immediate and lasting consequences of their new public labels, whether they’re celebrated, vilified, or simply trying to survive the fallout.

The novel’s structure, which cycles through the perspectives of all eight girls, reflects Vivian’s professional background as an editor for Alloy Entertainment, the book packager behind popular series like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. This multi-perspective approach allows for an exploration of the novel’s central themes, such as The Harmful Impact of Beauty as Social Currency, Objectification Shapes Self-Perception, and Internalized Misogyny Undermines Female Friendship. The List received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews and was named a Junior Library Guild Selection.

This guide refers to the 2014 Scholastic paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of emotional abuse, bullying, disordered eating, gender discrimination, substance use, and cursing.

Plot Summary

At Mount Washington High, an anonymous tradition dictates the social order. Every year on the Monday before homecoming, a list appears, naming the prettiest and ugliest girls from each grade. This year, the eight chosen girls’ lives are irrevocably altered. Freshman Abby Warner is thrilled to be named prettiest, though a note implying that her family is uglier than her stings, alluding to her less popular older sister, Fern. Fellow freshman Danielle DeMarco is dubbed ugliest and nicknamed “Dan the Man” (5), a label that wounds her despite the advice of her sophomore boyfriend, Andrew, to act unaffected. Candace Kincaid, a popular sophomore, is shocked to be named ugliest, with the list noting that beauty isn’t skin-deep; her friends quickly abandon her for the new prettiest sophomore, a formerly homeschooled girl named Lauren Finn. Junior Bridget Honeycutt, who secretly battles an eating disorder, sees her “prettiest” title as validation for her dangerous summer weight loss. In contrast, rebellious junior Sarah Singer embraces her “ugliest” label by writing the word “UGLY” on her own forehead in permanent marker. For the seniors, popular Margo Gable is named prettiest, as expected, while Jennifer Briggis becomes a school legend for being named ugliest for the fourth consecutive year, a title she now greets with a theatrical, celebratory performance.

As the week progresses, the girls’ lives unravel and intertwine. Abby’s joy sours when she fails Earth Science; after forging her mother’s signature on a progress report, she’s caught by Fern and grounded from the homecoming dance. Danielle earns a spot on the varsity swim team, but her success only fuels the “Dan the Man” mockery from Andrew’s friends. When Andrew fails to defend her and she discovers that he’s throwing a party he never invited her to, Danielle ends their relationship. Lauren becomes the new center of Candace’s old friend group, but her newfound social life alarms her protective mother, who discovers the list and decides to pull Lauren out of Mount Washington High altogether. Bridget, desperate to maintain her “prettiest” status, begins a dangerous liquid “cleanse” diet that worries her younger sister, Lisa, creating a rift between them. Ostracized and alone, Candace attempts to win back her friends by throwing a pre-homecoming party, unaware that they only plan to use her for the alcohol she has promised.

Meanwhile, the campaign for homecoming queen intensifies. Margo’s best friends, Rachel and Dana, take pity on Jennifer and start a “Vote Queen Jennifer” movement (151), which quickly gains school-wide traction. Margo, feeling betrayed and alienated, is further stressed by her painful history with Jennifer, who was once her best friend. Sarah escalates her protest by refusing to shower, bathe, or change her clothes all week, hoping to disrupt the dance with her foul odor. Her extreme behavior strains her budding romance with fellow outcast Milo Ishi and draws the attention of the new principal, Ms. Colby, who threatens her with suspension. Principal Colby further tries to combat the list and its effects, but the girls are resistant to her attempts to help, finding her out of touch with their actual needs or concerns. At a party at Margo’s house the night before the dance, a drunken Jennifer is caught snooping in Margo’s bedroom, deepening the animosity between them.

The mystery of the list’s authorship is shattered when Margo receives a phone call from her older sister, Maureen. Maureen confesses that she created the previous year’s list and, wracked with guilt, threw the official school embossing stamp—the tool used to authenticate the list—into the trash in front of Jennifer. Margo realizes that Jennifer retrieved the stamp and created this year’s list herself, naming Margo prettiest to frame her and naming herself ugliest to generate a wave of sympathy. Margo confronts Jennifer, who admits to everything, also confessing that she used to read Margo’s diary when they were friends. Jennifer blackmails Margo into silence, promising to surrender the stamp and end the tradition forever, but only after the homecoming queen is announced.

At the homecoming dance, the girls face the consequences of their week. Danielle arrives with her new, supportive swim-team friends, feeling confident without Andrew. Abby, grounded at home, has a heart-to-heart with Fern, who reveals that she was named ugliest sophomore the previous year; the sisters finally connect and reconcile. Lauren sneaks out of her house and attends Candace’s pre-party, where she gets extremely drunk. In a moment of compassion, Candace forgoes the dance to take care of Lauren. Sarah and Milo, after he convinces her to shower, decide to skip the dance and instead share a quiet, affirming moment on their favorite bench. Just before the homecoming court is announced, Principal Colby privately informs Jennifer that she has lost the election, allowing her to slip out of the gym unnoticed. Margo is crowned homecoming queen. As she stands on the stage, she feels the surprising weight of the cheap plastic tiara and understands that Jennifer has left without honoring their deal, leaving the future of the list and its tradition uncertain.