Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Chronicle Books (2017), Edition: Illustrated, 416 pages
Description
Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. Piper Perish inhales air and exhales art. The sooner she and her best friends can get out of Houston and get to New York City, the better. Art school has been Piper's dream her whole life, and now that senior year is halfway over, she's never felt more ready. But in the final months before graduation, things are weird with her friends and stressful with three different guys, and Piper's sister's tyrannical mental state seems to thwart every attempt at happiness for the close-knit Perish family. Piper's art just might be enough to get her out. But is she brave enough to seize that power when it means giving up so much? Debut author Kayla Cagan breathes new life into fiction in this dynamic, utterly authentic work featuring interior art from Rookie magazine illustrator Maria Ines Gul. Piper will have readers asking big questions along with her. What is love? What is friendship? What is family? What is home? And who is a person when she's missing any one of these things?… (more)
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
416 p.; 9.5 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Piper lives in Texas, but can't wait to leave. Accepted to a very exclusive art school in New York City, she can't wait for her horrible senior year of high school to end. As things go from bad to worse with her friends, her family, and her relationships, she relies more and more on her escape -
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which her fmaily may not e able to afford. Show Less
LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
I adore Piper Perish! She is a high school senior who dreams of leaving her life in Houston, Texas, with her two best friends to follow their dreams at a prestigious school in New York City. However, best friend Kit is not accepted to this school, causing her to change her dreams for her future.
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Piper’s other best friend, sometimes boyfriend Enzo, also changes his plans for very different reasons. All of these changes put strains on their relationships with each other, and with their respective families. Piper also has to make changes in her plans for the future, mainly caused by her older sister dropping out of college because she is pregnant and has moved home, adding to the family’s financial woes. Does Piper quit? Does she give up her dreams? Or do fate, talent and hard work have other plans for her? This is why I adore characters like Piper – they have what it takes! This is a great book for high school students. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mommagoose09
Something different from the norm of teen angst book-which I at first thought it was going to be. I like the stream of consciousness writing style...the true workings of Piper's mind. I feel I was also more able to relate to the character because of the artist view point.
LibraryThing member RavenNight
I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
"Maybe we're two lines that are too close to each other. Maybe we bring out the darkness in each other."
Okay... I wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted too. I tried so hard to enjoy this book. But I just couldn't. The
I'll try to start positive and share something I did like. I enjoyed the end. Like the last 20 pages, maybe. I liked that things resolved themselves between Piper and Marli, even if the scene wasn't that great. And I liked that Piper was able to get her dream and meet Silas.
Okay time for the things I didn't like. First off, Piper. Well, more like most of the characters actually. None of them were believable! Piper was a whiny brat. She made everything about her, and when things didn't go her way, she was not having it. She couldn't even be grateful that her parents tried to get her into a school they would never be able to afford. And the tears. Oh my god, the tears. Someone didn't like her art, the tears started flowing. Everything made her cry. And when Enzo realized he was gay, she thought maybe he still wanted her and that she had "made him gay" with her short hair. What? Speaking of Enzo, I could not grasp why he was constantly trying to kiss her when things went wrong with Philip. It just never made sense and seemed super forced. Kit was okay, but she was a bit flat. And what kind of friend reads a review of art and just takes off, leaving her best friend behind? And Marli just seemed so fake. She didn't seem human. It was as if she was this being created by the author simply to cause problems and be nothing more than that. Her relationship with Piper was so unrealistic, I just couldn't stand it.
The style of writing was also not for me. I typically love diary type novels, but this just felt weird. There were too many specifics for it to seem like a diary. Also, switching between quotes and a name paired with a colon bugger me. I wish it had been settled on one. It made it difficult to follow conversations. The way it was written, however, felt more like it was being told in the moment and not as a diary entry.
Andy Warhol. Okay. I get that some people really love certain artists. Many people obsess over celebrities they love. But does anyone obsess over someone as much as Piper obsesses over Andy? Everything she did, she tried to compare to him. She tried to look like him, do things like he would, always related everything back to him. It was like she didn't want ti be herself and be her own artist. She wanted to BE Andy. It started off fine, but after a whole 400 pages of "Andy this..." and "Andy that..." I kind of never want to hear that name again.
Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but it sure wasn't what I thought it would be.
"Maybe we're two lines that are too close to each other. Maybe we bring out the darkness in each other."
Okay... I wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted too. I tried so hard to enjoy this book. But I just couldn't. The
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cover was beautiful and the description was amazing. But the book itself just dragged. It was so disappointing.I'll try to start positive and share something I did like. I enjoyed the end. Like the last 20 pages, maybe. I liked that things resolved themselves between Piper and Marli, even if the scene wasn't that great. And I liked that Piper was able to get her dream and meet Silas.
Okay time for the things I didn't like. First off, Piper. Well, more like most of the characters actually. None of them were believable! Piper was a whiny brat. She made everything about her, and when things didn't go her way, she was not having it. She couldn't even be grateful that her parents tried to get her into a school they would never be able to afford. And the tears. Oh my god, the tears. Someone didn't like her art, the tears started flowing. Everything made her cry. And when Enzo realized he was gay, she thought maybe he still wanted her and that she had "made him gay" with her short hair. What? Speaking of Enzo, I could not grasp why he was constantly trying to kiss her when things went wrong with Philip. It just never made sense and seemed super forced. Kit was okay, but she was a bit flat. And what kind of friend reads a review of art and just takes off, leaving her best friend behind? And Marli just seemed so fake. She didn't seem human. It was as if she was this being created by the author simply to cause problems and be nothing more than that. Her relationship with Piper was so unrealistic, I just couldn't stand it.
The style of writing was also not for me. I typically love diary type novels, but this just felt weird. There were too many specifics for it to seem like a diary. Also, switching between quotes and a name paired with a colon bugger me. I wish it had been settled on one. It made it difficult to follow conversations. The way it was written, however, felt more like it was being told in the moment and not as a diary entry.
Andy Warhol. Okay. I get that some people really love certain artists. Many people obsess over celebrities they love. But does anyone obsess over someone as much as Piper obsesses over Andy? Everything she did, she tried to compare to him. She tried to look like him, do things like he would, always related everything back to him. It was like she didn't want ti be herself and be her own artist. She wanted to BE Andy. It started off fine, but after a whole 400 pages of "Andy this..." and "Andy that..." I kind of never want to hear that name again.
Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but it sure wasn't what I thought it would be.
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LibraryThing member jenreidreads
Piper is a high school senior and an artist, with dreams of moving to New York after graduation and living like her idol, Andy Warhol. Her best friends, Enzo and Kit, are artistic as well, and they have grand plans for the three of them to attend art school in NY together. When their relationships
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hit snags and plans change, Piper learns how to be more independent. The most challenging relationship in Piper's life is that with her older sister, Marli - a pregnant, college dropout with a personality disorder. Because of Marli, Piper feels it's extra imperative she leave after graduation, but her parents are really struggling financially between the needs of their two daughters. Written as Piper's diary, including plenty of sketches, this book reads very quickly. The ending is a little over-the-top happy and rather predictable, but it did add to the overall feel-good-ness of the novel. Piper has a good relationship with her parents, likes school (especially her art teacher), and while there's drinking and sex, there's a refreshing lack of teen angst found in many YA novels. I got a very Stephanie Perkins sort of vibe while reading this. Recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member aburger222
I'm gonna be completly honest about this book! At first it was really hard to get into but I kept to it and read on. It was hard to figure out who was who and what was going on. By the time I got to the middle of the book I had put it down and haven't picked it back up in a week. I found myself in
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the library today checking out different books and that's when I realized that I probably wont pick up Piper Perish again for a few months then I will pick it up and read a few chapters (or in this case a few diary entries) before putting it down again. I gave the book 2 stars because it's a good read just not for me. I will finish the book eventually and when I do I will add more to my review. Show Less
LibraryThing member MelTorq
I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
Piper Parish is a senior in high school, on the brink of her entire life changing. Hopefully beginning with a move to NYC to study art.
Simply put, I have mixed feelings about this book. At the most basic level, I wish the
Despite all of this, I found myself routing for Piper to get out of Texas. I wanted her to succeed. My favorite part of this book was the author's treatment of class and cost of college. It's a relatable story line for many young people today, and Kayla Cagan definitely leaves the reader with a feeling of hope.
Piper Parish is a senior in high school, on the brink of her entire life changing. Hopefully beginning with a move to NYC to study art.
Simply put, I have mixed feelings about this book. At the most basic level, I wish the
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publisher had focused more on the art in the book, specifically publishing the images in color. One a quick flip through the published hardcover, the images remain in black a white. I think the art could have been much more powerful had they been in color. Generally, I found almost none of the characters likable, at times including Piper her self. The most "dis-likable" character for me was her sister, Marli. Her entire plot line read as unrealistic, as well as a damaging and harmful portrayal of mental health. There is also something about the treatment of Piper's ex-boyfriend/friend, Enzo, rubbed me the wrong way.Despite all of this, I found myself routing for Piper to get out of Texas. I wanted her to succeed. My favorite part of this book was the author's treatment of class and cost of college. It's a relatable story line for many young people today, and Kayla Cagan definitely leaves the reader with a feeling of hope.
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LibraryThing member SaschaD
3 1/2 stars
I’ve got to admit that I am all over the place regarding Kayla Cagan’s Piper Perish. For the most part, I enjoyed the story of Piper who aspires to be the next Andy Warhol. She sounds like a typical high school student, although a very talented one, dreaming of a perfect future.
The
Probably my biggest hangup was with the character of Piper. For the most part she seemed like a typical teen, but then she could be a brat and horribly spoiled and self-involved. (Hopefully these aren’t the current trends for typical teens.) She seemed oblivious to her own behavior. Likewise, her sister, Marli, has issues, extreme anger management issues, which grow worse. At points I thought: the parents really, really spoiled these two.
I have little enjoyment in reading about whiny, self-absorbed, spoiled teens so I was always happy when the scene would change and those nail-on-chalkboard traits disappeared.
Cagan does, however, do a good job of showing the confusion of being a teen.
The last quarter of the novel unleashes a bit of a fairy tale, which almost seemed like it might pave the way for an Act II. If there is one, I hope the characters are a bit more fully realized. Also, I hope to see a lot of Silas who seemed like a good guy despite having “judgy” parents.
So, where does that leave us? Piper Perish held my interest throughout, even when I was grinding my teeth over Piper’s behavior. The writing shows an authentic style. While it didn’t live up to my original expectations, I still think it’s a pretty good novel probably of more interest to the readers of ya fiction who like books with an artsy-fartsy feel.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve got to admit that I am all over the place regarding Kayla Cagan’s Piper Perish. For the most part, I enjoyed the story of Piper who aspires to be the next Andy Warhol. She sounds like a typical high school student, although a very talented one, dreaming of a perfect future.
The
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novel is written in diary form, but breaks that at times to include emails, etc. As such, the style is very conversational.Probably my biggest hangup was with the character of Piper. For the most part she seemed like a typical teen, but then she could be a brat and horribly spoiled and self-involved. (Hopefully these aren’t the current trends for typical teens.) She seemed oblivious to her own behavior. Likewise, her sister, Marli, has issues, extreme anger management issues, which grow worse. At points I thought: the parents really, really spoiled these two.
I have little enjoyment in reading about whiny, self-absorbed, spoiled teens so I was always happy when the scene would change and those nail-on-chalkboard traits disappeared.
Cagan does, however, do a good job of showing the confusion of being a teen.
The last quarter of the novel unleashes a bit of a fairy tale, which almost seemed like it might pave the way for an Act II. If there is one, I hope the characters are a bit more fully realized. Also, I hope to see a lot of Silas who seemed like a good guy despite having “judgy” parents.
So, where does that leave us? Piper Perish held my interest throughout, even when I was grinding my teeth over Piper’s behavior. The writing shows an authentic style. While it didn’t live up to my original expectations, I still think it’s a pretty good novel probably of more interest to the readers of ya fiction who like books with an artsy-fartsy feel.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member olegalCA
First part of the book was very addicting but unfortunately, the ending got a bit crazy. Still, not bad for a debut.
LibraryThing member KWadyko
ARC for consideration and review.
I love this book!!
The family dysfunction, the friendships, the bf/gf relationships, THE ART, the terror of not knowing what's next...totally relatable, but at the same time unique.
Well done, Kayla!
I love this book!!
The family dysfunction, the friendships, the bf/gf relationships, THE ART, the terror of not knowing what's next...totally relatable, but at the same time unique.
Well done, Kayla!
LibraryThing member BillieBook
With the exceptions of Kit and Phillip (and maybe Silas, though he was just an e-mail presence), I pretty much hated all of the characters. I should have stopped reading as soon as I realized this, but kept hoping something would happen that would redeem someone, even if it wasn't Piper herself.
ETA: I got to thinking more about this book and I don't like it any better with some distance, but in retrospect, I realized that this book just felt more 1986 than 2016. There were occasional uses of modern technology that were sorta-kinda crucial to the plot, but the Warhol, the thrift shopping, the gay boyfriend—all felt like elements from the high school life of an 80s teen. If the author could find a way to set the novel in 1986, it would, oddly enough, feel fresher. (It still wouldn't make the characters likable, but it would make the whole Warhol obsession less annoying.)
Or, oh gods, is this some kind of 80s retro thing? Am I now old enough that my teen years are the latest retro trend? (Please say "no", even if you have to lie to do so.)
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And, while I appreciate Andy Warhol, Piper's obsession with him was really, really annoying and pretentious and the whole book was pretty much just...ugh.ETA: I got to thinking more about this book and I don't like it any better with some distance, but in retrospect, I realized that this book just felt more 1986 than 2016. There were occasional uses of modern technology that were sorta-kinda crucial to the plot, but the Warhol, the thrift shopping, the gay boyfriend—all felt like elements from the high school life of an 80s teen. If the author could find a way to set the novel in 1986, it would, oddly enough, feel fresher. (It still wouldn't make the characters likable, but it would make the whole Warhol obsession less annoying.)
Or, oh gods, is this some kind of 80s retro thing? Am I now old enough that my teen years are the latest retro trend? (Please say "no", even if you have to lie to do so.)
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LibraryThing member GRgenius
Prepare for the creative genius that is PIPER PERISH (both book one AND the girl)...and friends! Once upon a time, every artist had to start SOMEWHERE. Whether their preferred outlet is paint, sculpture, video, music, fashion, jewelry, or any of the many other forms of artistic expression out
**copy received for review
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there, they all started with a dream, a desire, a talent that needed molding, cultivating, and exposure. Don't tell that to Piper, Kit, and Enzo because honey, they already know! High schoolers or not, they have the talent, know what they want, and (mostly) how to get it...if only the world would cooperate and stop with the proverbial monkey wrenches. Those wrenches present themselves in numerous ways from college acceptance gauntlets to relationship drama, friendships turned competitions to familial battles, and everything in between. The work-throughs are colorful, vibrant, and powerful with long lasting repercussions carried forward for better or worse. Piper's all so certain future turns into a big fat question mark as her friends and family fall into various shards of sharp beauty around her. With her artistic inspiration firmly in grasp, and a twist of her creative mind in a new direction, it doesn't mean that her journey is at an end...just perhaps an unexpected beginning...**copy received for review
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LibraryThing member standhenry
Piper Perish is a microscopic look into the life of a high school senior who expresses herself with art. She often relates to the sayings of Andy Warhol as she navigates a gay boyfriend, a mean sister, family finances, and the uncertainties of the future. Chapters are broken down into months/days
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and I often had to flip back to see which day it was or how much time had elapsed since the last diary-like entry. The Young Adult book is about figuring out relationships with friends and family, as well as finding out your own place in the world. I would be interested in reading the next chapter in Piper's life now that she is out of high school. Show Less
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Pages
416