Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

Publication Date: 1-31-12

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304

Format: e-book
Source: netGalley

Challenge: Ebook Challenge

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Goodreads Summary:

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

 

The synopsis is what intrigued me about this book and of course the GORGEOUS cover! 

The book starts off with the New Girl arriving at this new school, Manderly Academy.  She is thousands of miles away from her family and friends, but looking for a fresh new start.  A start she isn’t going to find at Manderly Academy.  New Girl is at the academy because Becca Normandy disappeared.  She took Becca’s open spot at the school, but is nothing like Becca.  There isn’t a single person at the school who doesn’t make sure that she knows this.  Well, I take that back.  There are two people who seem like they actually might care about who she is rather than how much she doesn’t compare to Becca.

I didn’t like any other character in this book.  I hated the way they treated the New Girl.  I hated the way they were so mean and rather than accepting her they kept accusing her of trying to be like Becca, but being unable to compare.  They hated her before even getting to know her at all.  The New Girl kept her head up and was able to keep it together while at school.  Personally, I would have given up and just went back home.  I can’t imagine going through what New Girl went through.  She was put through so much that she didn’t deserve, but it was here perseverance that helped unravel the mystery surrounding Becca.  I was hooked at trying to figure out what happened to Becca.  We slowly learned more about her and eventually discovered what happened to her, but it was the mystery that kept me reading.  The strange part of the book was being unaware of what our main character’s name was.  She was referred to as New Girl until practically the very end of the book.

Overall, this was a novel that held my interest due to the mystery surrounding Becca’s disappearance.  I was intrigued by the storyline and kept engaged throughout the book.  It was unrealistic that an entire school would choose to hate a new student based upon the premise that she was taking the place of a student who disappeared, but the writing was good and the story was interesting.