Book Review: New Girl

Author: Paige Harbison
Title: New Girl
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: January 31, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: Welcome to Manderley Academy

I hadn't wanted to go, but my parents were so excited…. So here I am, the new girl at Manderley, a true fish out of water. But mine's not the name on everyone's lips. Oh, no.

It's Becca Normandy they can't stop talking about. Perfect, beautiful Becca. She went missing at the end of last year, leaving a spot open at Manderley—the spot that I got. And everyone acts like it's my fault that infallible, beloved Becca is gone and has been replaced by not perfect, completely fallible, unknown Me.

Then, there's the name on my lips—Max Holloway. Becca's ex. The one boy I should avoid, but can't. Thing is, it seems like he wants me, too. But the memory of Becca is always between us. And as much as I'm starting to like it at Manderley, I can't help but think she's out there, somewhere, watching me take her place.

Waiting to take it back.

Review: This was an interested plot for a YA novel. It reads like an old gothic novel, yet it is set in the present day.

I liked the book but in the same time I was disturbed by it.

Likes:

1. The plot moves along quickly and it kept me interested.

2. I really liked "The New Girl" though I have to say it made no sense that Paige didn't give her an actual name until the end. WTF is up with that?

3. There can never be too many gothic novels. They are always so fun, cheesy and over dramatic, and let's face facts here, just about everything in this book is dramatic.

4. The  Max/Johnny/Becca/New Girl/Max/Johnny thing is really interesting. Actually the whole way Paige writes the "New Girl" stepping into Becca's life is really interesting.

5. Dana is super creepy as a roommate!

6. The ending was not at all what I expected.

There's a lot about this book that left me clueless. I realized that it is a retelling of Rebecca in a modern setting, but not being up on the classics I can't make any complaints there. However....

Dislikes:

1. OMG Becca was a huge slut and I can't figure out for the life of me how she managed to wrap everyone around her little finger. She was a Bitch, with a capital B.

2. The love triangle thing, in her instance just didn't work because neither guy really liked her. They both liked having sex with her!

3. OMG lots of sex, or rather implied sex in a YA novel as well as a whole bunch of drunken rich kids at a boarding school.

4. I'm not sure I bought into everyone thinking Becca was so awesome and other than the fact she was a slut with a mental disorder, it was really hard to figure out why anyone would want her!

All in all, this was a middle of the road read for me. It was fun, but Becca was a problem for me, because she was so intensely unlikable.





Rating: 3 flowers