New Girl

by Paige Harbison

The Queen Bee's missing. Will you be next?

It's hard fitting in as the new girl among the rich elite at Manderley Academy especially when you're assigned to the old room of the perfect, popular Becca - who's disappeared. Everyone acts like it's your fault - and you can't leave the mystery alone. What really happened to Becca? And what other sinister secrets have been kept hidden in the school's dark hallways?

Learning to survive Manderley's cut-throat social scene, you can't help but follow in Becca's footsteps, even falling for Max, the boy she left behind. Although sometimes it seems that Becca's still out there, watching you take her place. Waiting to take it back...

Praise for Paige Harbison

'For fans of Gossip Girl' - Teen Vogue on Here Lies Bridget

'What's so engaging about Here Lies Bridget is its honest insight into Bridget's self-perception... A solid and intriguing read' - Los Angeles Times 'Here Lies Bridget is a fun, sweet, cruel and wonderfully delightful story that is part Mean Girls and part A Christmas Carol' - Fiktshun blog

• ISBN10: 0373210426
• ISBN13: 9780373210428
• Publish Date: 31 January 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Harlequin Teen
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 314
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber]

After 99%, we're finally told the new girl's name. XD

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Review here: http://www.booksofamber.com/2012/02/new-girl-by-paige-harbison.html

New Girl is a modern retelling of Rebecca. I've never read Rebecca, and I honestly have no clue what it is about so I won't be commenting on how well this book works as a retelling or how effective it is.

New Girl is told from two points of view - New Girl who moves to the boarding school in the present day, and Becca, who was the new girl the previous year and who has now disappeared. The stories tie together in different timelines, but it works very well. For example, New Girl goes to a party, and then we switch to Becca's point of view while she's at a party on the same day a year previously. I hope that makes sense!

We don't find out New Girl's real name until the very end of the novel, which I found both frustrating and intriguing. I feel it added to the character of New Girl, as she was constantly being compared with Becca, and was only referred to as New Girl which suggests that the other characters don't see her for who she really is.

New Girl was a bit of a prat at times. During some scenes I was applauding her for sticking up for herself when someone bullied her, but then in other scenes she failed to do so and as a result she put up with a lot. I kept expecting her to snap, but she didn't. I did like her character, but she was pretty bland in comparison to Becca. I hate saying that, because it makes me feel as though I'm in the same league as the other characters, but that's just how I felt.

Becca, on the other hand, was a character I absolutely loved! I tend to enjoy reading about the bitchy, manipulative characters more than the good, sweet ones, and Becca fits this bill perfectly. I loved her. She was so conniving and manipulative, and you do find out why. There's a reason she's does what she does, and her background really did make me feel for her. She was well developed and felt authentic, much more so than New Girl.

The other characters I really liked were Jonathan, Dana and Blake. At least, I think her name was Blake. Oops.

Max and New Girl's relationship didn't really have any foundations, in my opinion. Max was nice enough, but pretty dull for a love interest. I much preferred Jonathan (mentioned above). There was no chemistry between the two of them to give their relationship that spark.

I really liked the mystery in the novel. I was intrigued by it all, and I found myself anxious to find out what happened to Becca. Was it all one of her games, or had she really been murdered?

Paige Harbison has a gripping writing style, and because of this I will be checking out more of her works. New Girl was just enjoyable enough for me, but the main protagonist wasn't one that will stick with me and be remembered. Becca, on the other hand, just might.