This was just okay. It read very young which is okay but it was cheesy. It just fell flat at the end of the day.

I have mixed feelings about this.

The plot is really interesting but it could be more fast-paced, Sometimes it felt kind of flat, rushed and just put together.

I truly enjoyed this series, the first book was better in my opinion but it is a good end to this series.

“She’s a liar. A cheater. A murderer. And it’s only her first semester.”

Lia Setiawan, sophomore in high school, arrives at Draycott Academy on a track scholarship. Surrounded by her way-too-rich-for-their-own-good peers, she feels wildly out of place. And everything there just feels… off. Lia works to uncover the dark secrets of Draycott, while dodging every threat that tries to stop her.

I wanted so badly to love The New Girl. The premise of this book had me hooked… but, sadly, it fell flat for me. I feel as though the summary for this book on Goodreads gives MAJOR spoilers. I was able to guess the “twist” at the end after about the first four chapters, which was a bummer.

The pacing made parts of this book feel forced. The beginning was slow, leaving the middle and end to feel rushed. The major events happen all at once and leave me with so many questions by the time the last page rolls around. I felt like the pacing could have been set up better in order to really sell the big twist and shock readers.

Something I loved about The New Girl was Lia’s inner dialogue! Hearing about her love for her Chinese-Indonesian cultural identity was the best part of this book. Hearing her talk herself through every situation made me enjoy the story more because, in my opinion, Lia is a likable character. She’s just a teen that has found herself in, truly, a series of unfortunate events.

Overall, I liked this book, but I simply wish I loved it more. If you enjoy YA mysteries, check The New Girl out when it’s published this upcoming February 2022!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a story that enters Lia who enrols in a school for the rich and elite where secrets are bound to be shared and the usage of drugs lead to implications. This book caught me off guard and entails so much more than it seems.

The premise is interesting but I think it can be paced better instead of making it barely anything happening to the characters then cramming everything altogether. It feels rushed and odd. I really am a huge fan of the author but this one hit it off for me.

I couldn't believe some of the events that happened and the culprit behind some of the most important scenes. It turned out to be the person I expected the least from and yes, the author truly has a way of sneaking in unnoticed and making an outcome that will definitely surprise you.

All in all, this may just be my least favourite book by the author so far but I'd still be very eager to read her other works, especially in the previous series that I really enjoyed, Dial A For Aunties and The Obsession. Unfortunately I cannot recommend you to read this one and will direct you to the books I mentioned before.

Lia is a fish out of water when she arrives at Draycott. It becomes clear her classmates are insanel y rich, privileged and possibly murderers! This story is about as far fetched as they come but it doesn’t stop it from being entertaining as Lia tries to Nancy Drew her way out her own mess and help the few new friends she has made. Definitely a book that requires suspension of disbelief but a fun read nonetheless.