Sorry I DNFed this one. Loved the Obession and was excited to get this one, it just didn't keep me interested in the story.

Review of ‘The New Girl’, by Jesse Q. Sutanto

This boarding school story started interestingly enough, with Lia starting the year on a scholarship at an exclusive school for kids from very, very rich families. But this is definitely not your Enid Blyton boarding school. On account of their every whim being acquiesced to, there is just so much drama at this boarding school. Like, incredible, jaw-grinding amounts, especially in the first half of the book. And this review is being written by someone who is toughing through the last seasons of Riverdale just because I want to know how it all ends (and also because I love the acting and the outfits, but that’s a conversation for another day). It really felt too over the top at times; there is a line between making a point that there is a lot of drama in a school versus actually including way too much angst and drama into the pages of a book. I did find myself rolling my eyes many a times.

The second half of the book was focused on the unfolding of a mystery and its culmination into Lia having to literally run for her life. Her decisions are quite bad and get worse with time. She seems to be unable to learn from her mistakes and sinks into her rage. I guess this could be a lesson in the effects of a toxic school culture on anyone. And I guess it could be a good read, if the drama from the beginning of the book was cut at least by half, and replaced instead with some insightful commentary on the effects of this toxic culture on Lia and how she is going to be able to get through the year without it affecting her morals. The resolution was also a little troubling and I had a hard time wrapping my brain around it.

Publisher synopsis:

Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. When she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she's determined to make it work even though she's never felt more out of place. But on her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security. Her new schoolmates and teachers seem unfazed, but it leaves her unsure of what she's gotten herself into. As she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn't what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she's not sure if she can trust anyone--especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn.

Review: I really wanted to like this book - I love a good school story and a bit of mystery. This one felt like it a bit too much for me and I didn't really connect to Lia - I don't connect to the sporty side of characters. I did enjoy the diversity and representation in this book but overall fell flat for me. 3/5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my free digital copy.

Wow! I am obsessed, this was thrilling and page turning. I loved the pace and the characters which were well rounded and felt real!

I love a good YA thriller and this was exactly that. The characters were well written and the plot moved quickly. I also love dark academia so this book checked all my boxes!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Fantastic mystery with a nice twist. I have loved every single book I have read from Jesse and will continue to read everything she ever creates. Her characters are her strongest part and I am here for every single one.

A murder mystery that starts when a girl starts a new elite school on a track scholarship. Great mystery that keeps you on your toes. Deals a lot with stereotypes and profiling. I was frustrated that the rich kids did not really have consequences for their actions.

In terms of rating, I debated for awhile between two or three stars, and ultimately went with three. This was a really quick read, as the writing was easy to get through and the pacing of events was pretty fast. The problems that I had with it were more that the plot was completely unbelievable, the characters didn’t really stand out, and the story is ultimately forgettable.

This was an over-the-top YA private school thriller. Everything felt a bit dramatic and was essentially a series of farcically bad decisions. The first half was actually good and Jesse tapped into the social anxiety that comes with being the 'new person' incredibly well. However, all the characters felt overly exaggerated (i.e. the super villainous mean girl, the innocent and overly trusting new girl, the doting golden boy.) It was about the midway point when something occurs and it seemed the book went downhill from there. It was a shame because prior to that I was actually absorbed in the paranoia and panicky feelings as the main character slowly realized how corrupt the school actually was. This one ended up being, just OK for me.

Jesse Q. Sutanto's newest young adult novel was just not up to par for me. The blurb sounded so good but quite didn't meet my expectations.

Page turning dark academia thriller. Great representation. Liked the characters. The ending came a little fast and the murder came a little too soon. And the female friendships weren't as deeply drawn as I'd like. I've only read this author's adult novels and I didn't think this was as strong an entry but I'm still going to read her new YA romance.

Hitting academia just right, this is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A school with a social media app full of dark and sinister secrets - what can’t go wrong….

I have been really getting into YA mystery/thrillers and the cover in this one looked perfect! So the things I liked are: the writing style was good, felt natural and effortless. I am also a sucker for a beginning that really throws you into the drama and this one more than delivered. I also thought the pacing of the main plot line was on point. There were unfortunately some drawbacks for me as well. The subplots were not as fleshed out as I prefer. For instance by the end the main character claims to have these "best friends" but I was shocked to hear that as the interaction in the book with these characters was few and far between. Also the ah ha moments just didn't feel organic to me, and as a mystery/thriller I think my enjoyment hinges a lot on these moments. I have been reading a lot from this genre as of late so it may be that I am growing pickier. I can definitely see myself tryin more from this author in the future as their writing matures! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this one because I love the author so much but every single one of the characters was painful. I just couldn’t get into it. Thank you netgalley for my free copy

If you ever, maybe, had any interest what-so-ever in feeling freaked out and anxious because you just killed a man and maybe someone was going to find out, then this is the book to read. It was such a powerful use of the first person. I'm usually not a huge fan of that pov, but Sutanto used it in such a way that, instead of feeling limiting, the reader was really placed into Lia's head and got to experience all of her emotions.

I love gripping suspense-filled novels and this is one I will not soon forget.

This was my first time reading anything by this author, and so far I’m just not a fan of her writing style. I’ve heard great things about her other YA books like the Obsession, so maybe this thriller by her just wasn’t for me. In my opinion, it was too dramatic and I didn’t like/connect with any of the characters. I couldn’t wait to get through the book and finish it to be able to do the review on it. I believe the publisher should have included the ethnicity of the main character in the description of the book on the back cover since it is a big part of the novel. I didn’t know about it until I started reading and was getting snippets of Chinese-Indonesian culture. I’m not sure if all her books include that aspect since the author is Indonesian herself. This was the only thing I enjoyed about the book being able to branch out and hear something different than what authors typically write with social representation.



Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Sutanto. This was not her best work, and it was a little bit too over the top for me. While I really enjoyed the writing, and the fact that the book was dark academia. This book is marketed as a YA thriller and the might be why I did not enjoy it. I felt like I could not relate to any of the characters! I definitely will check out other books by Sutanto- but might steer from her YA books.

This one was just not for me. Definitely written for a younger generation with lingo that is dated to this decade and the issues with drugs/cheating meant for a younger audience. That doesn’t always deter me; I enjoy young adult fiction and can find myself immersed in the storyline and characters even if I don’t relate to them. This one I was unable to do so with, but I’m sure others will enjoy. 2.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. I really enjoyed "Dial A for Aunties" and am looking forward to the follow up book in that series, but while that series is lighter, this book takes on a darker tone. Lia is starting Draycott Academy on a track scholarship in a school filled with a toxic environment of rich and entitled teenagers. Cue the drama! She is singled out, targeted and nothing she does seems to make her good enough for anyone. I rooted for her character which could be hard at times considering some of the decisions she makes. There are secrets and a deadly environment but it addresses some interesting topics like racism and classism. Tougher read but stayed until the end and was glad I did because there were some unexpected moments.

I loved the author's previous book The Obsession, with its super messed up characters and plot, where everyone is a criminal but you still have to pick a side and you root for the bad guy anyway (totally recommend The Obsession if you like very morally gray/black characters and shocks). I was super excited to jump into this story with a new set of characters but set at the same shady boarding school, but unfortunately this did not live up to my (possibly too high) expectations.

The plot for the New Girl was not nearly as engaging for me and had a very slow start. The first third felt a little slow, basically poor new girl comes to a new school and is basically bullied for her race and scholarship status and all the wealthy kids are druggies. And then next thing you know, BAM, an out of nowhere incredibly disturbing scene occurs to change the plot directions. And then the story basically spirals out of control from there but not in a great way, more like the main character is incredibly paranoid and stuck in her own PTSD-ish head and some very obvious yet supposed to be surprising stuff occurs around her and then the end. I knew who was responsible for a lot of stuff at least half way through, I was not surprised by anything that happened and I felt that even the end wrapped up in a tidy little bow that just felt like a limp noodle.

All that being said, I would read a third book set at this school because there is always the potential for more and this is a very shady school as previously mentioned. I know nothing about boarding schools in real life, but if this is how they really are, yikes and maybe homeschool is the safe option.