Not Like Other Girls is a story that is exciting, funny, heartfelt, and heartbreaking all at the same time. The protagonist, Jo-Lynn Kirby, tries to unravel the sudden disappearance of her one-time friend Maddie Price, but that’s easier said than done: the people who might know something aren’t talking, especially to a girl like Jo who’s a social pariah after her nudes leaked to the entire school. Jo has to find a way back in, even if it means a fake romance. But digging deeper reveals darker truths about the people around her and about herself.

Jo is a very well-written character, with a great balance of humor, wit, charm, and vulnerability. She exhibits worldliness and naïveté in equal measure: she shows considerable street smarts interacting with others and can generally suss out their motivations and intentions. However, that worldliness is deceptive: it makes the people around her assume that she is more experienced in the ways of the world, and even allows Jo to deceive herself to some degree. It’s when that mask of experience slips and she begins to question events in her life that you truly see her for what she is: a scared, uncertain girl trying to make sense of what’s happened to her in the past and the present and how it will affect her future.

The other characters are also complex, exhibiting similar dual natures: Maddie Price for example, appears perfect and put-together but is really shallow and damaged beneath the surface. Miles Metcalfe is smart and sweet but that’s a front too. They show you can’t quite know a person even when you think you know them. Only Hudson Harper Moore seems exactly like what he seems, which is good because it provides Jo some stability.

The plot is compelling: Maddie’s disappearance provides the initial impetus for the story, but that quickly becomes one component of a much larger and more complex conspiracy that encompasses the entire school.

I rarely give five stars so the fact that I am giving it five stars attests to the quality of the story! Thanks NetGalley!

While this story touches on some sensitive topics, I think that it was important to share this side of a story. Not all survivors avoid intimate situations and I think it is important to bring that to readers. The mystery and romance wrapped up together well and did keep me guessing while still enjoying the story. The narrator was fantastic and helped me understand who was talking. Overall, it was an important story that readers should check out trigger warnings before if you are triggered by certain situations.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Not Like Other Girls was more than just a thriller, although you will be eager to get to the bottom of the mystery of the disappearance of Jo's ex best friend. turned mean girl. It is more of an exploration on why some girls are looked down on for who they are and used or abused by others. It is a heavy book to be honest but there are some lighthearted moments throughout and an interesting will they or won't they romance. The end of the book was somewhat unexpected and I think this book woudl appeal to teen and adult readers alike.

Absolutely loved this book and I can't believe it's a debut! Very witty and sharp and raw. The story focuses on a missing girl but it's so much more than that. Jo agrees to fake date Hudson in order to look for her former best friend which brings her back into the world that shunned her. It explores the expectations we have of teenage girls, the complexity of female friendships, and the path to forgiveness, not just others but ourselves. The narrator is excellent and really brought the book to life. Highly recommend.

Thank you Libro FM, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley for the ALC of Not Like Other Girls! All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a strong debut that is about so much more than a classmate going missing. While it did seem to lose the original storyline a bit in the middle, all of the loose ends get tied up by the conclusion. If you listen/read the author's note at the end, it explains how Adamo was able to make her characters so realistic and I give her so much credit for being able to write this story.

The audiobook narrator was an excellent choice! I haven't listened to a book narrated by Georgina Sadler before, but I really liked the voices she did for each character. Each character was able to sound different without sounding fake.

Overall, this was a great debut from Adamo and I can't wait to read more from her!

What a fantastic book. I could not put it down. This book hits on some very hard topics in a very realistic way. I think every one should read this book, particularly as teenagers! It is soo good!!! The internal thoughts of the main character are so enlightening, and wonderful in such a sad tragic way.

Meredith Adamo’s <i>Not Like Other Girls</i> is one of those books that you don’t realize the true depth of its importance until you’ve read it. It’s the sort of story you ensure your teen has read and understood. It is a conversation starter, an inherently important piece of education I think we all should have had growing up. If this book had been available to me as a teenager, I certainly would have grown up with a better head on my shoulders.

There are a slew of important and yet tough topics tackled in this book, many which I am sure will be essential for just about any teenager to learn from. And you see, this is the space in which I would prefer them to learn it, rather than being forced to go through such hardships in reality. I think we are becoming a much better world for addressing these issues and this is certainly something I know I will share will my own children one day.

The other nice thing about <i>Not Like Other Girls</i> is that it doesn’t fully hit you on the head with these topics and the discussion starters. Everything is mixed into a rather enticing mystery—where did this ex best friend disappear to? What happened to her? Why is she gone? And why did she ask for help before she vanished?

I was quite pleased and impressed with this book overall and I certainly hope that aids and educates many more down the road.

The narrator did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life and keeping the story engaging.

NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS is an absolutely incredible debut novel. I loved Jo and her voice, the romance between her and Hudson, and the themes this YA novel tackled so much. Meredith Adamo could definitely be one of my new favourite authors!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Audio, Bloomsbury YA, Meredith Adamo, and Georgina Sadler (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Not Like Other Girls in exchange for an honest review.

Jo-Lynn used to be the smart popular girl who got great grades. After some events at a party, including six personal nudes chiming their way to every phone, she is now seen as and outcast and perceived as "easy" or "slutty" by many of her classmates. Other things happened too that affect Jo's motivation in being successful. If only her own family would listen to what she has to say...

When Jo's former friend, Maddie, approaches her one afternoon saying she might be in trouble, Jo wants to help. But then Maddie disappears. What happened to Maddie? Most people in the town think she just ran away, especially after not getting into her dream college. But Jo knows there is more to Maddie's disappearance. Their confrontation haunts her, and now Jo must get back in with the in-crowd, the friends she once had who are also Maddie's friends, to help sold her disappearance.

Hudson, someone she dated in the past, proposed that he and Jo "fake-date" so they have an excuse for being seen together, when in reality, they seek answers to Maddie's disappearance. As Jo looks for clues, she also looks into her own past trauma's, exploring who she is and how to use her voice not just for others, but for herself too.

A thoroughly enjoyable debut novel. The pacing was excellent, and the fake-dating trope goes as one would expect, adding some extra drama to the already intense situation at hand. I enjoyed the characterization and the schemes within the student body that just continued to unroll like toilet paper. The mystery aspect is a bit flat, but still fun to see how everything happens. Perfect for lovers of high school drama and the contemporary high school experience.

If you're a fan of superb storytelling, smartly narrated POVs, important themes, and realistic characters then you NEED to read this powerful book.

Perfect for fans of The Way I Used To Be, NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS, is an exceptional YA novel with serious heart. The audio was excellently executed and engaging and managed to keep my attention from start to finish.

Full of mystery, grit, and lots of spunk, I cannot recommend this hard-hitting story enough. An absolute must-read.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Bloomsbury Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much going on in this book. That will either excite you or discourage you. Yet, this is more realistic of a teen girl going actually through such things: bullying, harassment, sexual assault, lying, and the drama/trauma of high school relationships. Jo is the only one who cares that her former best friend is missing. So appreciate the realistic characters.
VERDICT: A good teen mystery/coming of age addition for readers who enjoy weaving of flashbacks.

I want to read this in paperback because I kept getting confused by the audio. I had to keep rewinding it and i ultimately had to DNF. I am going to purchase the paperback version and give it another chance because it has potential and it was definitely a me not the book kind of situation.

Excellent, excellent, wow! I thoroughly enjoyed Meredith Adamo's young adult novel Not Like Other Girls. I'll admit both the title and the beautiful cover caught my attention right away, but the tropes of high school, former best friends, and a missing person mystery held me captive from the very first page.

Adamo does a marvelous job capturing the turmoil of this high school senior's world and also includes some scintillating family drama, mean girl and boyfriend issues, academic pressures, and some great "adults vs. teens" dramatics as well. Not Like Other Girls is a terrific story.

I enjoyed the audio version of Not Like Other Girls, and Georgina Sadler does a fantastic job with Jo. I think Sadler does a good job with the other young folks in the novel, however her voices for most of the adults didn't work for me. It wasn't enough to detract from the story and I'd still 100% recommend the audio version.

This book held my attention and showed the importance of telling the truth. So many lies created problems. Also being blackmailed and having photos stolen and shared of your body is not ok. It would be empowering while also teaching lessons to teens. I really liked the dynamic characters and consistent details about their lives that made all the difference. It has a happy but realistic ending.

3.5 Stars overall

While I was invested in story, and in this character, there's a lot going on in this book.

When Maddie Price goes missing, Jo-Lynn feels like her ex-best friend is in trouble and wants to find her. While I really enjoyed the mystery plot of the book, the rest of it kind of got in the way. BUT what was really important throughout the many subplots is the way young girls aren't allowed to make mistakes. Girls are held to impossible standards, especially in high school...date too much, and you're a slut. Don't date at all, and you're ignored. It's about the importance of consent, that it's important to teach young girls to look for red flags when it comes to dating, it's about privilege, and that everything comes at a price.

I liked Jo's journey and would read this debut author again, hopefully with a much tighter story.

I really liked the narrator for this audiobook. Amazing job keeping the characters engaging and different enough to distinguish who was talking.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC/audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This one was tricky for me. The writing is truly exceptional and I'll be eagerly following Adamo's career. The narrator seemed like a mismatch and the voices for the supporting characters were very strangely done. The discussions of consent and recovery from trauma are where this book most shines.

I am rounding up from 4.5 to 5 stars. This story was more than I expected from a YA mystery debut. Meredith Adamo did an excellent job with character development, dialogue that felt true to the characters' high school years, and dove into relevant teen issues (bullying, sexual harassment, assault, anxiety of meeting expectations, etc.).

In terms of the mystery component, it was like a modern day Veronica Mars, especially when Jo brought others into solving what happened to Maddie. And as the mystery further evolved with twists along the way, she remained on the mission of finding out all the ins and outs of what happened.

Another thing to note is the narrator did an excellent job with the audio version. She easily brought you into the story - mystery, drama, teen angst.

I highly recommend this story for those looking for a YA that has characters you root for....and against with a side of mystery. I'm looking forward to future books from Adamo!

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo: do yourself a favor and read it. Definitely young adult. But so good. Great characters. Great plot. Great story. Five stars. I’d read it again!

"Not Like Other Girls" by Meredith Adamo is a gripping debut novel that blends YA mystery and social commentary. The story centers on Jo-Lynn Kirby, a high school student ostracized after her nude photos were leaked, who gets embroiled in the mysterious disappearance of her former best friend, Maddie Price. Jo-Lynn's journey to uncover the truth forces her to confront past traumas, toxic friendships, and the fallout of betrayal and slut-shaming.

This was a touching, difficult, wonderful story. It explores a lot of really tough topics while also piecing apart a mysterious disappearance of a former best friend. I loved the layers to this story, the characters and their struggles and I really appreciated the look at consent.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.