*A review will also be shared on instagram @bostonkatreads within a couple of days*

I don’t dabble often in YA stories, but the blurb for Not Like Other Girls was compelling. This story hits on some important but heavy topics and experiences for young women, and I love how more and more information comes to light the further you get into the story. Overall I really enjoyed this listen and rate it 4 stars! Synopsis, full review, and content warnings below.
•
•
•
When Jo-Lynn Kirby ‘s former best friend—pretty, nice Maddie Price—comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it's some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked—and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.
Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can’t shake the feeling there's more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind—and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo’s with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she’d rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie’s disappearance, she’s left to wonder who she’s really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.
•
•
•
Review: What I loved about this story is that there were always more threads to unravel - more pieces to the puzzle. Jo-Lynn’s narrative perfectly captures the frustration, confusion, and disappointment of being a teenage girl trying to navigate and exist in the world. I LOVED the side characters Hudson and Tess. There was a point that dragged for me a bit in the middle; things felt a bit redundant. But then it picked back up and I plowed through the last 30% in one evening when I had NOT planned to finish this one. The growth that Jo has throughout this novel is tremendous and empowering, and I love how she trusts herself and is able to set firm boundaries in the end.

The narrator for the audiobook was effective and enjoyable to listen to. I loved the different voices and I could tell the difference between which characters were speaking most of the time. A couple of the male side characters sounded similar, but it was also usually clear who was talking based on the other context in the scene.
•
•
•
CW: sexual assault (under 18), rape (under 18), victim blaming, shared nude photos, alcohol use, missing persons
•
•
•
Thanks to the Publisher: Bloomsbury Audio, Author: Meredith Adamo, and NetGalley for the eARC audiobook of Not Like Other Girls. This book will be out everywhere on 30 April 2024!

This book definitely has potential, and I can sort of see why so many people enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. The plot is very complex and confusing, the characters fell flat. I would probably not recommend this widely.

Having a hard time deciding whether or not to mark this as a 3 star or 4 on Goodreads.

I FLEW through this book, well audiobook, that I received through NetGalley. The audiobook narration was absolutely fantastic and would definitely recommend consuming this story that way.

Pros:
- strong character development for many of the characters
- extensive plot…plot(s)
- audio narrator was phenomenal

Cons:
- in some aspects, over complicated plot
- ending and epilogue didn’t give me the satisfaction the rest of the book was leading me to believe I’d get
- can’t remember much of a content warning but yea it was more than the YA version of myself would have been up for in 2003-2006.

I’m marking this as 3 star here but it’s a strong 3.5/3.75. I still would recommend but more so for college age and up.

I finished this book in a day. I was so wrapped up in it and just had to know what happened. Maybe it felt a little personal. I was rooting for Jo, one hundred percent. I’ll definitely be recommending this book, especially to my daughter.

Oh my this book was a tear-jerker!

Jo-Lynn Kirby has a story that so many young women have. Growing up and figuring themselves out sexually, unfortunately, during this time, they are preyed on by adults who scare them into silence about the abuse that they endure.

This book is very well put together. The character building was followable and you could feel the urgency and tension in the case of the missing classmate ex-bestie Maddie Price.

Stolen and then leaked photos led to Jo being shunned by her peers and family, causing her to feel that she deserved to be treated in a less-than-honorable way. Now, when Maddie comes to Jo for help she thinks it's more bullying taking place until she finds out that Maddie is missing. As Jo begins to investigate the case of her missing friend, she finds herself in a fake turned real relationship with Hudson Harper-Moore and the two of them uncover a huge underground club with the power to change the outcome of their plans beyond high school.

Jo is such a compelling narrator in this mystery/thriller/romance-ish debut that really hooked me from the beginning. Jo has really been through it, and like most young girls she's been blamed for the awful things boys and even grown men have done to her. It's just what happens to "girls like her". But when pretty, nice Maddie Price goes missing, something just isn't adding up for Jo. She becomes determined to figure out what's going on, uncovering more and more ugly truths about her classmates and their school, while also confronting the truth about things that she's faced in her own life.
This was pretty heavy with perfect comedic relief- I honestly REALLY loved Jo. She was sarcastic and funny, intelligent and cunning, and she felt very REAL. I think her voice will really resonate with teens, and I think her story is an important one to tell (which is a major part of this book - the telling of her story). I worry about the length of this for teens, but I think it's worth trying to sell this hefty book because it's so great.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

I was hooked from page one!! What a great book!! I loved the storyline, the characters, the setting all of it!

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo brought me to my knees. I can't stop thinking about this book. This book should have some trigger warnings. I can't put this book in my junior high classroom, but I am telling all my friends about it.

This was a well-written, and complex, but not difficult to follow, story. The main character was relatable and kept me rooting for her. Overall this was a pretty good young adult mystery and the narrator was great.

Thank you for this advance copy.

I didn't realize I needed this until I was nearly to the end. At first I was like "ugh one of those girls who doesn't get along with other girls." But Jo is young and she is dealing with really big things. I don't remember much of high school myself, it wasn't a traditional high school and I also had trauma so I couldn't relate to the cheating scandals but I love the way she worked through that and connected with her boyfriend.
I didn't like that he said what he did about her in the beginning but young men are stupid. He at least grew out of it. I guess.
We should note normalize that.
5/5 stars.
Also perfection narration for this role. 5/5 narration.

A story of self discovery with high school drama, teenage angst, some mystery, some romance, bullying, and more.

I listened to the audiobook I liked this story. I really liked the main character, I even understood why she wanted to be called Jo instead or Jo-Lynn. I like strong female characters and I still remember what it was like to be in high school.

Jo-Lynn was one of the cool girls who liked to hang out with the guys. She was often told” you’re not like the other girls”. Jo and Maddie used to be best friends. Maddie was actually her only real female friend but something happened and Jo became an outcast. Where are Maddie and Jo ever really friends?

When Maddie goes missing, Jo becomes concerned. She thinks something is wrong, or something happened. Everyone else is quick to write Maddie off as a runaway. To find out what happened or if something happened; she needs Maddie’s friends to talk to her - she needs a way in and therefore agrees to a fake relationship with Hudson. Hudson is a popular boy who likes Jo.

The story has a lot of twists and turns which keeps you reading but it’s not the only thing that keeps you interested. There’s the mystery of Maddie, but there’s also the mystery of Jo and what happened in the past. How did Jo become an outcast? Why does Jo care so much about Maddie? Partly because of the past. Who they use to be and how she thought Maddie saw her and accepted her.

I liked the main character. The story isn’t really about a missing girl but about Jo. There’s so much more going on in Jo’s life. She wanted people to see her, to really see her but first she needed to figure out who she really was herself..

I would like to thank Net Galley for this advance complementary copy in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who wants to read it, but especially young woman.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Audio for an honest review in exchange for an advanced audiobook.

5 stars

What a fantastic book. I just loved Jo-Lynn, a high school senior. Due to a nude picture of her that was leaked, she has been basically friendless and everyone assumes the worst of her. Her neighbor and former BFF Maddie Prices asks Jo for help and then disappears. Jo and an old fling, Hudson, work together to help figure out what happened to Maddie.

Lots going on in the book, mystery, love story, healing old wounds. But the key to me is how girls get slut shamed and boys get congratulated. It is a story as old as time, can we finally cut it out?

Fantastic narration by Georgina Sadler.

ARC review!!! I loved this book! This book would heal high school Stephanie. It was done so beautifully! The perfect YA book!!! Jo hyphen Lynn is the perfect girl ever!!! This book tackled so many topics and it was done great!! Every plot hole that was opened in the beginning perfectly wrapped up at the end!! The plot twist was done perfectly as well! I like how it started with one thing but a whole other plot was introduced and tied in perfectly with the existing one. Jo hyphen Lynn deserves the word and everything more!

Please check your trigger warning!!!

First off, this book was so addicting to me. So addictive and so good, I definitely did not see the multiple plot twists that happened throughout this book.

It took me on a fun journey that I really just didn’t expect. But there were two things I didn’t like about this book. There is a ton of slut shaming. It’s pretty much part of the plot and backstory for our main character Jo-Lynn. The second thing I didn’t like was the entire message continually being dragged out is the “not like those girls” or “girls like me”. It was just a big circle of girls and boys slut shaming and degrading others. I hated that but also understand that it was for the plot…but I still hated reading that.

Also, how in the world did this one school have so many crappy people?????

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC audio of Not Like Other Girls.
I rate this story 4.5 stars.
*Spoilers may follow*
Meredith Adamo created a fantastic narrative and provided a clear voice for young girls. She displayed an incredible understanding for girls who have been faced with a confusing and scary situation that involves unsaid consent. As a victim myself of being influenced by a older guy who I was seeing in high school and he attempting to turn things around on me and suggest that because I didn't say no, I wanted it, this story hits extremely close to home. As that experience happened a long time and I have long forgiven myself, I struggled with the same feelings, emotions, and concerns that Jo did. Major props for the writing and emotional side of the story.
In addition, this story gave me such a cinematic, nostalgic feeling. This brought me back to some of the earlier 2000s teen sleuth dramas, like Pretty Little Liars, etc. It was a fun setting!
While it was fun, the mystery part of it also made it a little bit far fetch for me as a whole because of all the layers to the dramatic revelations that Jo found.
It was entertaining, dramatic, poignant, and yet therapeutic. Great story!

This was my first ARC book and I really enjoyed it! While I have been out of high school for a few years, this book really brought me back. It made me wish I had read this book while I was in high school. Like many young women and girls, Jo experienced a huge betrayal by her friends. I believe that a lot of girls could relate to her story. I know that I definitely did and I’d like to hope that this book will help girls who might be going through something similar in their own lives. This book had me reflecting on my teenage years. It was well written and I definitely felt like a teenager again reading through Jo’s perspective. Her spunky attitude and humor had me laughing at parts and then feeling emotional over some of the more deeper parts of her story.

4.5⭐️

Holy sh!t..
I loved this book.

I got the (really well narrated) audio ARC from Netgalley 🫶 and was hesitant at first because of the title, I couldn't figure out if this was an ironic "not like other girls" or a serious one and I was still pretty confused on that point until about 40% through the book.

What I didn't expect was the insane emotional impact that this book would have on me. This feels like the kind of book that's important.

This feels like the book you get assigned in class or find on your own when you're like 15 that changes the trajectory of your life. This feels like something I wish I had read when I was in high school. I'm honestly kind of mad that she didn't go back in time and give me that chance.

When trying to explain this feeling to people, I compared it to reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower or 13 Reasons Why or The Outsiders. Not to say that this book is on par or above or below those, but just in the way of how impactful, I think it could be on the YA scene.

Even when Jo was annoying the crap out of me with her "not like other girls" vibe, I never disliked her. There was always something about her that made me care for her or feel sympathy for her. Watching her change and come into herself throughout the novel was everything to me.

The mystery and the fake dating plot were really fun, too! They gave the story so many more layers.

The only reason I can't give it a 5⭐️ is because I got a little confused and a little "over it" by the end. The mystery plot kinda went wild, and I doudn myself forgeting who was who and who did what to whom and why this person was mad at that person and just gernally got a little lost. It felt a bit rushed, and by that point in the book, I barely cared about the mystery anymore as I was so invested in Jo herself.

I was so proud of myself (a notoriously easy crier)for not crying at all throughout the read, but then she had to go and hit me with that authors note😭.

I hope this book gets the love it deserves!

I happen to be a big fan of characters that are messy, troubled, loners or basically any one that feels real.

Jo was that character for me in this book and I loved her. It’s hard to describe the plot of this book because there are pieces of many different stories, but it’s part coming of age, self discovery, a little bit of love, and a lot of awful teenager behavior, but it’s so realistic.

The narrator had a great teenage voice and perfectly captured Jo’s spirit. Very well done. Loved the audio and the book.

This felt exactly like Veronica Mars and I LOVED IT.

Jo is incredible. She has had a really rough go of her teenage years so far and things become even harder when a girl from her school, her ex-best friend Maddie, goes missing. Or runs away? That's our mystery. Jo thinks she can possibly unravel the truth and seeks help from one of the "in-crowd". He agrees to be her pretend boyfriend to get her access to the social scene that Maddie was a part of. Turns out Jo is way more involved in the situation than she could have ever thought, and there is something truly sinister happening. Through some amateur sleuthing to figure out what happened to Maddie and what's happening at her school, she also begins to understand what happened to her in her past was really damaging, and a none of it was her fault and she has been let down by really all the friends and adults she had in her life. Characters in this book will absolutely surprise you!

There is an incredibly sad and intense story being told and it is one too many teens face and they face it alone. Not Like Other Girls is one of those books that I wish had been around and available to me as a teen. I think a story like this can also be super beneficial to adults and parents that there's often a lot more going on in a teens life than you can possibly imagine. Jo is brilliant and beautiful and people took advantage and did terrible things to her and made her feel like it was her fault. This happens all the time in real life and I wish it didn't.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Audio for a digital review copy. I'm preordering a copy of this book right now because I will absolutely reread it.

Trigger Warnings: sexual assault of a minor - in the character's past but is an on page memory, revenge porn - leaked nudes of a minor, kidnapping/hostage situation

Not Like Other Girls was such a good read. The story covered so many complex topics and blended them within the narrative in a way that felt so true to Jo's journey. The main character Jo-Lynn is a relatable teenage girl who has been outcast by her friends and peers after her nudes were leaked. Jo has gone through so much that she hasn't fully grasped the depth of her trauma and she has come to blame herself for everything. When her ex best friend, Maddy, goes missing she has this unexplainable desire to figure out how and why Maddy has disappeared which takes her on her own journey of finding the truth, while coming to terms with her own traumas and the realization that those around her have failed her and she is not to blame. This story is compelling with relatable characters, a little bit of mystery and a lot of heart.