New Girl by Paige Harbison
Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Harlequin Teen, 304 Pages
Sub-genre: Contemporary
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Series: None
Challenges: A-Z Title, A-Z Author, Completely Contemporary, 2012 Sophomore
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They call me ‘New Girl’…

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

So, imagine what you would do if your parents shipped you off to boarding school for your senior year. Now, imagine that they don’t even think of this as a punishment – they think that it’s what you want. And THEN, imagine that you get to said boarding school and everyone just calls you ‘new girl’ because the girl whose spot you’ve taken, has gone missing and is presumed dead. It feels like no one wants you there, except maybe the missing girl’s boyfriend.

Errrr – this was definitely a rather creepy read. It’s a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic novel Rebecca. And while I haven’t read the classic, I definitely got the creepy vibe off of its retelling. I think one of the strong points of this novel was its mystery. What happened to Becca? Is she alive? And why the heck is the new roommate so WEIRD? The plot and mystery kept me reading til the end. But the main character? Meh, she was just okay for me. She was whiny and “why doesn’t anyone like me” boo-hoo but I didn’t feel bad for her. She’s suppose to come to this realization at the end of the novel, but I just wanted to say “DUH”.

Also, the writing itself just mediocre. Example: “And then they did it again.” This line is in reference to two characters having sex. I mean..REALLY!? O_o There wasn’t a better way to describe that scene?

If you like mysterious, creepy books, I would say try this one out. Maybe you’ll enjoy it more than I did.

XOXO,