The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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.
This wasn’t my favorite Jesse Sutanto book, but I did enjoy quite a bit of it.
The characters were super unlikeable to me. I had that Lia ignored so many red flags and the bullying was ridiculous. I’m guessing there is more of that with super rich kids vs scholarship kids, so that felt somewhat real. I did like some of the actual friends she made. There wasn’t much of a mystery in this, but I did find parts of it hard to put down. I needed to see if the guilt would finally get to Lia and how she would handle it. Lots of warnings for drugs, underage drinking, talk of suicide, racism, bullying, blood, and unhealthy relationships. Overall, I enjoyed this, but it’s probably my least favorite Jesse book.
I gave this book 4 stars. It was closer to 3 1/2, but I gave it 4 for it making me want to keep reading past the time I planned on.
Have you read this yet? Is it on your TBR?
