Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by Paige Harbison

• Pub. Date: January 2012
• Publisher: Harlequin Teen
• Pages: 320

 http://www.paigeharbison.com

“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."

First Sentence:  The Panoramic view outside the windows of the bus showed a world that wasn't mine.


Review: The New Girl is a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which I haven't had the chance to read so I wont be making any comparisons between the two. 

We are introduced to the new girl whose name we don't get to know until the end, and suprisingly I never even realized that I didn't know her name until it was said in the end by Max. One thing that really bugged me was the way in which she ended up at the boarding school. Apparently she wanted to go to the boarding school when she was thirteen and was rejected, but her parents had secretly been applying for her every year even though she had forgotten all about it and was happy with her current life, then her final year in high school she gets accepted into the boarding school which her parents just spring on her. What didn't make sense is she hadn't mentioned it since she was thirteen yet the parents just assumed she still wanted to go and without asking her in her senior year of high school they have her up and leave her home and her friends for something she no longer even wants. I also thought it was unrealistic that the girl didn't voice her opinions to her parents even once. 

I did like how the story switched from Becca's point of view a year ago and the new girls point of view in current times. I have to admit I found Becca disturbing, I mean she was a sociopath she only cared about herself and didn't care how her behavior affected others. As for the new girl she annoyed me a little, everyone at Manderly was so horrible to her and it took a long time before she even started to stand up for herself. Yet I do have to admit I did feel for her at the same time the way she was treated was so unfair and half the reason I kept on reading. 

My feelings were conflicted when it came to the New Girl. Even though I didn't care for any of the characters because of how cruel they all were especially Dana her new roommate, it was the same reason why I kept reading and finished this book in under a day. I wanted to know what they were going to do next, can they possibly get any worse in their behaviour towards the new girl, will the girl finally if at all stand up for herself, and what the heck really happened to Becca? 

Overall there was a creepiness factor that was pulled off very well and if you like a good mystery I would recommend this.