The New Girl

megs_bookrack ((is on vacation))

Rating: really liked it
Arriving at Draycott Academy, Lia Setiawan is thrust into a world she is completely unfamiliar with.

Draycott is a super prestigious private boarding school on the West Coast, one Lia can only attend due to the full-ride scholarship she has received to run track.



On the first day, Lia's nerves seem to be getting the best of her. She is like a deer in the headlights amongst all the wealthy, confident Draycott students.

Track practice doesn't get off to the best start either. The other girls seemed more threatened by Lia's incredible speed, than they are happy to have a new teammate.

It doesn't take long before heated words are exchanged and thinly-veiled threats bandied about.



Not all is a loss though. Lia does make a few friends, including a cute boy, Danny, who has a cultural background similar to her own. They share some sweet moments and for a bit, it seems like Draycott won't be all bad.

Lia is never given the chance to get too comfortable in her new place, however. Through a rumor-style app known as Draycott Dirt, DD, Lia begins to be incessantly bullied by anonymous classmates.



It's awful and unfortunately, doesn't stop with online torment. Their hurtful comments and behavior continue into the classroom, with teachers doing nothing to stop it.

The whole school is a complicated, toxic mess, as far as Lia can tell. Even her English Lit teacher is corrupt. Lia suspects he is giving preferential treatment to certain students, while she is close to failing no matter how hard she works.

She needs to pass every class in order to keep her scholarship, but this guy is making it impossible!



The New Girl follows Lia through her tumultuous first days as a Draycott student. I'll tell ya, there's one hell of a learning curve at this Academy.

Y'all, this book had me transfixed. It is an absolutely bats#it crazy story, but man, did it keep me engaged!!! I had so much fun trying to figure out what exactly was going on in Draycott.



Sutanto has a great sense of humor, dry and a bit sarcastic, and even when tackling difficult topics that humor managed to shine through. There's a lot going on in this narrative, but it never felt overly heavy or bogged down in details. It still felt fast-paced and intriguing.

There is a lot of intense depictions of bullying, so beware if that is something that could be triggering for you. It's not for me and even I found it hard to swallow at times. It also explores wealth, privilege, classism, racism and addiction.



Even in its craziest moments, I was rooting for Lia the entire time. While I wouldn't necessarily agree with all of her choices, I can appreciate she is just a teen trying to do her best under really difficult circumstances.

She was quite literally stuck between a rock and hard place. She never gave up and I loved that about her character. A lot of people would have thrown in the towel after being treated the way she was at Draycott, but not Lia. It just made her fight that much harder.



I would definitely recommend this book to people who go all in for over-the-top YA Mysteries. Sutanto's got a style all her own and I'm definitely buying what she's selling.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

Maisha Farzana

Rating: really liked it
From the best-selling author of "Dial A for Aunties" comes a YA dark academia thriller set in a boarding school.

The book is way too dramatic for my liking. On top of that, the narration of the audiobook is also melo-dramatic. I am sorry to say this but Eunice Wong hasn't done a good job in narrating this book. They was exaggerating every emotion and poured too much force while delivering the dialogues. They was constantly squeaking and screeching. It gave me cringe. I was so annoyed that I developed a migraine.

I hated the romantic subplot. It is a love at first sight. The love interest is good without any doubt. But everything felt extremely rushed and forced to me. There is literally no development. It could've been handled better.

Didn't like the main Character either. She is stupid and obnoxious. I found her irritating. She makes all kinds of decisions in a rush, thinks herself as a hero and when it comes to face the consequences, she starts crying and screaming. Also Lia doesn't respect her own cultural values. So there's no way I can respect her.

Now, let's talk about the good parts. The plot is nice and intriguing. The twists are predictable yet satisfying. As always I really enjoyed Sutanto's dry humour. It was moderately funny.

Just like Sutanto's other books, The New Girl is rich in Chinese-Indonesian cultural representation. Our main character is an Indo-Chinese American girl. So, there were several mentions of the heritage of these culture. The descprictions of delicious Indonesian foods made me hungry. I have never tried those dishes but now I want to....

So, overall it isn't a bad book. It was mostly because of the audiobook that I personally didn't liked it. I would suggest you to try the book version if you're interested in it. Wouldn't recommend the audiobook at all.



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Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for providing the audiobook arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Claude's Bookzone

Rating: really liked it
This was an over-the-top YA private school thriller. Everything felt a bit dramatic and was essentially a series of farcically bad decisions. The first half was actually good and Jesse tapped into the social anxiety that comes with being the 'new person' incredibly well. However, all the characters felt exaggerated i.e. the super villainous mean girl, the innocent trusting (read incredibly dense) new girl, the doting golden boy. Then about the midway point something occurs and it all went downhill from there. Not down a gentle rolling hill but more off the edge of a cliff. It was a shame because prior to that I was actually absorbed in the paranoia and panicky feelings as the main character slowly realised how corrupt the school actually was. Also, the ending was ridiculous. Just okay for me.

Jovana (NovelOnMyMind)

Rating: really liked it
"This isn't your world, child. Give any of these kids here a chance and they'll throw you under the bus, just to make sure this place keeps going."

This is my first book by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Though I wasn't the hugest fan, I definitely plan to check out her pretty much entire backlist, so you know - I liked it enough.

The New Girl is a YA dark academia and murder mystery set at a prestigious boarding school. It was a fun and quick read with lots of somewhat ridiculous but entertaining bursts of action.

I liked the narration and the pacing. Also, school setting is one of my favorites. And the general direction of the story seemed promising.

However, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, and especially with MC Lia Setiawan. Too many stupid decisions followed by pointless screaming and crying for my taste.

However, the story also had enough blood-thirsty moments that kept me engaged till the end. I'm sure with a different protagonist I will enjoy Sutanto's writing even more.

If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook ARC of The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto in exchange for an honest review.

Tijana

Rating: really liked it
Just received an ARC via Netgalley!!!🥳🥳🥳
The Obsession was one of the best books I read in 2021, so what better way to start off 2022 than reading this?

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MY THOUGHTS AFTER FINISHING THE BOOK:
3.8 stars

Jesse Q Sutanto should focus on writing sick and twisted YA thrillers and stay away from quirky rom-com murder mysteries (Dial A for Aunties, I'm looking at you!).

Truth is, "The New Girl" wasn’t nearly as good as author's debut "Obsession", but it had the same breathtaking elements. There's something about previously innocent, good girls put in a position where they have nothing to loose and everything to gain, that sends goosebumps down my spine.
Also, it takes a great writer to make readers love their morally grey characters and cheer for them to get away with all the horrible things they've done. Which Ms. Sutanto is.
And I can't wait to read her future work.

Nicole

Rating: really liked it
I listened to the audio of this YA-thriller. The depiction was of bullying was so intense, I really felt for the main character. The narrator did a great job telling the story. In this school it’s survival of the fittest.

Lia Setiawan wins track scholarship to the prestigious Draycott Academy. Her first day there is crazy. She is warned not to upstage the popular girl on the track team. Desperate to keeping her scholarship, Lia brushes it off and blows her out of the water. This is when the bullying begins. She is being blackmailed by someone determined to get her thrown out of school. But why?

Harassed by her classmates and working endlessly to pass her impassable classes, Lia begins to uncover the many secrets at Draycott Academy. Not everyone is thrilled about Lia’s inquiries. In this school it is survival of the fittest,

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

☾

Rating: really liked it
pre-read: i simply like the cover!

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read: …. at least the cover is pretty!

3.0000 flat stars and not a drop more. and i’m pretty sure i’m being generous. 5 stars for the cover, though!

Yan

Rating: really liked it
I’m sad. I loooved the aunties and I enjoyed The Obsession, but this one was a miss :(
I’m still looking forward to more Sutanto books because she’s one of my favorite authors!

I don’t have much to say about this one tbh, was a bit too dramatic for my liking, the only mvp was Stacey lol

Javier

Rating: really liked it
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....

3,5 ⭐️

After reading and LOVING “Dial A for aunties” last year, of course I had to read some of Jesse Q. Sutanto YA and, although in general I liked it, it didn’t came near her aunties series excellence. It probably wasn’t the book’s fault but my usual issues every time I read YA (it’s your typical “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation).
 
Lia has been granted a track scholarship to Draycott Academy, a prestigious boarding school. She feels she’s never fit in, and in her new environment she’s like a fish out of water. Soon she starts to uncover the school secrets and some of them will take a deadly turn, endangering her whole future.
 
With The New Girl I had the same problems I usually encounter with all these YA novels. I can never connect with the characters, and this time wasn’t the exception. On paper Lia had everything on her side for me to feel some kind of sympathy for her, but her stupid decisions over and over again made this a bit difficult. It was so frustrating!
 
The rest of the characters were even harder to connect with. They were your typical spoiled, entitled, rich kids with more money than brains. Talk about some toxic environment!
 
On the other hand it was good to see some representation in the cast of characters and the book addresses some interesting topics as privilege and racism. It also offered some insights into Indonesian culture and heritage and the conflict with Chinese-Indos, which I had no idea about.
 
The mystery had some unexpected moments I did not see coming and that held my interest for the most part. The audio performance was also good.
 
The whole story was a bit over the top, but fun and intriguing enough to keep you listening/reading. Besides, everything came together at the end, so that’s always a plus.
 
If you enjoy dark academia mysteries and YA, I’m sure you will like this one.

Shirin T.

Rating: really liked it
Lia is a new girl to Draycott Academy on a scholarship. She is a new topic to gossip about in this crazy rich Asian school.
No matter how much she try to fit in, but still made enemies in a week, including a corrupt teacher. Well, this is a problem, if she cants pass his class, bye-bye university!

A corrupt teacher and bullies classmates are not all. Actually, the teacher is an easy problem, just change class, don't mess with this teacher. But, no, she should pull herself more in shit, forsake who start a fight with a teacher?!
Well, start with a bad teacher, unstable boyfriend, and continue with a shit murder, overdose, and drug dealing.

This was in the week I decided on contemporary and young adults books, not anymore, everything but right now life. After reading this book, listening actually, I break my oath and want to start another contemporary, other Jesse Sutanto book probably!

This is an amazing book, entertaining, funny, mess up, twisted, mysterious, and suspenseful. I liked the characters and nonstop listening to it which was enjoyable with the ​great narrator for different characters, and awesome performance in suspense moments.

Many Thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Narrated by Eunice Wong, I have given my honest review.

Crystal

Rating: really liked it
Lia Setiawan has never fit in. After winning a track scholarship to the prestigious Draycott Academy, she's determined to make a fresh start and try her best to fit in. But this world of wealth, privilege and power is more than she bargained for. From her very first day at Draycott Academy, she realizes how little she fits in (or wants to fit in) after witnessing a fellow student forcefully removed from campus after accusing a teacher of wrongdoing and upsetting the popular girls after upstaging one of them during a track meet.
Her chance at a fresh start crumbles around her as she becomes the target of a bullying campaign. Worst still, the teachers are turning a blind eye to the bullying and even engaging in corrupt behavior themselves.
Lia has found herself in a world fueled by drugs, violence and privilege and she has no idea how to escape.

This book is overly dramatic with explicit depictions of bullying and drug use. The world created in this book is so OTT as to be humorous. (I'm not sure that was the point, but I found it quite funny and found myself laughing out loud at times). The mystery was intriguing and satisfying. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Chinese-Indonesian culture. I learned a lot about Lia's heritage along the way and that was the highlight of the book for me.

For the not so great: I hated the romantic subplot. I'm not one for romance anyway, but it felt very rom-com and took away from the story. (Sorry...I just have such a low tolerance for lovey-dovey stuff lol).
I also listened to the audiobook and didn't care for the narration. If I had read the book instead, I feel like I would have enjoyed it more.

Overall, this was a fun little read that I recommend to anyone who enjoyed dark academia and/or YA mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

alana ♡

Rating: really liked it
If there is one thing Lia was consistent with in this book it was making the worst choice possible EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Despite my lower rating I did pretty much devour this two sittings because there were twists at every corner but I just never really felt much of anything for the characters. In the future I would definitely like the read this authors adult novels because I think they would work much better for me.

Dannii Elle

Rating: really liked it
Lia Setiawan has never really fit in at her old school and this proves to be even more the case at her new one, after she receives a full scholarship to the prestigious and wealthy Draycott Academy. She is singled out by the school's online gossip app but her secrets aren't the only ones revealed there and Lia quickly learns that new rumours fly during every new school day. Staying under the radar is her main objective, but this proves difficult when the popular girl is her track rival and impossible when she can't seem to manage to juggle her academic and athletic responsibilities. As Lia begins to spiral she starts to discover that life at the Academy isn't all she anticipated and that something sinister might be lurking behind the picture-perfect façade.

Was this story a little overly-dramatic? Yes. But did it prove a fun and bloody read? Also, yes. Parts of this were eye-roll worthy ridiculous but, for the most part, it tackled difficult real-world topics with an intensity I enjoyed reading. I did guess one of the final reveals but that did not halt any prior immersion in the story-line or my desire to see Lia prevail in her seemingly never-ending fight for justice and equality.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Jesse Q. Sutanto , and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for this opportunity.

Alexandra

Rating: really liked it
I cant do it sorry just was not for me.

Fizah(Books tales by me)

Rating: really liked it
Actual rating 2.5

“Who are you trying to protect? This isn’t your world, child. Give any of these kids here a chance and they’ll throw you under the bus, just to make sure this place keeps going, you know what I’m saying?”

This is my second book by Jesse Q. Sutanto.  From comedy to the mystery is a big jump. So, I really wanted to try how she'll be able to switch from one genre to another.

Lia Setiawan, a girl from a humble background, got admission to Draycott Academy on a track scholarship. This prestigious academy is so rotten from the inside and Lia has to survive here to save her scholarship and future. She is a new target for bullying from students as well as teachers. Her only option is endless hard work but it is not also enough when so many complicated elements are part of one's life.

The starting of the book was really engaging but with the time, it started to get stretched and dull. The story was more focused on different character development and their bonding rather than the mystery part. There were a few interactions that I enjoyed but there wasn't any mind-blowing mysterious element. I really struggled to connect with any of the characters. By the end, I just wanted this book to finish. 

“Quick, must say something mind-blowing. Something so hilarious and brilliant that he’ll immediately fall in love with me. I open my mouth. “Bwuh?”