Book Review: The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date : February 1, 2022
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. And 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.
And 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.
Lia Setiawan is the new girl at Draycott Academy, an elite boarding school. She’s there on a track scholarship and feels out of place amongst her uber rich classmates. On her first day she witnesses a student dragged away kicking and screaming by campus security. What is the truth behind this incident? What other secrets are students and teachers alike harboring at Draycott? Is Lia in over her head at her new school?
The New Girl is a YA thriller written by Jesse Q. Sutanto, the author of the Four Aunties series and the Vera Wong series. The New Girl is fairly serious, unlike Aunties and Vera, which have some comic relief. Like the Four Aunties series, Indonesian culture plays a part. Lia is Chinese Indonesian, which is a problem for her boyfriend’s parents, who are native Indonesian.
The New Girl was my book club’s August selection. I don’t want to delve into too much detail and risk spoilers, but I will say that none of us were completely satisfied with the book. The epilogue didn’t make sense. We also struggled with the fact that the person who did the big bad thing didn’t seem to feel any guilt around it and was just concerned with whether or not they were going to get caught.
I didn’t hate this book but I’m going to stick to Sutanto’s adult books – I think they are more to my taste.
