The new girl at Manderly Academy is unknown but everyone takes special notice of her because the empty spot she claims at the boarding school once belonged to Becca Normandy - a girl who went missing at the end of the previous school year. It is almost as if Becca never left. Her name is on everyone’s lips. Most believe she is pulling a stunt and will show up at any minute. Others think she was murdered. The rumors are rife and make the new girl’s life at the academy suffocating. Everything she does is compared to what Becca would have done.

To make matters worse, she is falling for Max Holloway. Becca’s old boyfriend. Actually, current boyfriend, if she is to believe her new schoolmates. Overshadowed by Becca’s constant invisible presence, will the others ever see the new girl as her own person? Or will Becca return and force her to fade further away?

I found New Girl to be very interesting, especially with the story-telling devices Paige Harbison used. The story alternates between the new girl who tells her story in the first person and Becca Normandy, the girl she took the place of, whose story is told in the third person.

Interestingly, Becca only attended Manderly for one year, the year before New Girl takes place. She was new to the school but she was completely confident. The new girl is only attending Manderly for her senior year and she is completely intimidated just by being new, and then even more so because Becca overshadows her without even being present.

Are you wondering why I have not told you the new girl’s name? That is because for the majority of New Girl, it is not revealed to the reader.

I cannot tell you how unsettling it was each time I finished a chapter and realized I still did not know the main character’s name. I knew a lot about her thoughts and feelings, but a big part of her was still missing. There were names everywhere: students, teachers, family, friends…the dog even had a name. I felt like a lot of her power was taken from her by never being named, by not having a place. Like she did not exist.

Yet everyone talked about Becca all the time like she was very much still present and had not disappeared. She had a name and a very real presence while the new girl had no known name and borrowed - and in some eyes had “stolen” - the presence from a girl she never knew.

New Girl is extremely clever. It has a wonderful writing style. I felt like I was a part of the story and I could see every place clearly. Wow. Paige Harbison’s writing style really pulled me in and engaged me for the entire book. The device of Having a nameless girl until the very end and the significance of who finally revealed her name was clever and poignant. Powerful. New Girl is a must read contemporary novel (with mystery and a hint of thriller) with incredible depth. It is brilliant.

Quotes that resonated with me (two of many) and were very poignant and fit the story exactly:

Recommended for everyone! Yes, there is some underage drinking, some language (especially the “f” and “b” bombs) and sex is alluded to many times (the deed is done but not described in detail), but New Girl is so incredible and deep and about so much more than that I would love everyone to give it a go.