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audlittlebookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a really difficult book to rate. The New Girl is a kind of prequel to The Obsession but can easily be rid as a stand-alone since they don’t overlap much. I liked how the stories fit together though and the little glimpses we got of those characters.
I really like Sutanto’s writing. It is immersive and descriptive and really allows you to feel alongside the main character Lia. I think she has a special talent for writing scenes with tension and disorientation.
That said, a lot of this book just didn’t make sense from a logic standpoint. I actually liked the snowballing effect of Lia’s bad decisions and it made sense given the whirlwind effect of the environment she was thrown into. However, her complete lack of forethought at certain moments were hard to buy, especially given her motivation in the beginning of exposing corruption. Some characters are having these moments of bond villain level exposition and she never once thought to record her intersections when confronting someone? Also, none of the police work/interactions made sense.
This is a fun YA thriller, if a little predictable, but I wish that the logic was more sound.
I really like Sutanto’s writing. It is immersive and descriptive and really allows you to feel alongside the main character Lia. I think she has a special talent for writing scenes with tension and disorientation.
That said, a lot of this book just didn’t make sense from a logic standpoint. I actually liked the snowballing effect of Lia’s bad decisions and it made sense given the whirlwind effect of the environment she was thrown into. However, her complete lack of forethought at certain moments were hard to buy, especially given her motivation in the beginning of exposing corruption.
This is a fun YA thriller, if a little predictable, but I wish that the logic was more sound.
whitneymouse's review against another edition
4.0
**Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS fire for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my rating**
I read Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties earlier this year and loved it, so when I saw she had a new YA book, I was very eager to read it. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity because I enjoyed this one a lot!
The book follows Lia Setiawan, a new student at Draycott Academy on a track scholarship. Lia's running is so great that she knocks the queen bee off of the varsity team, causing the other girl to get revenge through sabotaging Lia's grades. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but this book is jam-packed with action and sneaking around. It has a lot of dark academia vibes to it. Everyone at Draycott has secrets and the question is how far they're willing to go to keep them a secret.
I saw some reviews say this was "predictable." I don't agree with that analysis. I've been reading this genre for about a year now (so by all means, still new) BUT I felt like Sutanto gave us quite a few characters that could plausibly be behind certain aspects of the book that I wasn't able to guess all of the twists. So make of that what you will, but I think it was sufficient for most Thriller/Suspense readers. I liked a lot of the characters. I think Sutanto did a nice job with making the setting diverse and with creating a sympathetic protagonist. She's able to tackle some real world issues (specifically racism and classism) in her YA murder book that I felt were handled well.
I would like to address that obviously not every book will be everyone's cup of tea and reading is a deeply personal and subjective thing, but I always kind of question when I start seeing 2 and 3 star reviews on a BIPOC author's books where people start saying they "don't relate" to aspects, whether that's cultural or, in this case, the idea that rich children existing is somehow "unbelievable". We just had a news cycle not that long ago about parents paying to pretend their children were athletes to take spots at top schools, paying to have someone take the SAT for their child, etc. to ensure they got into Ivy League schools. There are kids all over TikTok and YouTube flexing cars and boats and other things their parents bought them. I work at a (public!) school where many of the kids have upper middle class money (not nearly as much as these characters) and they still go to Paris or St. Thomas or other expensive locations for school breaks and flex their electronics. It is not unbelievable that a private school with a $60k a year price tag would have kids with personal jets or yachts at it. They do exist and that's an annoyance, but it's not some farfetched and outlandish thing like some reviews are trying to make it. I really wish people would stop lowballing authors for things that are easily verifiable. Again, we're all entitled to our opinion, but when that opinion is demonstrably untrue, then it's just being biased and unwilling to check if your background knowledge is true or up to date.
Overall, I think the book is worth your time. It's melodramatic at times, but most teen mysteries are and the setting and characters are fun.
4/5 stars
I read Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties earlier this year and loved it, so when I saw she had a new YA book, I was very eager to read it. I'm so glad I was given the opportunity because I enjoyed this one a lot!
The book follows Lia Setiawan, a new student at Draycott Academy on a track scholarship. Lia's running is so great that she knocks the queen bee off of the varsity team, causing the other girl to get revenge through sabotaging Lia's grades. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but this book is jam-packed with action and sneaking around. It has a lot of dark academia vibes to it. Everyone at Draycott has secrets and the question is how far they're willing to go to keep them a secret.
I saw some reviews say this was "predictable." I don't agree with that analysis. I've been reading this genre for about a year now (so by all means, still new) BUT I felt like Sutanto gave us quite a few characters that could plausibly be behind certain aspects of the book that I wasn't able to guess all of the twists. So make of that what you will, but I think it was sufficient for most Thriller/Suspense readers. I liked a lot of the characters. I think Sutanto did a nice job with making the setting diverse and with creating a sympathetic protagonist. She's able to tackle some real world issues (specifically racism and classism) in her YA murder book that I felt were handled well.
I would like to address that obviously not every book will be everyone's cup of tea and reading is a deeply personal and subjective thing, but I always kind of question when I start seeing 2 and 3 star reviews on a BIPOC author's books where people start saying they "don't relate" to aspects, whether that's cultural or, in this case, the idea that rich children existing is somehow "unbelievable". We just had a news cycle not that long ago about parents paying to pretend their children were athletes to take spots at top schools, paying to have someone take the SAT for their child, etc. to ensure they got into Ivy League schools. There are kids all over TikTok and YouTube flexing cars and boats and other things their parents bought them. I work at a (public!) school where many of the kids have upper middle class money (not nearly as much as these characters) and they still go to Paris or St. Thomas or other expensive locations for school breaks and flex their electronics. It is not unbelievable that a private school with a $60k a year price tag would have kids with personal jets or yachts at it. They do exist and that's an annoyance, but it's not some farfetched and outlandish thing like some reviews are trying to make it. I really wish people would stop lowballing authors for things that are easily verifiable. Again, we're all entitled to our opinion, but when that opinion is demonstrably untrue, then it's just being biased and unwilling to check if your background knowledge is true or up to date.
Overall, I think the book is worth your time. It's melodramatic at times, but most teen mysteries are and the setting and characters are fun.
4/5 stars
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
A twisty YA mystery/thriller set in a posh private academy with a toxic Gossip Girls' style gossip/bullying app. Lia is the new girl in school there on a track scholarship, feeling like the odd one out she stumbles on some dark secrets about both her teacher and classmates. The narration was great, the story kept me entertained and I liked the focus on Asian American characters/experiences. Recommended for fans of The firekeeper's daughter or Ace of spades. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies in exchange for an honest review.
carolineelaine's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good, it had all the right amounts of suspense and intrigue, as well as a likable main character but the ending was obvious for me when I reached half-way in the book. I didn't agree with some of the main characters decisions but I felt she handled herself nicely given the situations she was in. I also loved how the author made you feel the guilt the main character felt. Im not gonna go too into detail about why she was guilty because, ya know, spoilers. This book just didnt reach the expectations I had for it. It was decent, just unpleasing in my humble opinion. Wow I just wrote the most boring review ever. Like I didnt even say one sarcastic thing. Then again Im writing this right after I finished It Ends With Us, (Colleen Hoover) and that book was so good that Im now in a reading slump and my brain feels fuzzy. Okay. I feel like a turd for mentioning a really good book in another books review, but... I dont know anymore. Im gonna go take a nap.
chefs kiss???
chefs kiss???
thanosthebeag's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mellabella's review against another edition
2.0
This starts off a little slow.
Lia transfers to a very posh new school named Drayton on a track scholarship. The other kids there are very rich. She is not.
Most of the new kids are heinous (especially the schools current track star). But she makes a few friends and, meets a boy named Danny who understands who she is culturally. Lia's dad was Indonesian Chinese. Her mom is Chinese and her dads side were against the pairing. The book references the prejudice Chinese people face from Indonesian Chinese people throughout.
Lia's grades have to stay good in order for her to stay at Drayton. Enter a problematic English teacher named Mr. Werner. His class is unbelievably hard. Pretty soon not only is Lia facing all kinds of bullying on the schools gossip app (Drayton Dirt aka "DD") but, she's in danger of losing her scholarship due to a poor grade.
It turns out Mr. Werner is doing shady sh*t that only his rich students are benefitting from. A student named Sophie (who had been kicked out) turns up dead in his office. Lia is at a crossroads. Mr. Werner is Danny's uncle by marriage. They're close. But she's also in danger of being kicked out due to Mr. Werner.
A few things here.
I need to know how dare Lia storm into the room (on her high horse) of one of the few friends she had on some self righteous BS
You'll figure things out early on.
Stacey needs a spin off.
2.5-3 stars. Lia became more annoying as the book went on. As did Danny.
I loved The Obsession. Jesse Sutanto is an awesome author. I'm definitely going to check out her other books, regardless.
Lia transfers to a very posh new school named Drayton on a track scholarship. The other kids there are very rich. She is not.
Most of the new kids are heinous (especially the schools current track star). But she makes a few friends and, meets a boy named Danny who understands who she is culturally. Lia's dad was Indonesian Chinese. Her mom is Chinese and her dads side were against the pairing. The book references the prejudice Chinese people face from Indonesian Chinese people throughout.
Lia's grades have to stay good in order for her to stay at Drayton. Enter a problematic English teacher named Mr. Werner. His class is unbelievably hard. Pretty soon not only is Lia facing all kinds of bullying on the schools gossip app (Drayton Dirt aka "DD") but, she's in danger of losing her scholarship due to a poor grade.
It turns out Mr. Werner is doing shady sh*t that only his rich students are benefitting from. A student named Sophie (who had been kicked out) turns up dead in his office. Lia is at a crossroads. Mr. Werner is Danny's uncle by marriage. They're close. But she's also in danger of being kicked out due to Mr. Werner.
A few things here.
I need to know how dare Lia storm into the room (on her high horse) of one of the few friends she had on some self righteous BS
Spoiler
AFTER killing someone?You'll figure things out early on.
Stacey needs a spin off.
2.5-3 stars. Lia became more annoying as the book went on. As did Danny.
I loved The Obsession. Jesse Sutanto is an awesome author. I'm definitely going to check out her other books, regardless.
ava_a07's review against another edition
3.5
My second time reading for a book club. After this reread I realize how dumb Lia, the main protagonist, is. She just does really ignorant stuff that made me visibly angry at this book. It was still fun though.
booksaremypeople's review against another edition
4.0
As a huge fan of Dial A for Aunties, I was eager to read this young adult novel, which, according to the author’s notes, looks as though it was written before Dial A for Aunties. This is the story of Lia, an Indonesian American, who procures a spot at the coveted Draycott Academy in Northern California under a track scholarship. The days she arrives on campus she witnesses police hauling away an Asian student who is kicking and screaming, no longer a student. But now Lia has moved into her room. On the surface, Draycott looks beautiful and feels safe, but Lia soon learns about DD short for Draycott Dirt, an online platform where students can anonymously spread gossip about one another. Before she’s had a chance to settle in, someone wants Lia gone and she’s has been dragged into the school’s dark underbelly rife with morally corrupt adults, drug dealers and liars. This dark and entertaining novel explores friendship, identity, class, race and bullying. Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of this book.