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lybrarie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When I picked this book up, I did not expect it to be the emotional sucker punch it ended up being. I definitely didn't think that when I first started it either. In all honestly the first 50 pages or so I wasn't even sure whether I liked it. But once the mystery properly picked up and everything else started becoming apparent I was completely sucked in.
This book covers some heavy topics, and I would definitely recommend looking at the trigger warnings if you are considering reading this. But I think they were handled in such a truthful way, it's fiction but it could very well have been true. Jo is not a character I am going to forget very quickly.
I certainly enjoyed the reading experience, any book that can bring out any kind of true emotion in me is always going to get a high rating. I'm very interested to see what Adamo does next.
This book covers some heavy topics, and I would definitely recommend looking at the trigger warnings if you are considering reading this. But I think they were handled in such a truthful way, it's fiction but it could very well have been true. Jo is not a character I am going to forget very quickly.
I certainly enjoyed the reading experience, any book that can bring out any kind of true emotion in me is always going to get a high rating. I'm very interested to see what Adamo does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Blood, and Alcohol
dkamada's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“I’ve never been very good at describing Not Like Other Girls. Seriously, my go-to line used to be, “oh, yeah, it’s a fun little mystery with fake dating,” which is technically true but not totally accurate…This is a book about a friend breakup between two teenage girls and how navigating that loss is so distinctly devastating. This is a book about first love. It’s a book about being seventeen and restless in your hometown. It’s a book about privilege and power and entitlement. It’s a book about sexual assault”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
lxmvc's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the story, however I was really looking forward to it being focused on Maddie being missing where as instead that was a side plot to the main character.
I felt like it took a little bit long to get into the juicy stuff about the main character investigating her friend’s disappearance and then it all came to conclusion resolved rather quickly towards the end of the book, it almost felt a little bit rushed.
I felt like it took a little bit long to get into the juicy stuff about the main character investigating her friend’s disappearance and then it all came to conclusion resolved rather quickly towards the end of the book, it almost felt a little bit rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Abortion, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
btwnprintedpgs's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Y'all aren't ready for this book, holy honk. I want to scream for so many reasons. The emotional roller coaster this had me on - one moment I'm laughing, the next I'm crying, the next I'm fueled by righteous rage. The fact that this is a debut novel had me absolutely floored, because it didn't feel like that for a second. Anyways, it's 1:30AM, so full RTC.
---
This book is about broken and toxic friendships, the "not like other girls" moniker and all it's connotations, a girl disappearing, sexual assault (including rape, revenge porn, and more), and how those we love can let us down. Though these are all hard subjects to read about, Meredith Adamo makes it easy.
Jo is a firecracker of an MC. She's an outcast, at odds with her old friends, but doing the best she can with what she has. She's one of those characters you like from the start - her witty inner dialogue, her strong and distinct voice, her growth as she starts to better understand and reframed her narrative, everything about her draws you in from the start. She had true main character energy, to the point where it felt like other characters were trying to strip her of it and make her secondary to their story, and yet they never succeed.
Though Maddie goes missing, the story is really centered around Jo. We get to see Jo grow as a character, both through her inner narrative and her healthier relationship with friends, family, and Hudson. Despite the darker side of her story, I found her new friendships wholesome; the banter sweet, funny, and realistic; and her own voice a great way of adding levity to the whole situation. It's all done in a way that's tasteful, but I also laughed way more than expected.
At the end of the day though, I feel like I got sucker punched by this book. Some parts just felt like such a dose of reality, or felt so poignant, that I would literally gasp. There's one line especially (taken from the ARC, but if it's removed from the final copy, I will cry) where Jo asks someone, "When did I stop being a person to you?" I felt all the air leave my lungs cause oof. It makes more sense in context, but even on its own it packs a punch.
This book will make you laugh, cry, get mad, and scream in righteous fury, but you'll be glued to the pages throughout. Once I met Jo, I couldn't leave her story or her world. An absolutely amazing debut, Meredith Adamo is one to watch!
TW: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual content, bullying, kidnapping, drug use, alcohol consumption, injury detail, violence, adult/minor relationship; mentions infidelity, death of a parent, death via car accident
ARC gifted by Bloomsbury US via BookInfluencerDotCom in exchange for an honest review.
---
This book is about broken and toxic friendships, the "not like other girls" moniker and all it's connotations, a girl disappearing, sexual assault (including rape, revenge porn, and more), and how those we love can let us down. Though these are all hard subjects to read about, Meredith Adamo makes it easy.
Jo is a firecracker of an MC. She's an outcast, at odds with her old friends, but doing the best she can with what she has. She's one of those characters you like from the start - her witty inner dialogue, her strong and distinct voice, her growth as she starts to better understand and reframed her narrative, everything about her draws you in from the start. She had true main character energy, to the point where it felt like other characters were trying to strip her of it and make her secondary to their story, and yet they never succeed.
Though Maddie goes missing, the story is really centered around Jo. We get to see Jo grow as a character, both through her inner narrative and her healthier relationship with friends, family, and Hudson. Despite the darker side of her story, I found her new friendships wholesome; the banter sweet, funny, and realistic; and her own voice a great way of adding levity to the whole situation. It's all done in a way that's tasteful, but I also laughed way more than expected.
At the end of the day though, I feel like I got sucker punched by this book. Some parts just felt like such a dose of reality, or felt so poignant, that I would literally gasp. There's one line especially (taken from the ARC, but if it's removed from the final copy, I will cry) where Jo asks someone, "When did I stop being a person to you?" I felt all the air leave my lungs cause oof. It makes more sense in context, but even on its own it packs a punch.
This book will make you laugh, cry, get mad, and scream in righteous fury, but you'll be glued to the pages throughout. Once I met Jo, I couldn't leave her story or her world. An absolutely amazing debut, Meredith Adamo is one to watch!
TW: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual content, bullying, kidnapping, drug use, alcohol consumption, injury detail, violence, adult/minor relationship; mentions infidelity, death of a parent, death via car accident
ARC gifted by Bloomsbury US via BookInfluencerDotCom in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Car accident, and Death of parent
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