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A review by bookish_notes
The New Guy by Amy Spalding
4.0
[b:The New Guy|26030737|The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions)|Amy Spalding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1450302509s/26030737.jpg|42774937] is a light and fun book about an ambitious and passionate teenager, Jules McAllister-Morgan, in her senior year of high school. From the first page, you get a sense who Jules is and her voice and tone is clearly set for the rest of the book. Jules is vying to be the editor-in-chief of her private high school's 104-year-old newspaper, The Crest. She sees this as another checkbox on her senior year accomplishments she needs to complete in order to get into the Ivy League school of her choice. However, Jules quickly finds out that life can't be a series of checkboxes to tick off her list because things happen that are beyond her control. Enter a former teenage boyband member, Alex Powell, and the rise of a news competitor at school that threatens the livelihood of her beloved school newspaper.
I thought the story was cute and fun read and that this book is aimed primarily at a younger audience. Jules definitely has her priorities straight with her schooling, but everything that feels just a little bit trivial to me seems to be blown out of proportion in Jules mind when the school newspaper and the new video telecast for the school goes to war with one another. There are so many intense scheming scenes and antics from both sides that I think I honestly connected more with Mr. Wheeler, the newspaper advisor, when he basically tells them to chill out.
Jules and Alex felt a little too much like instalove when they suddenly get together after knowing each other for about a week. But they have a cute relationship throughout the book, and their passive-aggressiveness at dog walking is hilarious. None of the characters have passages of descriptions written on them, but based on their interactions with one another, they still feel like they jump off the page and are memorable in their own way. I love Jules and her group of friends. I only wish we saw more of them! Jules parents are definitely a nice change from your usual mom and dad couples, because "Mom" and Darcy are so lovely and have a real relationship with Jules that doesn't stand in the way of the story at all.
I would definitely recommend this for all those who enjoy a good teenage contemporary.
*Thank you, NOVL for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*
I thought the story was cute and fun read and that this book is aimed primarily at a younger audience. Jules definitely has her priorities straight with her schooling, but everything that feels just a little bit trivial to me seems to be blown out of proportion in Jules mind when the school newspaper and the new video telecast for the school goes to war with one another. There are so many intense scheming scenes and antics from both sides that I think I honestly connected more with Mr. Wheeler, the newspaper advisor, when he basically tells them to chill out.
Jules and Alex felt a little too much like instalove when they suddenly get together after knowing each other for about a week. But they have a cute relationship throughout the book, and their passive-aggressiveness at dog walking is hilarious. None of the characters have passages of descriptions written on them, but based on their interactions with one another, they still feel like they jump off the page and are memorable in their own way. I love Jules and her group of friends. I only wish we saw more of them! Jules parents are definitely a nice change from your usual mom and dad couples, because "Mom" and Darcy are so lovely and have a real relationship with Jules that doesn't stand in the way of the story at all.
I would definitely recommend this for all those who enjoy a good teenage contemporary.
*Thank you, NOVL for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*