“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”

if you're going to read this book, PLEASE do yourself a favor and CHOOSE THE AUDIOBOOK. the narrator (georgina sadler) is FANTASTIC. she really makes the words come to life, and I think she's a huge part of why I mostly enjoyed this book (with a few caveats). don't listen to anyone who says the main character is "not likeable." I thought she had a great sense of humor and amazing voice. she was also really layered! I think you'd like this if you liked a good girl's guide to murder by holly jackson! but also check the content warnings before diving in, because there are some pretty heavy topics.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Audio for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This was a 5 star listen with twists and turns every moment and a powerful message of sovereignty and self worth! I am shocked that this is Meredith Adamo's debut novel, and I really hope we get to see more from her. 

"Not Like Other Girls" is a story about Jo-Lynn Kirby. I almost continued there, but, truly, this story, at heart, is about Jo - who she's always thought she was and who she's realizing she is and deserves to be. Jo-Lynn had been friends with Maddie Price, one of her only female friendships, until a falling out that neither will share the details of. Jo stays friends and "friends" with guys, and the other girls at school, along with Maddie, slut shame her and treat her like a pariah. Her parents don't see how Jo's changed, and she has lost her top grades to the point of landing on probation. And then Maddie goes missing. Jo feels like something isn't quite right with the explanation given, and she keeps digging until she discovers something big. 

Throughout the story, Jo's current/past relationships with people, including the grief she feels at the loss of her friendship with Maddie, are juxtaposed with the new relationships she makes as she starts to uncover secrets and schemes at her school. Adamo brilliantly captures what it feels like to lose a best friend - the lack of closure that comes from that, and the secret hope that maybe, just maybe it will get better. I've never felt that so honestly captured in a book before, and it is a testament to Adamo. 

Something I want to make sure to highlight is the pushback against the slut-shaming and the realization of the sexual assault that Jo has been put through - this is really important both narratively and as a message to society. If those are triggers for you, you may want to sit those out, but as a survivor myself, I felt very seen and proud of Jo. Adamo's note at the end of the audiobook in her own voice about her own experiences and why she felt she needed to tell Jo's story had me in tears. 

"Not Like Other Girls" comes out TOMORROW, April 30th! Get your copy wherever books are sold, and then come back and chat with me! I can't wait to be able to talk more about the twists and characters with someone!

4.5⭐️

Holy sh!t..
I loved this book.

I got the (really well narrated) audio ARC from Netgalley 🫶 and was hesitant at first because of the title, I couldn't figure out if this was an ironic "not like other girls" or a serious one and I was still pretty confused on that point until about 40% through the book.

What I didn't expect was the insane emotional impact that this book would have on me. This feels like the kind of book that's important. 

This feels like the book you get assigned in class or find on your own when you're like 15 that changes the trajectory of your life. This feels like something I wish I had read when I was in high school. I'm honestly kind of mad that she didn't go back in time and give me that chance.

When trying to explain this feeling to people, I compared it to reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower or 13 Reasons Why or The Outsiders. Not to say that this book is on par or above or below those, but just in the way of how impactful, I think it could be on the YA scene.

Even when Jo was annoying the crap out of me with her "not like other girls" vibe, I never disliked her. There was always something about her that made me care for her or feel sympathy for her. Watching her change and come into herself throughout the novel was everything to me.

The mystery and the fake dating plot were really fun, too! They gave the story so many more layers.

The only reason I can't give it a 5⭐️ is because I got a little confused and a little "over it" by the end. The mystery plot kinda went wild, and I doudn myself forgeting who was who and who did what to whom and why this person was mad at that person and just gernally got a little lost. It felt a bit rushed, and by that point in the book, I barely cared about the mystery anymore as I was so invested in Jo herself. 

I was so proud of myself (a notoriously easy crier)for not crying at all throughout the read, but then she had to go and hit me with that authors note😭. 

I hope this book gets the love it deserves! 

This book left me in beautiful agony. It's not the kind of pretty you see in a curated insta post. This book is raw and emotional, leaving me bleeding. It was an absolute heart-wrenching and transformative experience to envision how stories told by others and by ourselves can be twisted and contrived, manipulated into a new narrative that fits a box. Fills the gap. Eases others around us. But it is not our true story.

OH MY GODDD I LOVED THIS BOOK
okay so, i work at a b&n and this was sitting on the arc shelf and during my lunch i picked it up because i was intrigued by the title. i then read 40 pages after i ate and IMMEDIATELY was hooked and decided to take it home. i am not a good reviewer lmao BUT the way this book delves into the “not like other girls” phenomena with the female characters and specifically jo’s journey is so so good. the mystery is super intriguing and!! the romance is so cute like it’s a lot to pack into a book but it’s so so so well done.

maybe i’ll come back and re review this when it’s not so late at night bc this book was so goddamn good i cannot stress this enough