made me feel painfully seen abt reckoning w/ my own prior experiences of sexual harassment & how those in power/authority watched it happen and condoned the behavior w/o saying anything lol 

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 had a lot of potential but it truly wasn't where it needed to be. It lacked focus and there were too many subplots. Repetition and the inability to stay true to the character was also something I struggled with here. There were so many moments where Jo would say/think one thing and do the complete opposite, which wasn't really in line with her character. This book would have benefited from a cut of about 100-120 pages--the first 100 were the same thing over and over. It needed a heavier editorial hand. I will say though, the voice was so compelling and kept me turning the page. But I think this book felt very split in trying to be a mystery and trying to be a book about lost friendship, SA, and a girl finding herself. I really wish it had accomplished what it set out to do because I think it could've been a huge breakout. Regardless, this POV of a SA survivors is necessary in YA and I do think it was told with care.

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!

I am so devastated by this book, and yet I'm also left feeling hopeful at the same time. I think I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. I'm still shocked this is a debut novel because of how good it is.

Early on in this book, you can tell that Jo has been let down by so many people in her life. By those that should have known better and those that were also just kids. But out of all the people I'm disappointed in, it's Jo's parents. My jaw dropped at a certain scene (though they disappointed me more than once in the book), and yours will too. I'm so glad that Jo ended up having friends and a trusted adult in her court by the end.

Now, for the way this book shows how victims of revenge porn (whether that's known or not) are treated. Unfortunately, it's more honest that we'd like to admit. Rarely are the victims actually treated like victims. Instead, they're often blamed and ostracized. And then, if they start to spiral or flail, they still receive no help. Again blamed and considered to be at fault for the consequences of "their own actions."

This was a difficult read because of the subject, but also just a really well written thriller that can help shed light on how society often treats those who need our support the most. This is a YA/NA mystery, but really it's a book even adults should read. 

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.