I didn't know what I was in for with this book, but it was such a pleasant surprise. I was sucked into a world that was familar, yet distinctly different, from my own. The characters felt real and the dialogue flowed without being cringey teenage banter. It was like I was watching a show unfold more than reading a single book.

Jo was such a powerhouse. The layers of her teenage problems and emotions were honest and real. The depcition of losing a close female friend in high school was written in such a raw way that it made me reminisce on my own experiences.

Tldr; I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I cheered. 

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. 

“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”

I did not enjoy the language in this book. There was so many swear words. The author really has a jaded view of teens these days. Not every teen is cheating, swearing, drinking, smoking, partying, or having sex. The author normalizes this behaviour as normal teenage behaviour. Thus setting a poor example or standard for today’s teens. This book was marketed very poorly. It should NOT be marketed as a YA book. The one good thing this book did was going through the proper channels of handling sexual assault. Additionally the narrator did a great job with a New Yorker/ bronx accent. I received an ARC for my unbiased opinion.

This book has quite a bit going on, which isn't always a bad thing, but I do think it made this book longer than it needed to be. For me, part of it was the pacing; at times, I felt too bogged down by the details that it took away from the main mystery in the plot. 

That being said, the cast of characters were well done, and I appreciated the overall message of the book, especially for a teen audience. The relationships and connections Jo makes throughout felt real and authentic, and those are what brought me back to the story. 

All in all, not a bad mystery/thriller, but maybe one that moves at a bit slower pace.

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!