Not Like Other Girls

by Meredith Adamo

Overview

“Powerful, brilliantly plotted, voicey, gripping, beautiful, heart-wrenching, hilarious . . . Read this book.” -Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of The Agathas

When Jo-Lynn Kirby 's former best friend-pretty, nice Maddie Price-comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it's some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked-and since everyone decided she deserved it. There's no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.

Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can't shake the feeling there's more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind-and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo's with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she'd rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie's disappearance, she's left to wonder who she's really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.

Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547614004
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	04/30/2024
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	16,405
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Meredith Adamo is a YA author based in hot, humid North Carolina, but she's originally from Rochester, New York, which is her favorite place on the planet. She likes to write about girls who can make you laugh and break your heart—ideally on the same page. Her non-writing interests include collecting vintage bakeware, crocheting the ugliest blankets you've ever seen, and grocery shopping. Not Like Other Girls is her debut novel. Connect with Meredith @mere_adamo on Instagram and meredithadamo.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/15/2024

Debut author Adamo unflinchingly reckons with rape culture in this twisty, gripping mystery. Jo-Lynn Kirby used to reign supreme at her Rochester, N.Y., magnet high school. But after stolen private photos of her are leaked to her classmates, she’s ostracized and branded as the “Senior Slut,” events that derail her ability to focus on schoolwork and land her on academic probation. When former best friend Maddie Price turns to Jo with an enigmatic plea for help, Jo is suspicious; but after Maddie misses their meet-up and mysteriously vanishes, Jo is unnerved. As Jo’s investigation into Maddie’s disappearance homes in on a dangerous truth, she confronts a revelation of her own about a night she doesn’t want to remember. Edgy and authentic, this stunning gut-punch of a novel unravels the complexities of teen girlhood, toxic friendships, and trauma while a romantic subplot sensitively explores the challenges of reclaiming one’s sexuality after surviving sexual assault. Vividly voiced in Jo’s blunt, biting first-person narration, this is both a timely, suspense-building thriller and a powerful story of healing. Characters read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

A superbly crafted, timely, and enthralling mystery that unflinchingly examines the painful realities of being a teenage girl. Meredith Adamo's debut is a stunner.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of GIRL IN PIECES and THE AGATHAS

“Brave, witty, and razor-sharp, Not Like Other Girls is a gut-punch of a debut.” —Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of THE LEGACIES and THE COUNSELORS

“Powerful, brilliantly plotted, voicey, gripping, beautiful, heart-wrenching, hilarious. . . . Not Like Other Girls is a blistering indictment of the numerous ways our society fails young women, wrapped in a twisting, gripping mystery about a missing girl. Read this book.” —Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of THE AGATHAS, THE NIGHT IN QUESTION, and THE LUCKY ONES

“Occasionally you crack open a book to find yourself blown away by the searing honesty of the voice, the sharpness of the prose, and the authenticity of the characters. Not Like Other Girls is one of these rare finds; I am incredibly excited for readers to discover Meredith Adamo.” —Kit Frick, author of THE REUNION and I KILLED ZOE SPANOS

“A deep dive into the complexities of being a girl. . . . Heartbreakingly real, with a flawed narrator who attempts to untangle the braid of herself—the good, the bad, and the ugly.” —Mindy McGinnis, author of A LONG STRETCH OF BAD DAYS and THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES

“Powerful . . . Whether crafting authentic and immersive narration, spinning a sweet and sexy fake-dating storyline, or building a suspenseful and twisty mystery, Adamo proves herself to be absolutely an author to watch.” —BookPage, starred review

“Adamo breaks through the teen-sleuth genre with outstanding takes on themes of consent, power, and the devastating end to friendships. It hits all the right notes to make a gripping and impactful book, from its compelling voice to its hurtling enigma of a plot, all while juggling several themes with nuance and profundity. . . . Effective and compulsively readable, this is a must-read” —Booklist, starred review

“Edgy and authentic, this stunning gut-punch of a novel unravels the complexities of teen girlhood, toxic friendships, and trauma. . . A timely, suspense-building thriller and a powerful story of healing.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A captivating novel about finding the truth and oneself." —School Library Journal

“The mystery has all the elements of a good thriller: characters you can't necessarily trust; nail-biting suspense; and a twisty, surprising conclusion. But there's another layer . . . Adamo writes with compassion for 'girls like me' who deserve to be listened to, believed, and loved—and nothing less.” —The Horn Book Magazine

“Jo is an updated version of Veronica Mars in all the best ways as the damaged but resilient heroine, and the layered mystery will likely keep readers guessing through a well-paced series of reveals. . . Beyond the core mystery, there's nuanced portrayals of female friendships, a love interest as supportive as he is gorgeous, a suitably villainous 'nice guy,' and plenty of sex positivity and discussions about consent.” —BCCB

“A thoughtful and thought-provoking feminist tale woven into an expansive mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

05/03/2024

Gr 10 Up—"I think I'm in trouble, but I think you can help me." These are some of Maddie Price's last words to her former friend Jo-Lynn Kirby before she disappears. The rest of Rochester may deem her a runaway, but it's the last interaction with Maddie that Jo can't get past. While it means digging into her past trauma and facing former friends, Jo is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to Maddie. The deeper she digs into Maddie's disappearance, the more Jo questions what she knows and who she is really searching for. Is it Maddie or the girl she was before? Of course, there is more to the story than even Jo expected. This is a captivating novel about finding the truth and oneself: readers will enjoy trying to figure out what happened to Maddie along with Jo and figuring out who they can and who they shouldn't trust. Adamo has a good grip on being a teenager in today's world, making many situations relatable and realistic. This title may be a mystery, but it's also very much about being a teenager. The topic of sexual assault does occur within the book, which can be triggering for some readers. Most of the cast cues white; there is LGBTQIA+ representation among supporting characters. VERDICT This strong debut belongs on library shelves, especially where mysteries are popular.—Amanda Borgia

School Library Journal

2023-12-16
Seventeen-year-old Jo-Lynn Kirby, ostracized by the guys she used to be friends with, comes to terms with many difficult experiences while she looks into the case of a missing girl.

Smart but struggling Jo is on academic probation at Rochester, New York’s Culver Honors High School and trying to conceal her school troubles from her loving but unsupportive and checked-out parents. When Maddie, her former best friend, goes missing, Jo gets pulled into a scheme to find out what happened to her. Jo’s working with Hudson, a guy with whom she has a long and smoldering history, setting the stage for what proves to be a banter-filled, funny, sex-positive, and ultimately poignant romance that grows out of a fake-dating scenario. This, and the gradual reveal of Jo’s heartbreaking social history involving betrayal, bullying, and multiple instances of sexual harassment and assault, provide a strong emotional grounding for the sometimes-unwieldy twists and turns of the central mystery. Jo is an authentic, multidimensional character, and her relationships with a whole host of secondary characters are explored throughout, including what led to the end of her friendship with Maddie. All the main characters read white; there is some diversity in race and sexual orientation among background characters.

A thoughtful and thought-provoking feminist tale woven into an expansive mystery. (Mystery. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews