New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by Paige Harbison
Release Date – January 31, 2012
Publisher Website – HarlequinTeen
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 304 pages
My Rating- 6/10
**obtained from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Welcome to Manderley Academy

I hadn't wanted to go, but my parents were so excited…. So here I am, the new girl at Manderley, a true fish out of water. But mine's not the name on everyone's lips. Oh, no.

It's Becca Normandy they can't stop talking about. Perfect, beautiful Becca. She went missing at the end of last year, leaving a spot open at Manderley—the spot that I got. And everyone acts like it's my fault that infallible, beloved Becca is gone and has been replaced by not perfect, completely fallible, unknown Me.

Then, there's the name on my lips—Max Holloway. Becca's ex. The one boy I should avoid, but can't. Thing is, it seems like he wants me, too. But the memory of Becca is always between us. And as much as I'm starting to like it at Manderley, I can't help but think she's out there, somewhere, watching me take her place.

Waiting to take it back.

I loved the sound of this when reading the synopsis. I was hoping for an excellent mystery, maybe a little creepy. While the mystery aspect of the story was fine, the characters made it not the book for me.

I found most of the characters pretty unlikeable and could not connect with any of them. The main character, simply referred to as New Girl for most of the story, was the only character that I found somewhat likeable. I mostly felt bad that she was treated the way she was by the rest of the students because she came in and "took" Becca's place after she disappeared.

Becca plays a large part of the story even though she is missing, and we are told her story in alternating chapters. I really was invested in the mystery surrounding her. The mystery of what happened to Becca was what kept me reading. The author does manage to keep you guessing about that fateful night, and when what happened is revealed you are left with more questions.

The two guys in the story Johnny and Max were supposed to be best friends. I don't really get how they could hurt each other as much as they did over Becca. I had an over all feeling of selfishness from everyone involved. Maybe the whole point was for you to dislike all the characters, but it just made me feel disconnected.

While this book may not have been for me, I recommend that if you are interested in checking it out, you give it a try. It might be a better fit for you.