The New Girl

I had to remind myself that teenagers tend to exaggerate, tend to feel too much, tend to be dramatic and tend to be stupid. Yes, the issue of bullying is serious as well as drug abuse, but after one stupid decision to another, you kinda question just how dumb can a teen be.

I really could not find it in me to like the MC, Lia Setiawan. Because I hate whiners. She whines and sulks and almost always do things before thinking it thoroughly. And despite her effort to help her friends, I found her to be self-centered most of the times. Ugghh, she is so frustrating!

The overall story is intriguing, to be honest but is overshadowed by the OTT dramatics. After reading The Aunties series, I guess Sutanto relies heavily on her characters to be over-the-top dramatic. Yes, Asians tend to be dramatic but her characters are just... a tad bit too much. It's really tiresome to an extent.

Decent stuff, but could be better.

A Year of Slump


Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. And when she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she's determined to make it work. On her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security, while her schoolmates and teachers seem unphased. And as she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn't what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she's not sure if she can trust anyone...especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn.

So, it is fair to say that I had a tough year with books. Dear Ms. Sutanto my apologize for my super delayed review of your academic thriller. Between doing 30 job interviews to try and function after being home for two years due to covid I was not in the right space to want to read. Having said that I can say that I finished the audiobook in two days and will be reading more from this author in the future.

This was more of a psychological thriller, as you see the pure narcissism of privileged rich kids who honestly do not think that anything will every come of their actions. I enjoyed Lia's character, even through everything that she got herself into, I found her to be a bit comical. It gave me Gilmore Girls but dark vines which made this so much more fun for me since I am a massive fan.
Unlike some readers who say that there might be parts of the story who lagged I didn't feel that> I am not sure if it's because I was listening to the audiobook or because this author's writing style was beautifully interpreted by the narrator. Overall, this will be a 4 Star Read for me. # All-Nighter-Worthy