The trouble with girls like Jo is that they always ruin a good thing, they just want attention, that screwing up comes so easily… or at least that’s what she’s been told.

In the beginning of this book, I thought I’d be writing a review about how much I loved reading a thrilling mystery that had a fake-dating trope and kept me laughing, but as the story progressed, I realized I was reading a book that was going to impact me for the rest of my life. Now, no matter what I write in this review could truly do this book justice.

When we are introduced to Jo, she is described as being a troublesome girl with bad grades who has made some bad decisions that’s got her labeled as the school “slut”. As the story unravels, we learn that Jo’s life is not all what it seems & there were a lot of unsettling outside factors that have resulted in this reputation. While the story progresses, Jo's ex-bestie goes missing, and while it's labeled as a "runaway girl" to the media, there's actually a much bigger story behind it with multiple conspiracies. The end result was nothing I saw coming.

Far too many women are going to relate to Jo's overall story, including trying to get her parents attention, how much she doubts herself because of other people, and her just wanting to be liked.

Reading the author's note at the end was so special. I'm grateful to Meredith for sharing her story through Jo and feel an immense amount of healing from this.

I hate to say this is yet another prep-school experience gone wrong mystery, because while the focus of the story is solving the disappearance of Jo-Lynn's former BFF Maddie and the unraveling of her past, the real story is of Jo-Lynn coming to terms with things that happened TO her and finding her missing support system. This one feels like it's for all the girls who have had to change themselves just to protect themselves from the bad behavior of boys.

TW: Sexual assault, revenge porn

Wowza. I devoured this book because it was just so well paced and twisty that I couldn't put it down. This was a pretty unique story in the scope of what it accomplished, and it's one that I'll definitely recommend moving forward.

Characters: Our MC Jo-Lynn is essentially ostracized as the school "slut" and her fall from grace leads to a domino effect on her relationships with friends, family, and academics. She's relatable and likeable, still, though. Secondary characters including her seemingly aloof parents, her clearly struggling brother, a former best friend turned nemesis, her arms-length faux friends, a prior crush turned love interest, a dependable but nerdy acquaintance, and the list goes on. It's easy to see depth and realism in each character-especially in the context of the senior year school setting. There are definitely ones to make you leery, ones that you hope have good intentions, and ones that you can't get a good read on. Overall, I really like each character had a well defined purpose and was necessary to plot advancement.

The writing and pacing were both good. As the plot balanced Jo's past trauma with Maddie missing with a (not-so) fake romance with college pressure with family and friend dynamics, there were always elements to keep the story moving ahead while simultaneously advancing several of those story lines. It was easy to see how the past influenced the present and how all the overlap between people was easily believable.

Life is complicated and messy. But people are stronger than they give themselves credit for and good people do exist. This book makes it worth the 400ish pages to get those reminders.

Overall: 5 stars (I loved it)

I'll tell my students about: rape/sexual assault, sex, physical violence, cyberbullying, bullying, social media, language, alcohol, drugs, trauma, parental death (past tense), divorce

**Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury USA Children's Books | Bloomsbury YA for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thank you to the author herself for letting me read this ARC (presented on NetGalley).
This book absolutely destroyed me and healed me at the same time. I picked it up two weeks ago, and am now literally finishing this at 3 am because I got so hooked to this story. The characters were both so hilarious and made me want to punch them in the face. Jo is my heart, I love her character so much, she is an icon who deserves the world (I hope she gets it ❤️).
And this story, it became so powerful, so much bigger than what you think when you first start. And although it was hard, it was so important and needed.
Thank you for sharing Jo with us, and thank you for sharing a bit of you with us.

WOW. WOW WOW WOW. This had a LOT going on (mystery, unpacking of very serious trauma, a literal fake dating plotline) but somehow it came together pretty cohesively. Truth be told I was skeptical--how the hell do you put a fake dating plotline with a hot mysterious sarcastic man into a book about disappearance/murder and trauma???? Weirdly enough, though, it kind of worked--and it helped that the love interest was not at all perfect and it wasn't the infuriating thing where the boy magically heals the girl from her trauma because he's soooo hot and sensitive. I think because it was an ARC there was definitely some room for improvement with dialogue/clarity, but all in all this was FANTASTIC.

I received an ARC of this YA novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Teenagers can be so cruel. This is a raw novel about the end of a friendship, a missing girl, and rape. It's very realistic. The characters are relatable.

I really liked Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo. It was such an interesting and reflective look at teenage female friendships and how proximity doesn't always equal true friendship but that friendship in any form is a powerful motivation for people, whether it's for good or evil. I would definitely read more books by this author.

Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A thrill ride that’s deep! Jo’s the library when her ex best friend shows up and tells her she’s in trouble. Jo thinks she joking. Especially since Jo has fallen it of social graces since her nudes were leaked. Until Maddie ends up missing. Did she runaway or is there something more going on? Jo doesn’t like what the police are saying so she’ll have to force her way back into Maddie’s friend group to find out the truth. She’ll need Hudson’s help but can she trust him? And what if she finds the situation is bigger then just a missing Maddie? Can she handle the danger that comes from knowing people’s secrets? I enjoyed Jo’s journey to finding herself and being strong enough to tell her story! Meredith Adamo tells the story of a girl who the world is against, who people have let down, whose had to much trauma for her age, and who fights gain her voice again! There’s also the mystery aspect and the dynamic of how these two girls drifted apart. A page turn that will keep you hooked and enraged! Highly recommend!

Jo is an interesting character, and one that's easy to root for. She's complicated but loveable. Her perfectionist tendencies may resonate with some readers, as will the self-discovery aspect of the story. Jo's character development is well done and inspiring as she learns about self-worth. The subject matter is a bit heavy at times, so that could be a trigger for some readers.

Not Like Other Girls explores some really important themes in a way that may seem unconventional but is probably more reflective of reality. It also unfortunately gave me whiplash through the whole entire story. Jo-Lynn, who prefers to be called Jo, is not actually called that by hardly anyone. This is reflective of her life, who nobody sees for what it really is - a cry for help. Jo acts out and in general doesn't care about what's going on around her, but as the story goes on the reader will find out that several things happened to her that destroyed her confidence in herself and made her into a pariah in her school. When her former friend goes missing, suddenly in the quest to find Maddie, Jo has a second chance, with other girls in her class and a boy that might just like her for the right reasons. Except for do they? Is Maddie actually missing? Is there something bigger going on than Maddie missing? Who all is involved as this turns into a bigger scandal that could take down a shady plan and could finally offer Jo a chance at redemption? It got too messy and too complicated for me. It felt like every other chapter someone was a bad guy. Then a good guy. Then a bad guy again. Back to being a good guy. I think having a mystery that Jo is trying to solve while realizing that she's been a victim herself helps set the context that teenagers lead messy lives and coping with trauma often doesn't take center stage. But there was too much going on in this book for me, and too much of it was too hard for me to follow. Part of that might be writing from the perspective of a teenager whose mind is going in multiple directions at once, but I struggled to keep everything straight from the very beginning until the very end. Though I was happy to see Jo process what happened to her and get empowerment from processing her trauma. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The book was interesting. I thought the tone of voice was different from other books I've read. However, I think that over all the book was average.

When I started this book, I was pretty sure I knew where it was going. Boy was I wrong! If you like mysteries, this is one for you. Why were the pictures shared? Where is Maddie? Read on to find out!!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo follows Jo-Lynn Kirby as she tries to navigate her last semester of high school as the school's outcast. Once one of the popularish girls, Jo-Lynn finds herself being labeled "one of those girls" after her nude photos are leaked. Now, she tries to keep her head down and not draw any attention to herself. However, when her ex-best friend, Maddie Price, disappears, Jo-Lynn tries to figure out where Maddie went, if she's in danger, and what actually happened all those years ago when their friendship fell apart. Through trying to solve Maddie's disappearance, Jo-Lynn discovers something far bigger than she could have imagined about Maddie, and about herself. 

I really enjoyed Not Like Other Girls. Adamo perfectly writes the way it felt to be a teenage girl: wanting to be seen for who you are, but not wanting to seem like you care. Adamo put into words how confusing it can be when a friendship ends, how the feelings can linger years after the friendship ended, and how sometimes you can idolize something in your head without realizing all the ways it wasn't right. Adamo does a wonderful job of making you feel what Jo-Lynn feels as everything is unraveling. I haven't cried reading a book in a long time, and this book had me sobbing towards the end. 

 At its core, this is a novel about self discovery. It's a great book to begin to dissect the way society puts labels on young women, how difficult it can be to break free from those labels, and how you might believe the things people say about you. One of my favorite things about this book is watching Jo-Lynn build friendships and relationships with people she never thought she would be able to get along with. I loved watching her discover that it is possible to have meaningful relationships and that she is worth more than what other people think she is. 

Overall, I really loved this novel. It was my first five star read of 2024, and I'm excited to read more from Meredith Adamo. Not Like Other Girls is definitely one that I will be recommending to others.

I was surprised at how much I like this one. Jo-Lynn (she often goes by Jo Hyphen Lynn) used to be one of the popular girls who could do no wrong until an online betrayal of nude photos gone viral. When her former friend, now nemesis Maddy reaches out for help and then disappears, Jo-Lynn doesn't know what to believe, even wondering if Maddy has been murdered. She knows something is off and a great deal more is going on than what the authorities say, so she finds a way to work her way back into Maddy's group and start asking questions.
There is so much more than this to the novel. Jo-Lynn is one of the most real characters I have met. She is smart but deeply wounded and distrustful, and has become her own worst enemy. While looking for what happened to Maddy, she begins to discover more about her own past while learning more about herself, and being able to once again trust. It is a very complex psychological and emotional story, with very authentic characters who leap off the page. Once you start, you won't be able to stop. Outstanding.

I would give this book six stars if I could. The main character, Jo, is prickly and harsh and sometimes unkind to herself but so deeply REAL. This is an unflinching (but beautiful) portrayal of being a teenage girl and what it's like to navigate societal pressures and expectations, especially when your friends and family let you down. I wanted to hug Jo (though she wouldn't have appreciated that) and then hug myself. I cried, and I couldn't put this down.

Not Like Other Girls is an engaging read that will resonate with many students. Jo is a complicated, fierce and loveable protagonist, and her story will connect with other young women who struggle with perfectionism and wanting to be true to themselves. I could not put this book down!

Meredith Adamo's Not Like Other Girls takes a long hard look at sexual assault and the labels placed upon it. Bold, challenging, and unapologetic, the heroine tugs at your heartstrings while keeping you entertained as she struggles to find her former best friend and herself while refusing to allow her parents and her peers to shame her for an act of violence committed against her.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for the ARC!

"Not Like Other Girls" by Meredith Adamo is a heartfelt exploration of the complexities faced by teenage girls in the realm of societal expectations. This book just felt so real and heart wrenching, especially with Jo’s inner monologue throughout the book, especially her revelation about an event that happened in her past. While I was at first a bit iffy with the fake-dating part of the book, I was immediately sucked in due to the development of the mystery, the character development, and the biting social commentary of the “not like other girls” culture.

Jo's character is a highlight, showcasing her intelligence, resilience, and vulnerability. She felt extremely authentic with her perceptions of others as well as her actions, especially when facing the biases those have against girls who are “not like other girls,” which is a perception many of those in Jo’s life have of her, including her parents. I really felt like I could connect with Jo on a deep level, and I think teenage readers will especially be able to make that connection. Those who have ever heard the term “not like other girls” associated with them, I believe, would connect with Jo’s story and hopefully learn a lot about that culture and how it doesn’t define them. The story challenges the toxic "not like other girls" culture, illustrating that even when this phrase is used as a compliment (if it can even really be considered one), it ultimately perpetuates harmful stereotypes and unrealistic expectations.

Adamo crafts a multifaceted tale that unveils the layers of Jo's past, providing a stinging social commentary on the judgments imposed by adults, teachers, and peers. There was a line in the novel about how all the adults in Jo’s life had failed her that really hit me hard after reading it, and I actually had to stop and just digest that line before continuing. Adamo also addresses sensitive topics such as sexual assault with raw honesty and a heartfelt prose that resonates with authenticity. I do want to provide a trigger warning for SA involving a minor character (told in a flashback).

The book skillfully blends Jo's personal journey with the larger mystery of Maddie's disappearance, revealing a conspiracy within the student body that explores cutthroat rivalry and complex social dynamics. The plot twists were unexpected throughout; there were just so many different layers to the mystery and who all was involved. I will admit that I found myself almost becoming overwhelmed with all these different layers, maybe because I was so absorbed in reading the book that I was going too fast towards the end, but I definitely wasn’t expecting some aspects of the mystery, which was very well-written and developed.

Despite tackling heavy themes, the book maintains a balance by incorporating elements of teenage life and light-hearted moments. The mature approach to difficult subjects is commendable, offering a realistic portrayal of the challenges faced by young individuals. I really felt like the writing was realistic, especially in Hudson’s character and development. This book offers what I believe is a very realistic depiction of a teenage boy and his mistakes, showing that the love interest in a YA novel isn’t “perfect” and can still learn from his mistakes through open communication.

In essence, "Not Like Other Girls" is a powerful and thought-provoking read that transcends traditional YA boundaries. It not only entertains with its gripping mystery and romance but also serves as a poignant commentary on societal expectations, the impact of privacy invasion, and the resilience of individuals facing adversity. This book made me sympathize with Jo’s character throughout and cry for what she was going through; some of the lines and words of wisdom throughout are going to stick with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC of this book!

Not Like Other Girls falls under the YA category, but I would honestly recommend this for women of any age who have strong feels about the phrase "not like other girls". This book follows Jo-Lynn through her young adult years and how she became an outcast after her nude photos were leaked. It deals with how society treats young women and girls, their trauma, and how boys and men get away with awful things. While reading through Jo-Lynn's story and her journey to find herself again, it healed a little part inside of me. It's a book I wish I had in my teen years.

Jo-Lynn Kirby has been an outcast at school since someone shared nude photographs of her. While before this happened, she didn't mind being thought of as not like other girls, now whenever someone says that to her, it affects her so deeply that she continues to withdraw from all parts of her life. Everything has changed for Jo-Lynn and now it looks like she may not graduate. While she is struggling to just survive, her former best friend (and across-the-street- neighbor) Maddie Price goes missing. The last day Maddie was seen at school, she asked Jo-Lynn to meet her because she was in trouble and didn't know what to do. The mystery of her disappearance sets Jo-Lynn off on a mission to try to find out what happened to her. With the help of Hudson Harper-Moore, who comes up with a plan to be her fake boyfriend, Jo-Lynn dives into an investigation that uncovers more than Jo-Lynn thought was possible. The investigation also shows Jo-Lynn that no girl is like the other girls either, and that that sentence is used by people to keep girls quiet and submissive.