Sophia and her parents go into hiding in Montana after some unspecified traumatic incident in Instanbul. (Sophia's parents have dangerous jobs in some governmental agency.) Sophia enrolls in a local school, where she meets a mysterious and enigmatic guy and quickly falls in love with him. 

Sophia is just your average teenager. You know, one who speaks a dozen languages, is an expert markswoman, triple black diamond skier, effortlessly smart, and trained in hand to hand combat. When a school dance rolls around she suddenly has trunks full of couture gowns that magically fit all her friends, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-style. I did find her a little hard to relate to, though her PTSD helped make her more sympathetic.

The first part of the book is all romance and vague hints that Sophia might be in danger. The plot kicks more into gear during the book's second half, which is one action scene after another and moved a little fast for me to follow. I do love thrillers but to me the pacing felt off in the one, with the first part of the book feeling a little slow-paced and the second moving at breakneck speed.

On the plus side, this is very different from the typical YA, so if you do enjoy political thrillers, give it a try!

My favorite part about GIRL FROM NOWHERE is the pacing. All the way through, it has this tense, cliff’s edge feeling to it. I needed to know what was going to happen to her. I loved her struggle between her instincts for protection and her desire to be a normal girl in a small American town.

The toughest part of the book, for me, is that I found it hard to buy into the idea that she’d be as knowledgeable and trained as she is and only be a teenager. Being fluent in the number of languages she was, and on top of that being an expert on weapons, combat, wilderness survival, etc. It seemed like she would have had to be older to have expertise in ALL those things. Aksel seemed like he should have been older, too.

For the most part, though, I was happy to give into a willing suspension of disbelief and follow the wild ride of the story through all its twists and turns. I think fans of GENUINE FRAUD by E. Lockhart or FLOW LIKE WATER by Mark Burley will enjoy this world-crossing, intense book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

CW: PTSD, gun violence, terrorists, death of a parent

READ. THIS. BOOK. I seriously read 93% of it in one day and the only reason I didn't finish the last 7% is because it was past my (very early) bedtime. The whole story was super engaging and I could hardly put it down. I honestly can't believe this is a debut novel because it is so well done. I loved the characters, the storyline was WILD, and there were so many unexpected twists and turns.

Pure escapism. Like a female Alex Rider. Sophia has spent her whole life being trained to be a secret agent. She has remarkable powers of observation, speaks 14 languages, can shoot a gun, thinks clearly in moments of duress AND she looks really good in a designer evening gown. My students will love this book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this early! 

Sophia is a teenager finally settling in Montana with her past in the past. Or so she thinks. Eventually, it catches up with her. Not before finding love, and friends, and the normalcy she so desperately craves. Her life has been anything but normal. 

This book was full of a bit of love, lots of suspense, and unknowns. It was the perfect mix of action and teenage life.

I loved this debut. This is one author that I look forward to reading more books from. She has a clear voice that draws you in and characters that stick with you. Engaging and entertaining this is one debut book you should definitely check out. Happy reading!

I couldn't get into this one.  It seemed way too far-fetched of a storyline.  Plus, it was more of an action story than a romance or girl adjusting to a new school story.

Girl from Nowhere starts quite fast – we’re thrown headfirst into Sophia’s new life. She and her diplomat parents have just moved to Montana after years of traveling abroad. We get to watch Sophia (struggle to) adapt to the life of a “normal” teenager. I enjoyed the beginning and discovering more about Sophia’s past as she drops details when talking to new friends and through flashbacks.

But then we meet Aksel, Sophia’s love interest and that’s where things start to go a little downhill.

I just didn’t find Aksel interesting as a character – he was a little too perfect. And Sophia and Aksel’s romance was not as good as advertised. It felt a bit like insta-love but less believable. Come on, where’s the chemistry, the fun banter, the awkward interactions? It went from 0 to 100 pretty quickly.

Not to mention, I was honestly quite confused while reading Girl from Nowhere and left a bit confused after I finished. And in this case, “confused” is not a synonym for “intrigued” or “curious”. It is straight up, head-scratching, “huh???” confusion.

One of the causes for all the confusion is all the info dumps that occur. Throughout the first half of the book, bits and pieces of Sophia’s past and her parent’s work are sprinkled into the story. That strategy works well at first to create genuine intrigue and mystery. But then instead of getting crumbs of information, huge wedding cake size parts start falling into the plot. Seriously, there’s an entire chapter of dialogue purely dedicated to Sophia’s backstory. Not only are the info dumps a bit awkward, but they also add confusion and more questions. Instead of helping me connect some dots, I’m stuck trying to figure out how the new details fit in with everything else.

Another cause of confusion is basically everything that went down in the second half of the novel. Girl from Nowhere really starts picking up then, and we go from something Gallagher Girls-esque (think teen spy school) to something out of the Bourne movies (action-thriller movies about a CIA assassin).

I’m kind of confused on how we made that transition, but okay, whatever, it’s fun. I like a bit of adventure. For the most part, I enjoyed reading about all the action that went down, but the more action sequences I read, the more things didn’t add up. Even my overactive imagination and spy/thriller/mystery-loving brain had trouble making sense of things.

GIRL FROM NOWHERE requires a suspension of disbelief that I just couldn’t muster. The action was outlandish, the plot had too many gratuitous twists, and the romance was unrealistically fast and deep. I couldn’t get myself to like any of the characters, because their personalities were overwhelmed by the ridiculous circumstances surrounding them. The only reason this gets two stars instead of one from me is that I’m sure that there are readers who would enjoy the pace and the drama. But it was much, much too far-fetched for me to enjoy.

Girl from Nowhere is billed as an action/romance; this is true, but in a very delineated way.  The first half of the book focuses on establishing the romance and the second half of the book is almost exclusively action. 

The romance is a bit of a struggle from the reader's perspective with weak dialogue, the protagonist's early odd and combative interactions with Aksel (the male lead), and an excessive focus on the attractive physical features of Aksel.  A sense of real chemistry never really is achieved, which is odd because there are reasons these two characters would be attracted to each other.  Perhaps it is the characterization of Sophia in the first part of the book.  Although she is recovering from a trauma, it is incongruent that such a well-traveled, trained individual would have such a motor mouth and drop so much information randomly and behave so erratically.  In fact, the competent Sophia in the last part of the book seems almost like a different person.  Perhaps the author was trying to show Sophia achieving a turning-point in her recovery, but it just seemed too different without a sufficient transformation bridge and added to the feeling of two books and two different characters.  A few other aspects and inconsistencies in the first half of the book added to a stilted cadence.

However, the action section of the book flies by in a Bourne Identity or Mission Impossible-style barrage of events, encounters, and escapes (cue the motorcycle chase).  The author's writing is stronger and fluid in this arena, and there are some satisfying and surprising little twists in the plot.  Even when Sophia takes some impulsive action, it feels authentic given the tensity of the situations and the emotional wringer she has been put through in a short period of time.  Most questions are answered and only a few minor holes are left unfilled; this book doesn't feel like a set-up for a sequel, but it ended in a way such that a sequel could be an option.

This novel definitely requires the reader to suspend their disbelief on page one, but it is easy, escapist fiction and a don't-take-me-too-seriously beach read that is a quick read perfect for checking out of reality for a bit.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy

Thank you to @tiffany_Rosenhan and @netgalley for this digital e-arc. I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Plot:
Sophia has lived quite an exciting life. Since her mother and father are US Diplomats, she has moved around to countless countries and speaks multiple languages fluently. When her family moves to Waterford, Montana, she thinks everything is “over”. Her mother and father tell her there is nothing to worry about and that they have “retired”. However, her past continues to haunt her as she tries to acclimate to life in a small town. As she tries to fit in, she finds a group of a couple friends, and starts dating the mysterious senior named Aksel. Their spark is immediate as they both have skills that most teenagers would not. However, things from her past seemingly start to creep up. Sophia tries to push them out of her mind and away, but eventually she is forced to question everything she has ever known.

Personal Opinion:
This novel gripped me from the FIRST PAGE! I actually told my husband that it feels like I am reading/living in a Jason Statham action movie. This book is action packed with quite a few corkscrews thrown in! I honestly LOVED it! It has action, a little romance, and definitely some thrilling, edge of your seat moments! It is perfect for students grades 7 and up! Highly recommend! It is out next tuesday, July 21st, 2020, so go pre-order today!

An adreline rush from start to finish. This book is an epic roller coaster ride with great characters, locations, and plotting. It reads like a movie and I wish I could watch it!

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an h ok nest review.  Honestly, I didn't like this book.  Right off the bat, I have to say the book was way too long.  It just seemed to drag on and on especially the beginning.  For a book with spies, vengeance, kidnapping, and romance it was dull.

Sophia has been dragged around the world by her parents that work for a shady government agency and she has apparently all the skills of a spy.  First off what kind of agency would allow their spies to travel with a child?  They whole it was the perfect disguise is stupid.  As the story proves this only puts her in danger.
 
The romance also felt flat.  I didn't care about Sophia and Aksel's relationship at all.  They shot guns together, they skied together, blah blah blah.

Obviously, from other readers others may not agree with me but I just really didn't care about anyone in this story.

The first half was interesting, but didn't keep my attention throughout the book. I did like several scenes here and there.

Well, I'll say this: you definitely need to suspend your disbelief for this one.

Although it's described as a mixed action/romance, the story definitely tends more toward the former - maybe this will have more appeal for those who enjoy action films. I tend not to stay riveted by "I shot this guy, then ducked under the table and shot that guy" scenes even when presented visually, and simply reading through those sorts of passages really doesn't capture my attention so I ended up skimming a lot. I will say that a lot of the spycraft elements seem pretty solidly realistic to my eyes. Some of the early action might be of interest to those who enjoy survivalist/wilderness type books (by the 20% mark, there's been both an animal attack and an avalanche) but at least the latter half centers more strongly on fictionalized plots related to geopolitics and terrorists; lots of action and cookie cutter villains.

One of the biggest things I had to remind myself to suspend disbelief for was the simple fact of Sophia's upbringing, a key part of the basis of the story: considering her parents' lifestyle, I was baffled fairly early that the government/her parents' superiors would seemingly support her joining them, and my feelings about this only increased with the information revealed throughout the book. I also felt that her parents' culpability was not interrogated nearly strongly enough; a scene between Sophia and her mother toward the end of the book which is supposed to be heartwarming fell completely flat for me (as her mother proclaimed her complete lack of regret about having Sophia in her life, I sat speechless, wondering if her mother was totally oblivious not to regret what happened to Sophia based on her parents' choices).

As for the romance, I certainly got what the author was going for - what's the world coming to if the mysterious new girl with combat and tradecraft skills isn't going to get together with the mysterious sharpshooting loner boy who wants to be a Navy SEAL? - but it felt extremely blah and juuuuust this side of instalove to me. Sophia could have gotten together with a broomstick who could shoot a gun and say things like "You're the strongest person I've ever met" and it would have felt the same to me (and vice versa, tbh, filling in her particular areas of expertise, of course).

I also can't particularly recommend the characters or the writing. Sophia and Aksel both read as pretty flat and unrealistic, and more vehicles for innumerable skills than actual people, and the secondary characters were so bland that I was surprised when some of them made a late reappearance in the book; I would have expected them to have been easily forgotten by the plot. As mentioned, the action scenes are likely propulsive enough for readers focused on that area, and there are several twists to keep things interesting, but the dialogue isn't particularly snappy and there are literally whole chapters devoted to monologued backstory in a writing style far better suited to thought or omniscient narration - I mean, huge chunks where I kept thinking, "this could have been a flashback! Why not at least make it a flashback???"

Considering "for every book it's reader" and the other, stronger reviews I can already see being posted, it might be that this book's strengths don't match up with the things I find interesting or valuable in my reading, but I was overall pretty unimpressed.

Sophia had spent time in a myriad of countries all over the world, but now,  with her parents' retirement, she would finally have a place to call home. Just as she was settling into her new life in Montana, danger came calling again, but she wasn't ready to give up being a "regular" teen just yet. 

This was a perfect escape for me! It was the break from reality I needed, and I found myself totally absorbed in Sophia's life or death trials. More often than not, I can be found reading a contemporary novel, therefore, I was quite surprised by how much I relished this action packed tale. 

I was truly fascinated by Sophia, her parents, and the lives they led. All the places they had live, the languages they spoke, and the plethora of skills they acquired all interested me. Reading about their training, and seeing that know-how in action was a thrill. Car chases, explosions, gun fights, and narrow escapes filled the pages, and I found myself devouring it all. 

It didn't hurt, that there was a rather sweet and adorable romance built into the story either. Sophia and Aksel were quite a pair. There were sparks from the very beginning, which eventually grew into a full on blazing fire. He had aspirations of a military career, and therefore, also possessed a multitude of survival skills, which were put to good use during their relationship. He was a perfect match for Sophia, and I found myself really rooting for them.

Overall: The combination of romance and action in this fast-paced tale had me hooked from beginning to end.

The  cover and description drew me to this book. I always love a good ya mystery. This one was not one much. I felt it started out strong and I was interested in the dynamics of Sophia and Askel but as soon as they got together that part of the story was basically over. I wasn't as interested in the second half of the book. It was more of an action story. It played out well and The twists were interesting except for her parents secret I picked up on that right away and was confused on how she didn't know when she did find out. Over all I give this story 3 stars.

I enjoyed the first half of this story, where Sophia tries to adapt to a typical American high school life after living abroad as a diplomat daughter for most of her life. The second half seemed confusing and rushed to me. There were too many story threads and not enough pay off. It falls under almost four stars to me. Very close, but not quite there.

"Girl from Nowhere" is a questionable choice for a title when the main character is essentially from everywhere. Sophia Hepworth has been to ninety-four countries, attended thirty-one different schools and can speak 14 languages. After living abroad for so long with her diplomat parents, she moves to Montana under the promise of being able to be a normal American teenager. Although skeptical of the decision, Sophia begins to root herself with friendships until the past catches up with her.

As the novel is described as ""Red Sparrow" meets "One of Us Is Lying", I expected Sophia to be more engaged with the spy world personally; an assassin herself, for example. That said, I accepted the story presented even if the characters read as older than they were. 

"Girl from Nowhere" was most compelling at the beginning, but began to fall short. A stronger narrative was needed to help the book move at a moderate pace. In addition, the plot was ridiculous at times and unbelievable passed the point of acceptability. I found it difficult to accept the idea of terrorists chasing a bland sixteen-year-old girl around the world for information she didn't have. Thinking she was kidnapped for revenge on the parents made more sense and I don't understand why this concept was deviated from. I do recall it being brought up. 

I enjoyed the parts of the story focused on healing from a traumatic event. The author does a great job with descriptions of sensory triggers and how they can manifest physically and emotionally at unexpected times. 

Sophie and Aksel's relationship was underdeveloped, not a "breath-taking romance" as marketed. This is a common trend I'm beginning to notice in Young Adult stories. Their interactions were placid and Tiffany Rosenhan spends a little too much time telling us how the love interest looks through the protagonists eyes. It lacked connection, substance and would've been better if the author didn't include romance at all if she wasn't going to dive deep enough with it. 

Overall, "Girl from Nowhere" has a lot of holes that need to be filled.

I enjoyed this novel. I liked the main character and the journey she was on. She’s been through so much in her life and all she wanted to do was settle, make friends, cope with her past, find romance, and move on. For me personally, the writing style made me struggle to read this book quickly. I Found myself putting it down frequently. I’m not sure I was connecting with the main story as much as I did, but I still walked away from the book saying “this was an okay novel!”