I loved this book, I could not put it down! Lux is an incredilby well-developed character with a solid character arc and a well-paced, interesting story. This is the first book in this series - focusing on a young girl by the name of Lux who has some serious anger management issues after her father leaves. Once she gets into a physical altercation she's sent to a new school. While there she meets a group of girls known as the flyy girls. I immediately read the second when I finished this! I can't wait for the others.

This was an intriguing start to a new series about young high school girls in a high school for the arts in NYC. I hope I will learn more about Lux in the future books, as this one was only a quick look at her life. I enjoyed the various themes addressed in the book including divorce, friendships, bullying, fighting, and anger. Lux is a photographer, which I especially love in book characters!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review! This is such a quick and easy read! It was super fun to read and the series is so cute. I love the diversity of the book and how fun it was to read. The wording and manner of the writing was a bit weird at times but overall it was a super enjoyable read.

I read Lux: The New Girl in September and really enjoyed it. Ashley Woodfolk was able to build a full story in a short time span and quickly gets you invested in the main characters story arc. Lux was the perfect POV as "The New Girl" because it helped to introduce you to rest of the friend group in an authentic way. Seeing Lux navigate her anger and adjust to family dynamics while exploring her passion for photography added depth to the story. Reading a story centered around a black teen growing from mistakes, pushing herself outside of her comfort zone, and having friends that support her passions was refreshing. My only gripe is the way the conflict at the end of the story was resolved. I would have preferred more direct character conversations that show effective communication. Overall I did enjoy this and will continue the series as well as checkout other work by Ashley Woodfolk.

This story is about Lux, who is sent to live with her father after getting in too many fights at her old school. She has to adjust to living with the parent who left her and her mom to start a new family, as well as the fallout from her own actions at her past school, all while trying to figure out how to make and keep friends in her new school.
This story was a very refreshing quick read, with just enough time to get to know Lux and understand what she's going through, in a kind of bite sized way. Even though it was short, it packed an emotional punch, and Lux's frustration, pain, and anger were all so understandable and genuine. I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to read the next one.

3.5 Stars
This was an enjoyable read, and I really liked the concepts we dealt with while following Lux. I appreciated how the book explored things like dealing with your parents divorce and also the feeling of abandonment that can come about because of it. I do wish that that aspect was dealt with a little more, but this is a short book so I understand why it had the time that it had. I also really liked seeing Lux make new friends and develop the understandings that come with that. I liked the incorporation of her photography and the fact that this is mainly set at an arts school also made the reading experience more fun.

I did have an issue with the major "conflict" that happened towards the end of the book. I know double jeopardy doesn't exactly hold for punishments between parents and their kids, but in this case it didn't make any sense at all to me as to why Lux was being punished for essentially the same thing twice, and that part really annoyed me while reading.

Overall this was a short quick read, I liked reading it, and would recommend it.

LUX: The new girl #1
By: Ashley Woodfolk

Lux is a part of the four book Flyy Girls series about four Harlem High School students dealing with themes about friendship, family, coming-of-age stories and love.

In this book #1, Lux Lawson is struggling every since her dad left their family to just stay in school. She is on her last chance with Harlem's Augusta Savage School of the Arts. Make it there or Lux is off to military school. All Lux has to do is stay out of trouble and be nice. 

I found that the writing is incredible easy to read, it will definitely immerse you into the story and I can see how young adults of all ages will enjoy the series and find a connection with any one of these Flyy girls to look up to and understand some of their similar struggles and challenges. I think that the story was well told, quick and fun reads.

I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to get a hold of the other three books in the series.

Oh, what a delight this book was to read. These are small short quick reads that pack a lot in them. You read the first page and the story is off and running and you don't want to put the book down. I adored Lux and her friends at her new school. The dynamics of her family were also very well-written. I think this story about Lux is so relatable for so many young people and I think it would be a great classroom read.

Thank you Penguin Teen for this advance reading copy.

After reading When You Were Everything, I knew Ashley Woodfolk could write characters. It was still so impressive to read Lux's story -- she's such a fully developed character, she has a solid arc, and her story was both interesting and well paced... all in such a short space! I loved the way the story was both serious and fun; Ashley always manages to find just the right balance. This was a great intro to the Flyy Girls. After finishing this one, I immediately dove into book two! Thank you Penguin Teen for a free advanced digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was a great hi/lo book- a book that was written to cover serious topics and be appealing to older teens while remaining accessible for readers at different reading levels or possibly reluctant readers. I can definitely see myself recommending this book to several of my teen clients/students. Overall this was a great book that introduced many important topics that teens are going to be able to relate to.

Thank you so much Penguin Teen for not only sending my the electronic ARC and the physical copies. This book was short sweet and is perfect to read at this time. I highly suggest this book especially if you want to read something quick and culturally appropriate right now. The characters are very rich especially for it to be so short.

Lux the New Girl is the first book in a new YA contemporary series about the “flyy girls”–the four low-key queens of the Augusta Savage School for the Arts, and this novella-length story packs a lot into a mere 144 pages. This first installment follows the titular character Lux Lawson, an aspiring photographer with a less-than-ideal disciplinary record. She’s been expelled from every school she’s attended for fighting, and Augusta Savage is a last-ditch effort for her after her mom pulls some strings to get her admitted. Normally, I struggle with “bad girl” characters, but Lux lashes out at her bullies and, honestly, I get it. I was bullied in school as well, and there were definitely times where I wanted to physically wound my tormentors and I never did. Woodfolk also sensitively tackles the other factors that add to Lux’s struggle, including the fact that her parents are divorced, that she has a new half-sister who takes up all of her dad’s attention, that she has to move. So many people are going to relate to Lux’s story, and I’m glad that it exists.

What I really love, though, is that beyond her history of violence, Lux is genuinely passionate about photography. It’s something that’s really personal to her, and I liked that Lux had a soft side. Overall, this was a great story about second chances, the company one keeps, and the crosses that we all bear.

This book was so incredibly engaging. I sat and read the entire thing in one sitting. I teach high school students who often have lower reading levels and I would recommend this book to them in a heartbeat. Can't wait to see the rest of the series.

This book was so much better than I expected it to be. I actually put it off for a while, afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype I created for it in my head. Upon finding some friends who were also gifted with this arc, awe got together (via instagram) and had a buddy read book club. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't pu tip down from the begging to the end I loved it. This is a book I would recommend to all the teens I know!.

This was a quick read. I really enjoyed reading Lux’s story, I only wish it was just longer...I feel like the story had just started and then it was over. 
-
-
The pacing for the work was good: I didn’t feel like the story was dragging because the author was giving us extensive play-by-play, but I also didn’t feel like I was missing things because the author was going too slow. I hope there’s more to Lux’s story, as well as more from the author, because I’m a big fan of both. 




*thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review*

A slightly gritty, realistic portrayal of the challenges faced by a group of girls at a high school for the arts.  It feels a bit formulaic, as if the characters were created specifically to address their different issues.  For Lux, it's her temper and her parent's divorce.  A quick read that would work for reluctant teen reader.

This is definitely more interesting than any Hi/Lo book that I've seen in my own collection at the library. It's one that I will advocate for to be added that way our teens have access to it. I think they'll enjoy it. I was provided an ARC of this book by Penguin Teen. All thoughts are my own.

I want to start this review by saying that I'm hoping/praying that people do not rate this book low because of the writing style. This book is considering a hi/lo book which has been confirmed by the author. This means that the books are written with high interest, but a lower difficulty level for those students that may not be on par with their reading level or could possible be reluctant readers. The simplicity with which the book is written IS INTENTIONAL. It's meant to appeal to an older audience, but also be accessible. With that being said...on to the review!

Lux: The New Girl is a part of a new short series that Woodfolk is writing. The first two are being released this year and I believe that the final two will be added next year. The first one focuses on a young girl by the name of Lux who has some serious anger management issues after her father leaves. Once she gets into a physical altercation she's sent to a new school. While there she meets a group of girls known as the flyy girls. Lux will do anything to fit in with the girls, but also make sure they never learn about her past.

This is a fast paced novel which I definitely expected. I completely and totally enjoyed the drama of Lux going to this new school and attempting to get to know the flyy girls. Woodfolk does an amazing job creating an atmosphere that showcases the every day struggles of being a teenager especially those that deal with the separation of parents. Lux has to go through a series of attitude adjustments and realizations to understand the importance and value of friendships and family. I think it was incredibly important to showcase how Lux had a difficult time getting along with her stepmother Penny and her new baby sister. I went through the same experiences at the age of 14 and I would have loved to have access to a book showing a character going through the same emotional experiences as myself. There was also this passion for the arts that is illustrated and hands down that was probably one of my favorite parts. I love seeing young Black characters so invested in art based programs like photography or fine arts and Lux's passion for photography radiated through each page. The friendship that develops between the characters is also enjoyable to see. I was weary of how the other girls would treat Lux, but I think that everything comes full circle for a plethora of reasons.

My only criticism of this book is that I wish that Woodfolk would have incorporated more aspects related to mental health. Lux clearly struggled with severe anger issues as a result of the separation of her parents and what she felt was abandonment by her father. The Black community has always struggled with conversations related to mental health and I feel as though this book would have been a great opportunity to showcase how normal it is for young teens to seek professional guidance and support when they are unsure of how to deal with their emotions.

Overall, this was a great start to a new series and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book.

4 ⭐️

As far as hi-lo books go, this is a pretty good one.

It's fast-moving and there's not a dull moment. If - like me - you're used to longer novels that go deep into the characters' feelings and stretch the action enough for extended character development, you might find it a bit unrealistic and too quickly resolved. But for its intended audience, it's just enough conflict to keep them engaged while being short enough not to bore them.

It also has a lot of diversity woven in easily enough that it doesn't sound forced.

I'm looking forward to the other novels in the collection, and I've already ordered the first two for my library.

This is a great quick read geared towards a YA audience. I would even say the younger end of the teen spectrum. This will be a great addition to my recommendation arsenal for teens and especially reluctant readers.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lux: The New Girl is the first book in Ashley Woodfolk's new Flyy Girls series! I really enjoyed this one. It's a cute and quick story, and I liked Lux and her new friends. I'm looking forward to reading the next few books.