The New Girl left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, there are some genuine jaw-dropping moments in the story. On the other, it wraps up in one of the strangest endings I can remember.
First the good.
The set-up is excellent. Sophie is the perfect foil. She ran home to her small town after a tragedy occurred while she was in college, but now that years have passed, she wants more than the town (and her long-term boyfriend) can give her.
She is very relatable in that regard.
Things look up for her when she finds her dream job, filled with people who take an interest in her. Everything is too good to be true.
Literally.
Even as Sophie falls into the spell of her new job and new friends, there are hints that not everything is as it seems. And when a blast from her past occurs, her life turns upside down.
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There are whispers of Sophie’s past woven throughout the story and as her past and present collide, the book really takes off.
Up to that point, I found myself very skeptical of…well, everything. I have “scam” or “unreliable” in my notes at least six times. There are points that I think Sophie should have also realized the convenience and obviousness. But she is so desperate to be successful that she is blind to the details.
Things do get complicated as Sophie starts to put the pieces together but ultimately everything becomes clear.
The one problem I have with the book is the climax and aftermath. After all of the buildup, it all happens in a hurry. I wish there had been more time spent on it. And the prologue seemed like a total afterthought. For me, it was awkward and did not fit with the story.
But I did enjoy the rest of the story and would recommend The New Girl for the masterful gaslighting that occurs throughout.
Other books by this author: The Wedding, I Know Your Secret
Facebook: rjhealdauthor/
Instagram: @ruthheald
Website: https://ruthheald.com/
Author Bio:
Ruth Heald is the bestselling author of psychological thrillers THE WEDDING, I KNOW YOUR SECRET, THE MOTHER’S MISTAKE and THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS, and the relationship drama 27: SIX FRIENDS, ONE YEAR.
Ruth studied Economics at Oxford University and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting. She worked at the BBC for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with two children. Her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.
