Sarah Redmond has moved all over the country with her flighty mom, always the new girl, never the popular one. Until Sierra Vista, where she's finally on the verge of a social breakthrough. But when everything goes horribly wrong, she and her new friends find a way to use knitting to exact sweet revenge. But that is only the beginning of her new life in Arizona, where she has run-ins with some drug-runners and her deadbeat father before meeting Alex, who helps her see who she really is and everything she can do with her life.
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: This plot delves into serious bullying and other grave social issues that can impact teens, and it accurately portrays the extraordinary importance of social media in kids’ lives.
Prose/Style: Vincent writes convincing teenage dialogue with all of the meanness and profanity that can surface at that age. Vincent’s style is spare and to the point, giving just enough detail for to engage the reader’s interest and imagination.
Originality: Vincent’s second YA novel, Always the New Girl, started out as a series of short stories, each of which is well thought out and fully developed. Vincent has woven them together masterfully.
Character Development/Execution: With parents who can be described as negligent at best, Sarah is out of necessity a fiercely independent young woman trying to find her way in the world with very little adult support, but she is able to make good choices for herself and forge a future that should turn out well. Vincent depicts Sarah as an utterly believable character whom one cannot help but respect.
Blurb: Always the New Girl is a carefully considered and executed coming-of-age story about a resourceful young woman who matures from a somewhat rebellious high school junior into a successful senior on her way to college, all with very little help from the adults in her life, but a lot of help from her friends.
Date Submitted: August 05, 2021
